What is Special Registration? 

Special Registration, or the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) is a registration system which previously targeted certain nonimmigrants of mostly Middle Eastern or Muslim countries, that enables the government keep track of the arrival and departure of these nonimmigrants who come to the U.S. every year. NSEERS did formerly involve a "call in" component that required foreign nationals to report to local INS, then USCIS (U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services) offices.  The NSEERS program was taken over by ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) in December 2003. ICE issued a notice discontinuing blanket "call in" registration (the 30 day and annual re-registration requirements), but all other requirements, such as port of entry and port of exit registration with CBP (Customs & Border Protection), continued to apply. ICE also provided for a process for applications for waiver of special registration requirements.

NSEERS special registration involves being fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed at the port of entry and exit, but is separate from and in addition to "US-VISIT" registration that is being increasingly implemented and affects all nonimmigrants.

Exit special registration compliance required that nonimmigrants depart ONLY at one of the following specially designated ports of departure and appear at the special registration desk/booth/office.  NOTE: Until elimination of the NSEERS special registration program, nonimmigrants subject to special registration were required to depart from a designated port of exit and undergo re-registration at that port of exit.

On our website:

• NSEERS requirements no longer in effect as of 4/28/11 (4/2011)
• J&H memo: Special Registration Update 2003  (12/2003)
• J&H memo: Call-In Special Registration 2002  (2/2003)
• Legacy INS memo on port of entry special registration - currently applied by CBP
• J&H memo: Arrival/Departure Special Registration   (9/2002)

On the DHS website:  (Special Registration was transferred from USCIS to ICE in December 2003)

• referenced web pages have since been removed from DHS website

Other government websites:

• US-VISIT
• OPM: Citizenship around the World   (3/2001)

Change of address for Special Registration:

Under USCIS regulations, all  nonimmigrants who were subject to special registration were required to notify USCIS of changes of employment or school, as well as address, using form  AR-11SR.  For for a copy of form AR-11SR and mailing instructions, visit the USCIS website. NSEERS change of employment or school reporting requirements no longer in effect as of 4/28/11; however all foreign nationals are required to notify USCIS of changes of address using Form AR-11. For more information, see our change of address page.