Source: http://americanlaw.com/alienreg.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 08:15:45+00:00

Document:
In the USA Patriot Act, Congress mandated the development of an entry-exit system. The first phase of the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System ("NSEERS") was implemented by the former Immigration and Naturalization Service ("Legacy INS") at selected ports of entry on September 11, 2002.
In addition to requiring the fingerprinting of higher-risk visiting aliens at the port of entry, the NSEERS program requires the same individuals to periodically confirm where they are living and what they are doing in the United States, as well as to confirm their exit from the country through designated ports of entry. These special registration procedures apply only to nationals and citizens of certain designated countries.
In addition to special registration procedures, the INS is also enforcing a previously-existing requirement that all aliens in the United States notify the INS of a change of address within 10 days. These general registration procedures apply to all aliens, with only limited exceptions.
Both general and and special registration procedures are discussed below.
According to INA §261, no visa shall be issued to any alien seeking to enter the United States until such alien has been registered in accordance with INA §221(b). Therefore, any alien applying for a visa must be registered.
Every alien in the United States, who (1) is fourteen years of age or older, (2) has not been registered and fingerprinted under INA §221(b) or section 30 or 31 of the Alien Registration Act, 1940, and (3) remains in the United States for thirty days or longer, must apply for registration and to be fingerprinted before the expiration of such thirty days.
Every parent or legal guardian of any alien in the United States, who (1) is less than fourteen years of age, (2) has not been registered under INA §221(b) or section 30 or 31 of the Alien Registration Act, 1940, and (3) remains in the United States for thirty days or longer, must apply for the registration of such alien before the expiration of such thirty days. Whenever any alien attains his fourteenth birthday in the United States he shall, within thirty days thereafter, apply in person for registration and to be fingerprinted.
INA §262 covers all aliens, except visa-exempt nonimmigrants (such as Canadian citizens entering as B-1 or B-2 nonimmigrants) who are in the U.S. for fewer than 30 days. INA §263 also exempts diplomats (A status) and official government representatives to an international organization (G status).
Under the existing regulations at 8 CFR §264.1(a), the INS registers entering nonimmigrants using Form I-94 (Arrival-Departure Record). Therefore, aliens who are issued Form I-94 are not required to be registered again unless their address changes subsequent to the issuance of Form I-94.
Although the language of INA §262 suggests that all aliens must also be fingerprinted, it also contains general provisions that authorize the Attorney General to waive the fingerprinting requirement. The INS is currently not requiring fingerprinting for aliens in the United States, except those subject to special registration requirements, which are discussed below.
According to the INS website, the INS recommends additional notifications for those aliens who are also applicants for benefits. An applicant for naturalization may comply with the law by filing a Form AR-11 AND telephoning the National Customer Service Center (800-375-5283) to advise that office of the change of address. Applicants and petitioners for any other benefits should file a Form AR-11 AND notify in writing the local office processing their case of any change of address.
It is not necessary to include include temporary addresses as long as the alien maintains his or her present address as a permanent residence and continues to receive mail there. When sending a change of address, it is not necessary to include numerous previous addresses; only the most recent last address is needed. Aliens should also indicate in the appropriate block on Form AR-11 current employment and school, where applicable.
As stated above, under the new special registration procedures, certain nonimmigrant aliens from designated foreign countries must now be registered, fingerprinted, and photographed. They must also provide notice of any changes of address and register their departure from the United States by leaving through designated ports of entry. The procedures are applicable to nonimmigrants only; they do not apply to persons who have lawful permanent residence in the United States.
Special registration applies to any alien who is a national or citizen of a designated country. However, it does not apply to diplomats (A status), official government representatives to an international organization (G status), aliens who are lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence, or aliens who been granted asylum under INA §208.
The 30/40-day follow-up interviews applicable to port-of-entry registrants.
Unfortunately, all other special registration requirements continue to apply.
Aliens subject to special registration must also notify the INS of any changes of address, employment or school within 10 calendar days from the time the change occurs. These changes are submitted on Form AR-11, using the same procedure followed in the general registration procedures discussed above.
Aliens subject to special registration who depart from the United States on or after October 1, 2002, are required to report their departure from the United States by appearing before an INS inspecting officer at a designated port of entry on the same day that they leave. Aliens will be given a list of airports, seaports, and overland exit ports that are designated for this purpose.
Nonimmigrant aliens who meet pre-existing criteria, or who a consular officer or the inspecting officer has reason to believe meet pre-existing criteria, determined by the Attorney General or the Secretary of State to indicate that such alien's presence in the United States warrants monitoring.
A Legacy INS Memo dated September 30, 2002, from from Johnny N. Williams, Executive Associate Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, to all Regional and Service Center Directors (the "Williams Memo") stated that special registration would also be applied to males between 16 and 45 years of age who were applying for admission as, and were citizens or nationals of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, or Yemen. However, special registration only applied in these cases if the nonimmigrant alien presented himself for admission as a citizen or national of one of these three countries.
The alien provides information that causes the immigration officer to reasonably determine that the individual requires monitoring it the interest of national security.
must register at a designated INS Office between November 15, 2002 and December 16, 2002.
must register at a designated INS Office between December 2, 2002 and January 10, 2003.
will also be required to register at a designated INS Office between January 13, 2003 and March 21, 2003 (the deadline was originally February 21, 2003 but was extended).
Armenia was originally included in the notice also. However, the Department of Justice republished the notice on December 18, 2002, omitting Armenia from the list of countries subject to special registration.
will be required to register at a designated INS Office between February 24, 2003, and April 25, 2003 (the deadline was originally March 28, 2003, but was extended).
Initially, Canadian citizens who were born in one of the above countries were automatically subjected to special registration requirements. However, after the Canadian Government expressed concerns over this practice, the Department of Justice stated that place of birth, by itself, will not automatically trigger registration and that Legacy INS had instructed immigration inspectors at U.S. ports of entry accordingly. Unfortunately, it did not say what would trigger registration.
The Federal Register notices that implemented call-in special registration procedures for aliens already in the United States clearly indicate that they apply to any alien who is a national or citizen of a designated country, notwithstanding any dual nationality or citizenship. It appears as though a Canadian citizen who is also a national or citizen of one of the designated countries is still subject to call-in special registration, although port-of-entry special registration will not be automatic.
Since citizenship or nationality is determined by the laws of the country granting such status, every alien born in one of the designated countries should refer to the law of their country of birth to assess whether they are still considered a citizen or national of that country. If the answer is yes, the alien is subject to special registration. If the answer is no, the alien should obtain evidence of this fact if he or she is ever accused of failure to register.
According to INA §266(a), any alien required to apply for registration and to be fingerprinted in the United States who willfully fails or refuses to make such application or to be fingerprinted, and any parent or legal guardian required to apply for the registration of any alien who willfully fails or refuses to file application for the registration of such alien shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not to exceed $1,000 or be imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
According to INA §266(b), a willful failure to give written notice to INS of a change of address within 10 days of the change is a misdemeanor. If convicted, the alien (or parent or legal guardian of an alien under age 14 who is required to give notice) can be fined up to $200 or imprisoned up to 30 days, or both. The alien may also be taken into custody and subject to removal from the United States, unless such alien establishes to the satisfaction of the Attorney General that such failure was reasonably excusable or was not willful.
Compliance with the requirement to notify INS of any address changes is also a condition of an alien's stay in the United States. Failure to comply could also jeopardize the alien�s ability to obtain a future visa or other immigration benefit.
According to 8 CFR §264.1(f)(8), any nonimmigrant alien subject to special registration who: fails, without good cause, to be examined by an inspecting officer at the time of his or her departure, and to have his or her departure confirmed and recorded by the inspecting officer, shall thereafter be presumed to be inadmissible under, but not limited to, INA §212(a)(3)(A)(ii) as an alien whom the Attorney General has reasonable grounds to believe, based on the alien's past failure to conform with the requirements for special registration, seeks to enter the United States to engage in unlawful activity. An alien may overcome this presumption by making a showing that he or she satisfies conditions set by the Attorney General and the Secretary of State.
According to INA §266(c), any alien or any parent or legal guardian of any alien, who files an application for registration containing statements known by him to be false, or who procures or attempts to procure registration of himself or another person through fraud, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and can be fined up to $1,000, or be imprisoned for up to six months, or both. Any alien so convicted is also subject to removal.
According to INA §266(d), any person who with unlawful intent photographs, prints, or in any other manner makes, or executes, any engraving, photograph, print, or impression in the likeness of any certificate of alien registration or an alien registration or an alien registration receipt card or any colorable imitation thereof, except when and as authorized by the Attorney General, shall upon conviction be fined up to $5,000 or be imprisoned for up to five years, or both.
Failure to have the registration receipt card or certificate in personal possession is a misdemeanor, punishable by $100 fine or 30 days imprisonment, or both.

References: §261
 §221
 §221
 §221
 §262
 §263
 §264
 §262
 §208
 §266
 §266
 §264
 §212
 §266
 §266