How to prove you have lived in the US since 2007

This page is general information, not legal advice. Gathering papers is safe to start today. Deciding when and whether to file is a choice to make with an immigration attorney or a DOJ accredited representative. For the big picture, start at the DACA hub.

What do I have to prove?

For a first time DACA request, you must show all of this:

• You came to the U.S. before your 16th birthday.
• You have lived in the U.S. without a break since June 15, 2007, up to the day you file.
• You were in the U.S. on June 15, 2012, and you are here on the day you file.

All three rules come from the federal DACA regulation (checked October 18, 2026). This page is about the papers that prove them. For the other rules, like age, school and criminal history, see Can I apply for DACA for the first time?

Be honest about where things stand. USCIS accepts first time requests but is not deciding them because of a court order in Texas (checked October 21, 2026). Getting your papers ready now still helps. Papers get harder to find every year, and a lawyer can only advise you well once your history is in front of them.

What kind of papers count?

The best papers have three things: your name, a date, and a sign you were in the U.S. on that date. One strong paper beats three weak ones. Papers from an office, like a school, clinic, church or employer, carry more weight than papers you made yourself.

USCIS's examples for proving you lived here and were here on June 15, 2012 include rent receipts, utility bills, employment records, school records, medical records, bank records and other dated papers (USCIS DACA FAQ, Chart #1 and Form I-821D instructions, checked October 19, 2026). Papers people commonly gather include:

• School: report cards, transcripts, attendance records, enrollment forms, diplomas, school ID cards, award certificates, yearbook pages with your name
• Medical: vaccine records, clinic and hospital visits, dental records, prescriptions with your name and date
• Money: bank statements, receipts for money transfers you sent, rent receipts, bills in your name, tax transcripts
• Work: pay stubs, W-2 or 1099 forms, letters from employers on letterhead
• Home: leases, letters from a landlord, utility bills, mail sent to you
• Faith and community: baptism, first communion or confirmation records, letters on letterhead from a pastor or youth program, sports league or club records
• Government: any immigration papers, a DMV record, court papers, a library card application

How many papers do I need?

You don't need proof for every day. USCIS says there is no rule that every day or month must be covered, and that it helps to have proof for at least each year. It looks at all your papers together and asks whether it is more likely than not that you lived here the whole time. Long gaps may raise doubts, and USCIS may send a Request for Evidence (USCIS DACA FAQ Q33, checked October 21, 2026).

A tighter goal makes gaps easier to explain. The Immigrant Legal Resource Center, a legal nonprofit, suggests at least one paper every two or three months. That is a tip, not a USCIS rule.

From June 15, 2007 to today is more than 19 years. That sounds like a lot. School records alone often cover many of those years in one request.

Two dates need extra care:

• Around June 15, 2007. Find papers from just before and just after.
• Around June 15, 2012. You must show you were here on that exact date. A paper dated close to it, on both sides, helps your lawyer make the case.

Where do I get my school records?

Start with school. For most young people it covers the most years.

1. List every school you attended, with the city and the years.
2. Call the district office, not just the school. Ask for "records" or "student services". Old files are often kept at the district.
3. Ask for what you need: transcripts, attendance by year, report cards and enrollment dates. Ask for copies on school letterhead or with a school stamp.
4. Ask your parents to request records for a child under 18. Under federal privacy law, parents have the right to see their child's education records, and that right passes to the student at 18 (checked October 18, 2026).
5. Write down the date you asked, the name of the person you spoke to, and when they said the records would be ready.

If a school closed, ask the district office where its records went. If you went to a private or religious school, contact the school or the diocese or church office that ran it.

California schools may not share student or family information with immigration officers without a judicial warrant, a judicial subpoena or a court order, according to the California Attorney General's guidance for schools (checked October 19, 2026). Asking for your own records does not report you to anyone.

Where do I get other records?

• Tax transcripts. If you or your parents filed taxes, the IRS Get Transcript page lets you request past records (checked October 19, 2026). USCIS lists tax receipts among papers that can show where you lived (DACA FAQ, checked October 21, 2026), but it does not say how it weighs a parent's return that lists you as a dependent. Our suggestion: bring it and ask your lawyer whether it helps for your childhood years.
• Medical records. Call each clinic, hospital or dentist and ask for your records with dates of every visit. Community clinics often keep long histories.
• Church records. Ask the parish or church office for a letter on letterhead with dates of baptism, classes or youth group.
• Bank and money transfer records. Banks and transfer companies can often print old statements or receipts.
• Employers. Ask for a letter on company letterhead with your start and end dates.

What if I have a gap?

Most people have a gap somewhere. Don't panic, and don't fill it with something that isn't true.

1. Find the gap. Use the worksheet below. Mark each year and season where you have a paper.
2. Think about that time. Where did you live? Who did you see every week? Did you go to the doctor, a church, a library, a sports team, a summer program?
3. Look for indirect papers. A parent's lease or bills that show the home you lived in. A younger sibling's school record. Photos with a date on them can help your lawyer understand your story, but they are weak proof on their own.
4. Use sworn statements for the gap only. USCIS accepts signed, sworn statements (affidavits) to explain a gap in your residence papers. You need 2 or more, from people other than you who have direct personal knowledge of that time, like a pastor, coach, landlord or teacher. Affidavits cannot prove the whole period by themselves (USCIS DACA FAQ Q33, checked October 21, 2026). USCIS does not accept them to prove you were here on June 15, 2012 (FAQ Q44, checked October 19, 2026). Each person should say how they know you, when, how often they saw you, and give their contact information.
5. Show the gap to your lawyer. A lawyer can tell you if the gap is a real problem and what to do about it.

Example (made up): Sofia has school records from 2007 to 2014 and pay stubs from 2017 on. She has almost nothing for 2015 and 2016, after high school. She finds a dentist record from March 2015, money transfer receipts from 2016, and a lease in her mother's name for the apartment where she lived. Her pastor and her former landlord each sign a sworn statement about those two years. Her lawyer puts it all in date order and decides what to send.

Do trips outside the U.S. break my residence?

It depends on when and why.

• Before August 15, 2012: a brief, casual and innocent trip may not break your residence (checked October 18, 2026). Write down every trip with dates and the reason. Your lawyer decides if it fits.
• On or after August 15, 2012: a trip without permission from the U.S. government breaks continuous residence (checked October 18, 2026).

Any trip at all? Tell your lawyer before you file. Bring proof of when you left and came back, if you have it.

How should I organize and send my papers?

• Copies, not originals. Keep every original safe at home. Send clear copies. USCIS may destroy originals it did not ask for (checked October 18, 2026).
• Sort by date, oldest first, and group them by year.
• Make a cover list that names each paper and its date. Your lawyer may want it in a certain form.
• Translations. Any paper in another language must come with a full English translation. The translator signs a statement that it is complete and accurate and that they can translate from that language into English (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), checked October 21, 2026). Send a copy of the original with the translation.
• Keep it consistent. Your name may be spelled differently on old papers. Make a note of every spelling and show it to your lawyer.

What mistakes should I avoid?

• Waiting until the last minute. School and clinic records can take weeks.
• Sending originals you can't replace.
• Leaving out a trip outside the U.S.
• Paying someone who promises to "make" papers or get a first time request decided. No one can do that. See Warning signs of an immigration scam.
• Filing before a lawyer has looked at your whole history, including any arrest. See Can I get or keep DACA if I have been arrested?

Common questions

I came as a baby. Do I need papers from before 2007? You need proof you came before your 16th birthday. A birth certificate shows your age, and an early record in the U.S., like a vaccine record, helps show when you arrived. If you came at or before age 8 and are filing for the first time, USCIS also accepts affidavits for the start of your residence (USCIS DACA FAQ Q34, checked October 21, 2026). Ask your lawyer what fits best.

My parents are afraid to ask for records in their name. What can I do? If you are 18 or older, you can ask for your own school and medical records. Parents can also wait until they have talked with a legal clinic.

I have DACA now. Do I need to prove 2007 again? No. For a renewal you don't resend papers you sent before. You must have lived here without a break since your last request (checked October 18, 2026). See Renew DACA by mail or Renew DACA online.

Should I file now, since first time requests aren't being decided? That is a lawyer question. It depends on your history. See Can I apply for DACA for the first time?

Who can help?

You don't have to piece your history together 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.

• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA): (650) 326-6440, for low income residents of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties
• Immigration Institute of the Bay Area (Redwood City): (650) 587-1558, consultations by appointment
• Catholic Charities (San Mateo County): (650) 295-2160
• More in San Mateo County: county list of legal help
• Santa Clara County: Office of Immigrant Relations partners
• Anywhere in California: the state's map of free immigration legal services, or call (916) 651-8017.

To check that someone is a real lawyer or accredited representative, use the State Bar of California attorney search or the Department of Justice accreditation roster. More on getting ready: Free legal help in the Bay Area.

Is there a worksheet I can print?

Yes. Fill it in pencil. Bring it, with your copies, to your legal screening.