How to renew your DACA step by step

This page walks through a routine, on time renewal from start to finish. It is general information, not legal advice. If your renewal is already late or your work permit is about to run out, go to My DACA renewal is late instead.

Step 1: Can I renew?

You can renew if you have DACA now, or your DACA ended less than one year ago and USCIS did not end (terminate) it. USCIS is accepting and deciding renewals today (checked October 21, 2026).

If your DACA ended more than a year ago, or was terminated, you file as a first time request instead. Those are accepted but not decided right now. See Is DACA still open?

Stop and talk to a lawyer first if, since your last renewal, you were arrested, charged or convicted of anything beyond a minor traffic ticket, or you were put in immigration court. You will need to send new papers, and a lawyer should look at them before you file. Free help is listed below. For what can put DACA at risk, see Keep your DACA.

Step 2: When should I file?

USCIS asks you to file 120 to 150 days before your DACA ends. That is 4 to 5 months ahead.

• Later than 120 days raises the risk that your DACA and work permit end before the new ones come. Your work permit is not extended while you wait.
• Earlier than 150 days does not get you a faster decision. USCIS says in its DACA FAQ (Q53) that it will accept it, but your new DACA period may overlap with the one you have, so your new grant can end up shorter than two years from your current end date.

Renewals are slow right now. Members of Congress, citing news reports, said the median wait reached 70 days between October 2025 and February 2026. CBS News reported on October 8, 2026 that USCIS said it decided 80 percent of renewals within seven months over the previous six months. That means some people wait more than half a year. Because of this, some Dreamer groups now suggest filing about 180 to 240 days ahead. That trades some overlap for less risk of a gap. Ask your clinic what is right for you, and see While you wait for the latest numbers.

Example with dates. This is made up. If your DACA ends August 15, 2027, 150 days before is March 18, 2027 and 120 days before is April 17, 2027. 180 days before is February 16, 2027.

Step 3: Online or paper?

Both work. Pick one.

Online saves $50, and you can answer USCIS from the same account. If you choose paper, use the printable packet checklist on the mail page.

Step 4: What do I gather?

Have these in front of you before you start:

• Your A number and the date your DACA ends. Both are on your work permit.
• Your last DACA approval notice and your current work permit.
• Your home addresses and any trips outside the U.S. since your last DACA request.
• Your own income, expenses and savings for the worksheet. You do not need anyone else's money information, and you do not send proof.
• Copies of any new court or criminal papers (see Step 1).
• A card or U.S. bank account to pay.

Send copies, never originals.

Step 5: Which forms do I fill out?

Three forms, always together. Leave one out and USCIS rejects the whole request.

1. Form I-821D, your DACA renewal. Check the renewal box and write the date your current DACA ends. Edition 01/20/25.
2. Form I-765, your work permit. Write (c)(33) as your category. Edition 08/21/25.
3. Form I-765WS, a one page money worksheet.

With the forms, every paper filer sends two identical color passport style photos and a copy of the front and back of your current or last work permit (Form I-765 instructions, edition 08/21/25).

Write your name, birth date and address the same way on every form. Sign the I-821D and the I-765 yourself. The forms are free on uscis.gov. Never pay anyone for a blank form.

Step 6: How much does it cost, and how do I pay?

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 they file.

On paper, USCIS takes only a card (Form G-1450) or a payment from a U.S. bank account (Form G-1650). It no longer takes checks or money orders, except with an approved paper payment exemption. Make sure the money is in the account. The details, including how many payment forms to send, are on Renew DACA by mail.

If the fee is the hard part, see Help paying the DACA fee.

Step 7: How do I send it?

• Online: review every answer, pay and submit in your account. You cannot change anything after you submit.
• On paper, from California: mail it to the USCIS Phoenix Lockbox. By USPS: USCIS, Attn: DACA, P.O. Box 20700, Phoenix, AZ 85036-0700. By FedEx, UPS or DHL: USCIS, Attn: DACA (Box 20700), 2108 E. Elliot Rd., Tempe, AZ 85284-1806. Use a service with tracking, and check the address on uscis.gov the day you mail.

Before you send anything, make a full copy for yourself. Use only the 01/20/25 I-821D and the 08/21/25 I-765. Mixing editions, or using the 09/15/26 I-765 that USCIS is not accepting, can get the package sent back.

Step 8: What happens after I file?

You will get a receipt notice. Keep it. Its receipt number is how you track your case. USCIS may send you a fingerprint (biometrics) appointment. Go to it. Then you wait for a decision and your new card.

If you move while you wait, tell USCIS within 10 days. Everything about the wait, including how to check your case, is on While you wait.

After approval, the approval notice and the new card come separately. Allow up to 30 days after approval for the card to arrive.

Step 9: What if something goes wrong?

• The package comes back (rejected). USCIS sends it back, usually with the reason: a missing signature, a missing I-765 or I-765WS, old or mixed form editions, a fee problem or a blank required field. Fix the problem and file again right away, because your DACA end date does not move.
• USCIS sends a Request for Evidence. Answer by the deadline on the notice with exactly what it asks for. If you filed online, answer in your account. 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. Don't rely on that. Send it early.
• Your card is late and your job is at risk. You can ask USCIS to speed up the case. There is no fee to ask. See How to speed up a DACA renewal.
• Your request is denied. There is no appeal of a DACA denial. If you think USCIS made an administrative mistake, you can ask the Contact Center to review it with a service request. Talk to a lawyer before you file again.

Who can help?

Many clinics help with DACA renewals for free or at low cost. 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 (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).
• Catholic Charities of San Mateo County (for San Mateo County residents): (650) 295-2160
• For Santa Clara County residents: 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.

You have done this before, or you are about to do it for the first time as a renewal. Either way, one step at a time gets it done.

Is there a plan I can print?