Can I get help paying my DACA renewal fee?

This is general information, not legal advice.

How much is the fee?

Your renewal costs $555 if you file online ($85 for Form I-821D plus $470 for Form I-765) or $605 on paper ($85 plus $520). We checked the USCIS fee schedule on October 21, 2026. Filing online saves you $50.

USCIS does not offer fee waivers for DACA. A very small number of people can get a fee exemption, but only if USCIS approves it before you file. Ask a legal clinic if you think you might qualify.

Where can I get a loan?

Mission Asset Fund (MAF), a San Francisco nonprofit, lends the exact USCIS online fee at 0% interest (checked October 21, 2026).

• Who: people in California.
• What: the online fee only. MAF lists DACA at $555.
• How: apply online and finish MAF's free money classes. Once approved, MAF loads a virtual card with your fee within about a week. You enter that card when you file in your USCIS account.
• Timing: the card is good for 60 days. Be ready to file online in that window, and inside your 120 to 150 day filing window.
• Paying back: monthly payments come out of your checking account. MAF reports them to the three credit bureaus, so paying on time can help you build credit.

A credit union also lends for DACA fees, but with interest. Self-Help Federal Credit Union lists a DACA loan of up to $800 at 15.00% APR. You will pay back more than the fee. Ask about terms before you sign.

Is there a grant I don't have to pay back?

Only in some cases. MAF's Bay Area DACA/Dreamer Legalization Grant gives up to $5,000 to Dreamers 18 and older with ties to certain Bay Area counties, including San Mateo and Santa Clara. You must be working with a lawyer or a nonprofit legal provider toward lawful status. MAF says a DACA renewal can be covered only if you need it to keep moving on that path. A plain renewal on its own does not qualify.

Does California still pay DACA fees?

Not that we could find. California's DACA and Naturalization Application Filing Fees project, run with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, says its help was available only until the end of 2023. We searched again and found no state, San Mateo County or Santa Clara County fund paying DACA fees today (checked October 21, 2026).

California still funds free legal help, which saves you lawyer costs. Some local groups may know of fee help this year:

• Coastside Hope (Half Moon Bay): offers scholarships for USCIS fees based on income, for people who live or work on the Coastside. First consultation is $50. Call 650-726-9071, extension 229, or for DACA 650-523-3538.
• Students: ask your campus Dream Center or undocumented student program.

How do I pay USCIS safely?

• Online: pay inside your USCIS account.
• By mail: USCIS takes only a card (Form G-1450) or a U.S. bank account debit (Form G-1650). USCIS says to send a separate payment form for each form you file, all of the same type. For a mailed renewal that means two: one for $85 (Form I-821D) and one for $520 (Form I-765). Checks and money orders stopped on October 28, 2025, unless USCIS approved an exemption. Anyone with a U.S. bank account can pay for you with Form G-1650.
• Check your balance. If a card is declined, USCIS does not try again, and your renewal can be rejected.
• Never pay a "grant fee." No real grant asks you to pay first. USCIS never asks for fees by phone or email.

What if I can't get the money in time?

Don't let your DACA lapse without a plan. If you file after it expires, you can still renew within one year (DACA FAQ Q53). After one year, you must file as a first time request, and USCIS is not deciding those now. Your work permit also stops on its end date. Call a legal clinic early and say, "I need help finding money for my DACA fee."

What does a plan look like?

Example (fictional). Rosa's DACA ends on June 30, 2027. She counts back 150 days and lands on January 31, 2027. That is the start of her filing window.

• Late December 2026: she applies for the MAF loan and starts the free money classes.
• Early January 2027: MAF loads a virtual card with $555. The card is good for 60 days, so she plans to file by early March.
• February 1, 2027: she files online in her USCIS account and pays with the card.
• After that: her loan payments come out of her checking account each month.

Rosa's dates are made up. Check your own end date, MAF's current terms, and the fee on the day you file.

Where can I get free help?

Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Mission Asset Fund (California): programs@missionassetfund.org
• For San Mateo County residents: Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto, (650) 326-6440; Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, (650) 558-0915; Immigration Institute of the Bay Area (Redwood City), (650) 587-1558, consultations by appointment; Catholic Charities (San Mateo County), (650) 295-2160; San Mateo County Immigrant Services, (650) 363-4194
• Santa Clara County residents: Office of Immigrant Relations partners (Asian Law Alliance, Pars Equality Center and Santa Clara University help with renewals)
• Anywhere in California: the state's map of free immigration legal services, or call (916) 651-8017.

Related questions

• Who can help me file my DACA application in California?
• How do I fill out the DACA application forms?
• Is there a program that pays naturalization fees?

Full guide: Help paying DACA and citizenship fees in the Bay Area