USCIS DACA Announcement: Now Accepting Qualified Renewal Applications

As a result of the federal district court order blocking the Administration’s termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program, USCIS will now accept renewal applications for those recipients whose DACA and employment authorization documents (EAD) have or will expire.   People who were previously granted deferred action under DACA may request a renewal by filing Form I-821D along with Form I-765 and Form I-765 WS along with the $495 filing fee.

Individuals who previously had DACA and their DACA expired on or after September 5, 2016, can now apply to renew their DACA.  Individuals whose DACA expired prior to September 5, 2016, cannot apply for DACA as a renewal, but may file as new initial DACA application. According to the announcement on its website, USCIS is not accepting DACA applications for first-time applicants.

The agency is also not accepting applications for advance parole from DACA recipients.    

Renewal applicants are urged to speak with immigration counsel for answers to any questions about this process and more importantly to discuss potential options for seeking a more permanent status in the United States.