Help paying DACA and citizenship fees in the Bay Area

This page is about finding the money for USCIS fees. It is general information, not legal advice. To file, see Renew DACA online or Renew DACA by mail. For the big picture, start at the DACA hub.

How much do the fees cost right now?

These are the USCIS fees as of October 21, 2026. USCIS changed some fees on October 16, 2026, but not these. Fees change. Check again the week you file.

• DACA: $85 for the I-821D plus $470 online or $520 on paper for the I-765. Filing online saves $50.
• Citizenship: the online price is $50 less than paper. Members of the military who apply under the military sections of the law pay nothing.
• How you pay: when you file online, you pay inside your USCIS account. When you mail a form, USCIS takes only a card (Form G-1450) or a bank account payment (Form G-1650). Checks and money orders are no longer accepted unless USCIS approved a paper payment exemption.
• No refunds. USCIS keeps the fee even if your case is denied. Make sure the form is right before you pay.

Is there a fee waiver for DACA?

No. USCIS does not offer fee waivers for DACA renewals or the DACA work permit. A very small number of people can get a fee exemption, but only if USCIS approves it before you file. The USCIS DACA questions and answers list who may qualify. Ask a legal clinic if you think you do.

For most people, the real question is where the money comes from. Here is where to look.

Where can I get money to help pay?

There is help out there. We checked each program below on its own website on October 18, 2026. Funding can run out without notice, so contact them before you count on it.

Mission Asset Fund: 0% interest loan for the fee (California)

Mission Asset Fund (MAF), a San Francisco nonprofit, lends you the exact USCIS online filing fee at 0% interest.

• Who: people in California. The page says "available in California only."
• What it covers: the online fee only. Its page lists DACA ($555) and citizenship ($710), plus advance parole for DACA, green card renewal and some family petitions.
• How it works: you apply online and take MAF's free money classes. Once approved, MAF loads a virtual card with your fee within about a week. You enter that card in your USCIS online account when you file. The card is good for 60 days, so be ready to file online within 60 days.
• Paying it back: monthly payments come out of your checking account, and MAF reports them to all three credit companies. Paying on time can help you build credit. See Build credit without a Social Security number.
• Good to know: this loan pays the full online fee. It does not fit the $380 reduced citizenship fee, which is paper only.

MAF also runs Lending Circles, small 0% loans of $300 to $2,400 for any purpose. Its pages today do not describe a lending circle just for DACA or citizenship. The immigration loan above is the program made for USCIS fees.

Mission Asset Fund: Bay Area DACA/Dreamer Legalization Grant

This is a grant, not a loan. You don't pay it back. It is for Dreamers moving toward a green card or citizenship. See the program page.

• Who can apply: you must be 18 or older and a DACA recipient or Dreamer who came to the U.S. before age 21. The page gives two different arrival year cutoffs, 2021 and 2022, so ask MAF which applies.
• Where: you need a current or past tie to Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma or Yolo County.
• Legal help first: you must be working with a private attorney or be referred by a nonprofit legal provider, and be actively working toward lawful status, with your eligibility confirmed by that provider.
• How much: up to $5,000 in total, asked for in one or more requests, one at a time, with receipts.
• What it pays for: USCIS fees (the page names the N-400 as an example), attorney fees, expert evaluations, the green card medical exam and interpreters.
• DACA renewals: MAF says a DACA renewal may be covered only if you are actively working toward lawful status and need the renewal to keep moving on that path. A plain DACA renewal alone does not qualify.
• How it works: pre-apply online. If you qualify, MAF emails you a full application. MAF says it usually reviews in about 5 business days, and requests take up to 10 business days. Money comes on a virtual card that cannot be turned into cash. You can ask to be paid back for costs paid on or after July 1, 2025.
• Questions: programs@missionassetfund.org. "Funding is limited and not guaranteed," the page says.

A credit union loan (not free)

Self-Help Federal Credit Union, which has branches in California, lists a DACA loan of up to $800 at 15.00% APR and a citizenship loan of up to $1,000 at 16.00% APR. This loan charges interest. You will pay back more than the fee. Its page gives two different repayment terms, so ask the credit union for the term, whether you must become a member, and whether it serves the Bay Area before you apply.

State, county and city fee funds

We could not find a California, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County or city fund that pays DACA or citizenship fees today (searched October 18 and 21, 2026). To check for anything newer, ask the nonprofits on the state's map of free immigration legal services whether they know of local fee help.

• California's last DACA and citizenship fee program, run through the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, ended at the end of 2023.
• California still pays nonprofits to give free legal help, which saves you lawyer fees. Find one on the state's map of free immigration legal services or call (916) 651-8017.
• San Mateo County can mail or email you a letter that proves you get public benefits, to send with a citizenship fee waiver request. Ask for it on the county's citizenship fee waiver page. It takes 1 to 2 weeks. Questions: (650) 363-4194.

If you hear about a new local fund, ask the legal clinics under Who can help? whether it is real and still open.

Scholarships from local groups

• Coastside Hope (Half Moon Bay) says scholarships for USCIS fees are available based on income, for people who live or work on the Coastside. Its first consultation costs $50. Call 650-726-9071, extension 229, or for DACA 650-523-3538. Coastside Hope immigration

We found no other Bay Area scholarship paying DACA or citizenship fees today (searched October 18 and 21, 2026). If you are a student, ask your campus Dream Center or undocumented student program whether it has fee help this year. Anyone can also ask the nonprofits under Who can help?.

Can I pay less for citizenship?

Yes, if your income is low. You have two options. Both mean filing on paper.

Reduced fee: $380. For people whose household income is at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. You ask for it in Part 10 of the paper Form N-400 and send proof of income. You cannot ask for the reduced fee if you file online.

Fee waiver: $0. You pay nothing if USCIS approves your waiver. You can qualify in one of three ways:

1. You get a public benefit that is based on income, such as Medi-Cal or CalFresh, at the time you file.
2. Your household income is at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.
3. You are in extreme financial hardship, such as large medical bills or an emergency, so that almost all your money goes to basic needs.

Ask with Form I-912 (USCIS) or a signed letter, plus proof. USCIS says you cannot file online when you ask for a fee waiver, so mail the paper I-912 with your paper N-400. USCIS uses 150 percent of the current poverty guidelines at the time of your request (USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 1, Part B, Chapter 4). Its Form I-912P page still showed 2024 numbers when we checked, so use the current HHS poverty guidelines. There is no appeal if USCIS denies a fee waiver, so a legal clinic can help you decide whether to ask for a waiver, the reduced fee or the full fee. In San Mateo County, the benefits letter described above can be your proof.

How do I save for the fee?

You can do this. Start early, and divide the fee by the months left before you file.

• DACA timing: USCIS asks you to file 120 to 150 days (4 to 5 months) before your DACA ends. Count back from that date, not from the day it ends.
• File online if you can. It saves $50 on DACA and $50 on citizenship at full price.
• Keep it separate. A savings account you don't touch, or a separate envelope at home, keeps the fee from getting spent. See Open a bank account with an ITIN or consular ID.
• Check the account before you pay. If a card is declined, USCIS does not try again, and your filing may be rejected.
• Ask family to help. Anyone with a U.S. bank account can pay a mailed fee for you with Form G-1650.
• Plan for the next one. A DACA renewal is due again every time your DACA ends. Start saving for the next one when your new card arrives.

How do I avoid fee scams?

Your USCIS fee goes only to the government. Protect your money with these rules:

• Pay USCIS directly. Online, pay inside your USCIS account at my.uscis.gov. By mail, use Form G-1450 or G-1650. Real government websites end in .gov.
• USCIS never asks for fees by phone or email, and it does not take Western Union, MoneyGram, PayPal or gift cards.
• No real grant asks you to pay first. No government agency will contact you to demand a fee to get a grant. Never pay with a gift card, cash reload card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency.
• There is no fee to ask USCIS to speed up a case. Anyone selling a faster DACA is not telling the truth.
• Type the address yourself. Old links to fee programs can stop working or end up on unrelated sites. Go to a program through its own main website, like missionassetfund.org, or ask a legal clinic.
• Notarios cannot help you. A notario is not a lawyer in the U.S. Only an attorney or a DOJ accredited representative may give you legal advice.

Lost money to a scam? Report it to the California Attorney General and your local police. See Warning signs of an immigration scam.

Who can help?

These are free or low cost nonprofits and public offices. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Mission Asset Fund: fee loans and the Bay Area grant. programs@missionassetfund.org, missionassetfund.org
• 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, immigrantservices@smcgov.org
• Santa Clara County: the Office of Immigrant Relations works with Asian Law Alliance, Pars Equality Center and Santa Clara University on DACA renewals. Partner list
• Anywhere in California: the state's map of free immigration legal services, or call (916) 651-8017.

You don't have to figure this out alone. Ask each one: "Do you know of any money right now to help pay my USCIS fee?"

Is there a fee plan I can print?