How to renew DACA by mail

This page is for renewing DACA on paper. It is general information, not legal advice. For the big picture, start at the DACA hub.

Can I renew by mail?

Yes, if you have DACA now, or your DACA ended less than one year ago and was not taken away. USCIS is still accepting and deciding renewals (USCIS DACA page, checked October 21, 2026).

If more than one year has passed since your DACA ended, USCIS treats your request as a first time request. First time requests are accepted but not decided right now because of a court order. We know that is hard news. Talk with an immigration attorney or a DOJ accredited representative before you file. See Apply for the first time.

Which forms do I need?

All three, mailed together in one envelope:

Missing the I-765? USCIS rejects the whole packet. The forms are free on uscis.gov. Never pay anyone for a blank form.

Rules for every form:

• Print single sided on regular 8½ by 11 inch paper.
• Every page of a form must come from the same edition. The edition date and page number must show at the bottom of each page.
• Type your answers if you can, then print. Writing by hand? Use black ink.
• Write your name, birth date and mailing address the same way on every form.
• Made a mistake? Start a clean page. No correction fluid, correction tape or highlighter. The scanners misread them.
• Answer every question in Part 4 of the I-821D (questions 1 to 7) with "Yes" or "No".
• On the worksheet, you list your own income, expenses and savings. You do not need anyone else's money information, and you do not need to send proof.

How much does it cost, and how do I pay?

$605 on paper: $85 for the I-821D and $520 for the I-765. There are no fee waivers for DACA. A very small number of people can get a fee exemption, but only if USCIS approves it before you file. See USCIS fee exemption guidance.

Pay by card or bank account. USCIS no longer takes personal checks, cashier's checks or money orders for paper filings (checked October 18, 2026, on the USCIS G-1450 and G-1650 pages). Pick one way to pay:

• Card, with Form G-1450. A credit, debit or prepaid card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express) issued by a U.S. bank.
• Bank account, with Form G-1650. USCIS takes the money straight from a U.S. checking or savings account. Anyone with a U.S. bank account can pay for you; they fill out and sign the form and give it to you.

Use the same type for the whole packet. USCIS says all payment forms in one package must be the same type, card or bank. It also says to send a separate payment form for each benefit request (Five Steps to File, checked October 21, 2026). Your I-821D and I-765 are two forms with two fees, so send two payment forms of the same type: one for $85 and one for $520. If your clinic tells you otherwise for your packet, follow the clinic.

On Form G-1650, check one box for personal or business and one box for checking or savings, and double check the 9 digit routing number. It is not always the first number on your checks. Ask your bank if you are not sure. Sign every payment form.

If you truly have no way to pay electronically, USCIS has a narrow exemption on Form G-1651 (USCIS). Ask a legal clinic before you use it.

What goes in the packet, and in what order?

Stack it in this order, top to bottom. This is the order USCIS suggests:

1. Photos, two passport style photos (see below)
2. Payment forms (G-1450 or G-1650)
3. Form G-1145 (optional, see below)
4. Form G-28, only if an attorney or accredited representative is helping you
5. Form I-821D, signed
6. Form I-765, signed
7. Form I-765WS, the worksheet
8. Supporting papers, copies only

About photos: the I-765 instructions (edition 08/21/25) ask for two matching color passport style photos, 2 by 2 inches, with your name and A number written lightly in pencil on the back, and, for a renewal, a copy of your last work permit, front and back. Every I-765 filer sends the photos, and renewal filers attach the work permit copy. USCIS says to put the photos on top of the packet (Five Steps to File).

For a renewal, you do not need to send the papers you sent before. See the next section for when you must add something new.

Sign by hand. You must sign the I-821D and the I-765 yourself, in ink. A copy of a signature or a typed name is not accepted. A parent or legal guardian may sign for a child under 14. If someone helped you fill out the forms, they sign in the preparer section too.

Copies, not originals. Send clear copies. USCIS may destroy originals it did not ask for.

What if I have something new to report?

Add copies of new papers if, since your last DACA request:

• You are now in immigration court (removal proceedings), unless your case was administratively closed, or
• You were charged with or convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that you have not already reported.

Minor traffic tickets, like driving without a license, do not need papers unless alcohol or drugs were involved. If any of this applies to you, pause. Talk with an immigration attorney or DOJ accredited representative before you mail. See Keep your DACA for what can put DACA at risk.

What is Form G-1145?

An optional one page form that gets you a quick heads up. Form G-1145 (USCIS) asks for your email and phone. USCIS sends you an email or text when the lockbox accepts your packet. Put it near the top, right under your payment forms.

Where do I mail it?

From California, your packet goes to the USCIS Phoenix Lockbox (checked October 21, 2026; USCIS page last updated September 24, 2024):

• Use the P.O. Box only with the Postal Service. Couriers need the street address.
• Include the "Attn: DACA" line.
• USCIS accepts only USPS, FedEx, UPS and DHL.
• The lockbox is closed on weekends and federal holidays.

How do I keep a record and track it?

Copy it, track it, and watch for your receipt.

• Copy everything before you mail: every page of every form, the payment forms and your supporting papers. Keep the copy somewhere safe.
• Use a trackable service (USPS Priority Mail or Certified Mail, FedEx, UPS or DHL) and keep the tracking number with your copy.
• Watch for the receipt. USCIS mails a receipt notice after it accepts your packet. If you sent Form G-1145, you also get an email or text.
• Make an online account. Paper filers get a USCIS Account Acceptance Notice in the mail with instructions to link the case to an online account. There you can check status, get updates and change your address.

What happens next, and how long it is taking, is on While you wait.

What mistakes get a packet sent back?

These common errors get packets rejected or returned. Check for each one before you seal the envelope:

• No signature, or a typed or copied signature, on the I-821D or I-765
• The I-765 or the I-765WS is missing
• Old edition forms, or pages from different editions mixed together
• Missing or wrong fee, a payment form with no amount, or a payment that fails
• A card form and a bank form in the same envelope
• Required boxes left blank. On the I-821D: renewal box, the date your last DACA ends, family name, U.S. mailing address, A number, birth date, and Part 4 questions 1 to 7. On the I-765: name, address, birth date and category (c)(33).
• Using Form I-821 (that is for TPS) instead of I-821D
• Correction fluid or tape that the scanners cannot read

Mailing more than 150 days early is not a rejection reason. USCIS accepts it, but you can lose DACA time to the overlap.

Who can help?

You don't have to put this packet together alone. These are free or low cost public offices and nonprofits. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• 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
• APILO: listed by San Mateo County for DACA renewals. County legal help list
• 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.

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

Is there a checklist I can print?

Yes. Print it and check off each line as you build your packet.