Since April 11, 2025, a new registration requirement for immigrant minors aged 14 on U.S. soil is in place.  

This measure follows President Trump’s Executive Order 14159 of January 25, 2025, aiming at further protecting national security and strengthening existing immigration laws.  

Thus, minors aged 14 residing in the U.S. must now re-register on the dedicated U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website, failing which they may face severe penalties.

Key Takeaways

• Minors aged 14 and over who arrive on U.S. soil must be registered by a parent within 30 days of their arrival.
• When a minor child already residing in the U.S. reaches the age of 14, they must re-register with USCIS within 30 days of their birthday.

Exemptions from the registration rule

The following are notably exempt from this requirement:

• Legal permanent residents (green card holders) who have fulfilled all fingerprinting requirements.
• Resident minors who entered the U.S. after their 14th birthday and who hold a Form I-94 issued upon arrival, as they are already registered.

Tough Penalties

Non-compliance with this requirement exposes individuals to significant penalties: fines of up to $5,000, imprisonment, ineligibility for a green card, denial of regularization of status, and even deportation from the U.S.

Find all the details in our partner’s alert.

This alert was prepared based on the information shared by our partner Bruna Frota and her team from INLG, and published with their permission.