My DACA renewal is late and my work permit is about to expire. What now?

We know this is scary. A job, rent and your peace of mind can feel like they ride on one card. Take a breath and work down this list. This page is general information, not legal advice.

I haven't filed yet. What do I do?

File now. Every day counts.

• Check that you can still renew. If your DACA ended less than one year ago and USCIS did not end (terminate) it, you can still file a renewal. More than a year, or terminated? It counts as a first time request, and those are not being decided now. See Is DACA still open? and talk to a lawyer first.
• File online if you had DACA before. It costs $555 ($85 for Form I-821D plus $470 for Form I-765 online; USCIS fee schedule, checked October 21, 2026), and the receipt shows in your account. On paper it is $605. Steps: How to renew your DACA step by step.
• New arrest or court case since your last renewal? Talk to a lawyer before you file. Free help is below.
• Know the cost of waiting. If your DACA ends before your renewal is approved, you may not work until the new card comes. You also start to build up "unlawful presence" again, unless you were under 18 when you filed the renewal (USCIS DACA FAQ Q55).

A late filing can also hurt an expedite request. USCIS says it will not count an emergency that comes from filing late. That is one more reason to file today, not next week.

I filed and I'm still waiting. What can I do?

Work through these in order. You can do more than one.

• Check your case. Use Case Status Online or your USCIS online account with your receipt number. Answer any request for evidence by its deadline, and go to any fingerprint (biometrics) appointment. A missed step can hold everything up.
• Ask USCIS about it once it is past 105 days. USCIS's DACA questions and answers (Q52, checked October 21, 2026) say you may send an online inquiry once your renewal has been pending more than 105 days. USCIS also posts a "case inquiry date" in its processing times tool; if that date has passed, ask then too. Use e-Request or call the Contact Center. Some clinics say to use the receipt number from your I-765 if the menu does not list the I-821D.
• Ask for an expedite if you have proof of serious harm. Losing your job may count as severe financial loss, depending on your facts. Needing a work permit, by itself, does not. A letter from your employer that says you will lose your job on a set date helps. How to ask, and what proof works: Can I speed up my DACA case?
• Ask your member of Congress. Their office can contact USCIS for you. They will ask you to sign a privacy release first. Find yours at house.gov. In East Palo Alto, ZIP 94303 covers two districts, so enter your street address.
• Last step: the CIS Ombudsman. This office in the Department of Homeland Security helps with stuck USCIS cases through DHS Form 7001. It asks you to try USCIS first and to check your case inquiry date. DHS's Ombudsman page (updated May 13, 2026) still says the office helps people with USCIS problems (checked October 21, 2026). News reports in March 2025 said DHS cut most of its staff, and DHS posts no response times. Use it if other steps went nowhere, and keep pushing through USCIS and Congress while you wait.

Write down every call: the date, the name or ID of the person, and any reference number. Use the call log below.

Never pay anyone who promises to make USCIS move faster. Asking USCIS is free.

What happens on the day my work permit ends?

Here is the hard truth, so you can plan for it.

• No automatic extension. A DACA work permit ends on the date printed on it, even with a renewal pending. On October 14, 2026, the government made final the end of automatic extensions for renewals filed on or after October 30, 2025, and DACA permits were never on the old extension list.
• Your receipt notice does not let you keep working. It proves you filed. It does not extend your permit.
• Your employer must check your papers again (Form I-9 reverification) no later than the day your permit ends (8 CFR 274a.2(b)(1)(vii)). If you cannot show a new permit or another valid document by then, the law says they may not keep you working.
• You may not work until the new card arrives. That is true at any age.
• Do not travel outside the U.S. without talking to a lawyer.

Your rights at work during a gap, like whether your job can be held for you, are on What happens to my job if my DACA work permit ends?

How do I get ready for a gap?

Start now, even if the card might come in time.

• Tell your manager or HR the date your permit ends. Show your receipt notice. Ask, in writing, whether they can hold your job or bring you back when the card comes.
• Ask your employer for the letter you need for an expedite request (see above).
• Set aside what you can for rent, food, phone and transportation.
• If money gets tight, 211 can point you to local help with food, rent and bills where it runs. 211 does not cover every California county. In San Mateo and Santa Clara counties it is run by United Way Bay Area (211ca.org, checked October 18, 2026). See 211: free help finding local services and Food help.
• Campus job or financial aid? A gap in DACA does not end in state tuition or the California Dream Act. Tell your financial aid office early. See While you wait.

If the stress is getting heavy, you deserve support too. See Mental health care without fear.

What does this look like in real life?

Example (fictional). Ana's DACA and work permit end on December 15, 2026. She filed her renewal online on August 20, 2026, about 117 days early, and paid $555.

• Day 1 (August 20): she saves her two receipt numbers and writes them on the checklist below.
• Early September: she gets a biometrics notice and goes to the appointment.
• December 3 (day 105): no decision yet. She sends an e-Request inquiry with her I-765 receipt number and logs the reference number.
• Same week: she tells HR in writing that her permit ends December 15 and asks for a letter saying she will lose her job that day. She uses the letter to ask the Contact Center for an expedite.
• December 8: she calls her member of Congress and signs the privacy release.
• December 15: no new card. Her employer takes her off the schedule. She stops working, keeps her log, and checks her case each week.

Ana's case is made up. Your dates, and what USCIS decides, will be your own. The point is the order: inquiry, expedite with proof, Congress, then the Ombudsman.

Who can help?

A clinic can check your case, write an expedite request with you and tell you what a gap means for you. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

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, immigrantservices@smcgov.org

Elsewhere:

• Santa Clara County residents: Office of Immigrant Relations partners
• Anywhere in California: the state's map of free immigration legal services, or call (916) 651-8017.
• USCIS Contact Center: 800-375-5283, TTY 800-767-1833, for your own case.

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

A late card is a hard season, not the end of the road. Keep pushing your case, one call at a time.

Is there a checklist I can print?