How do I prove I lived in the US since 2007?

This is general information, not legal advice.

Who needs this proof?

Only people filing a first time DACA request. If you are renewing, you do not need to send these papers again.

Be aware: USCIS accepts first time requests now but is not deciding them, because of a Texas court order (checked October 21, 2026). Gathering papers still makes sense. It takes time, and you will be ready if that changes. A lawyer can also use the same papers to check you for other options. See Is DACA still available?

What papers count?

The Form I-821D instructions list these kinds of papers. Copies are fine. Do not send originals unless USCIS asks.

• School records: report cards, transcripts, attendance records, letters from your school.
• Medical records: hospital, clinic, doctor or vaccine records.
• Work records: pay stubs, W-2 forms, letters from employers.
• Home records: rent receipts, utility bills, letters from a company showing service dates.
• Money records: bank records, money order receipts, tax receipts.
• Religious records: official records from a church or other religious group, like a baptism or first communion.
• Military records, if you have any.
• Other papers: postmarked letters, and any other paper that shows you were here on a date.

The best papers have your name, a date and a U.S. address or place on them. One tip from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC): a tax receipt shows you were here in the month you filed, not the whole year, so pair it with other papers.

Any paper in another language needs a full English translation. The translator must sign that it is complete and correct.

Do I need proof for every day?

No. In its DACA FAQ (Q33), USCIS says you do not need direct proof for every day or every month. It says it helps if you send proof for at least each year.

The ILRC suggests trying for a paper for each month, and if you can't, at least one every three months. That is a goal from a legal group, not a USCIS rule. More papers make gaps easier to explain.

What if I have a gap?

Long gaps can make USCIS doubt that you lived here the whole time. USCIS may send you a Request for Evidence asking for more.

Ways to fill a gap:

1. Look again. Ask your old schools for records. Ask your clinic or county health office for your medical file. Ask your parents' landlord for rent records.
2. Use affidavits, carefully. An affidavit is a signed, sworn statement from someone who knew you then, like a pastor, coach or neighbor. USCIS says you need two or more, from people other than you. Affidavits can help fill a gap. They cannot be your only proof for the whole time.
3. Explain it. A short, honest note about why a gap exists can help.

If USCIS sends a Request for Evidence, answer by the deadline on the notice and send everything it asks for. From October 23, 2026, if a USCIS deadline counted in days ends on a weekend or federal holiday, a paper response is on time if it arrives the next business day (USCIS policy alert PA-2026-15). Don't count on that extra day. Mail early with tracking.

Affidavits do not work to prove you were here on June 15, 2012. For that date you need a paper record from around that time.

Do short trips abroad count against me?

A trip before August 15, 2012 may be fine if it was brief, casual and innocent. That means short, and only as long as needed for the reason you went, like a family funeral. List every trip on the form since June 15, 2007. Send proof of the dates if you have it, like a plane ticket.

Any trip on or after August 15, 2012 without advance parole breaks your continuous residence. If that is you, talk to a lawyer before you file.

Where can I find old records?

• School records: call the school district office. Ask for "cumulative records" or a transcript.
• Medical records: call the clinic or hospital's records department.
• Church records: ask your parish or congregation office for a letter or certificate with dates.
• Family papers: your parents may have bills, leases or letters with your name.

Keep a folder. Write on a sticky note which year each paper covers. Never change or add to an official paper.

What does it look like in practice?

Here is a made up example to show the steps. It is not a real person.

Ana came to California at age 6 in 2005. She has report cards from 2007 to 2014 and a community college transcript from 2018 to 2020. Nothing shows 2015 to 2017, when she worked in cash jobs.

1. She writes each year on her worksheet and marks 2015, 2016 and 2017 as gaps.
2. She calls her clinic, which has her vaccine and checkup records from 2016. That fills one year.
3. She finds a 2015 lease with her mother's name and hers, and money order receipts for rent in 2017 with her name.
4. For the months still empty, her former landlord and a family friend each sign a sworn statement that she lived in Redwood City then. That gives her two affidavits for the gap, as USCIS asks.
5. For June 15, 2012, she uses her report card for the spring 2012 term, not an affidavit.
6. She brings the folder to a free legal screening before she files.

What does it cost to file?

A first time request is filed on paper. The fee is $85 for Form I-821D plus $520 for Form I-765, so $605 in total, paid by card (Form G-1450) or U.S. bank account (Form G-1650). There are no fee waivers for DACA (USCIS fee schedule, checked October 21, 2026). USCIS fees are generally not refunded, whatever the outcome (8 CFR 103.2(a)(1)). Because first time requests are on hold, ask a lawyer whether to file now or keep gathering and wait. See What do I need to apply for DACA the first time?

Is there a worksheet I can print?

Yes. Fill it in and bring it to your legal appointment.

Who can help?

You don't have to dig through the years alone. These are free or low cost legal services. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• California Department of Social Services: map of state funded immigration legal services. Call (916) 651-8017.
• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (for low income San Mateo and Santa Clara county residents): (650) 326-6440
• Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County (for San Mateo County residents): (650) 558-0915
• Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, Redwood City office: (650) 587-1558 to book a free first consultation (appointments only, no drop ins).
• For Santa Clara County residents: Office of Immigrant Relations partners

Only a lawyer or a DOJ accredited representative may give you immigration legal advice. See Warning signs of an immigration scam.

Related questions

• What counts as continuous residence for DACA?
• How do trips abroad affect continuous residence?
• What do I need to apply for DACA the first time?

Every report card and clinic visit is part of your story here. You belong to this place, and you can show it.