Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson today announced the process for individuals to renew enrollment in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Effective immediately, USCIS will begin accepting renewal requests. USCIS will also continue to accept requests for DACA from individuals who have not previously sought to access the program. As of April 2014, more than 560,000 individuals have received DACA.
To renew DACA, the new I-821D form and I-765 (Employment Authorization application) and fee of $465 should be filed 120-150 days prior to expiration of DACA status. Applications filed more than 150 prior to expiration may be rejected. Those filed less than 120 days prior to expiration may result in a gap in your employment authorization.
What do you need to do now?
- calculate 150 day before the expiration of your DACA
- start saving the filing fee -- $465 again
- gather proof that you have continuously resided in the U.S. since your grant of DACA
- if you have been arrested or convicted of a crime since your grant of DACA, gather the documents related to the arrest/conviction and see an immigration attorney or a legal service provider authorized to provide legal services by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) to determine whether you should apply for renewal
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