New US Immigration Rules Take Effect: What H-1B Visa Holders Need to Know

US immigrants are required to keep valid documents on hand as a judge supports a Trump-era rule. Legal visa residents, such as H-1B employees and students, are also affected. DHS cracks down on stricter immigration guidelines.

Washington D.C. | April 12, 2025 —
In a major breakthrough for United States immigrants, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a statement that all noncitizens 18 and older need to have valid immigration documents on them at all times. The directive follows after a U.S. district judge endorsed a Trump-era policy requiring immigrants to register with the federal government and carry documents with them.

This administration has instructed DHS to focus on enforcement; there will be no refuge for non-compliance,” the DHS stated in a Friday issued statement.

The ruling, supported by U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden — who was appointed by former President Donald Trump — opens the door to more stringent immigration enforcement policies. Judge McFadden rejected lawsuits brought by advocacy groups challenging the policy, saying they had not shown that the rule would undermine their fundamental missions.

Groups such as the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights and the United Farm Workers of America had tried to prevent the enforcement, contending the rule could push people into harsh predicaments. Nicholas Espiritu, deputy legal director for the National Immigration Law Center, labeled the decision “disappointing,” saying it compels immigrants to either register and put themselves at risk of deportation or opt out and receive penalties.

Immigrants who came into the U.S. legally — including those holding valid visas, green cards, employment authorization documents, border crossing cards, or I-94 admission records — are already registered and will not be affected by the new requirement directly. Yet even these “already registered” people, like Indian H-1B visa holders and international students, need to carry their documents with them everywhere.

Secondly, foreign national children will be compelled to re-register and provide fingerprints by the time they are 30 days past their 14th birthday.

The action has drawn alarm from immigrant communities, particularly Indians who constitute a significant segment of the H-1B visa employees and student body in the United States. Activists warn the tighter documentation requirements have the potential to foster a climate of fear and discrimination.

The Department of Homeland Security announced that it would strictly enforce the new measures, doubling down on the administration’s hardline immigration compliance policy.