Updates To Registration Requirement For Foreign Nationals

Background on Registration for Foreign Nationals

Effective April 11, 2025, an Interim Final Rule promulgated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) amends existing regulations to require certain foreign nationals to complete a new online registration form, as well as to provide biometrics (for DHS background checks), in order to comply with the existing registration requirement of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

The INA has long required foreign nationals applying for a U.S. visa to undergo registration and fingerprinting, as well as foreign nationals 14 years and older who remain in the United States for 30 days or longer. In accordance with President Donald Trump's executive order requiring federal agencies to increase vetting of foreign nationals, the Interim Final Rule aims to ensure compliance with the long-standing registration requirement for foreign nationals, and to impose severe penalties on those who fail to comply.