U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will continue to process applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewals. USCIS has announced that the applicants will need to submit Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, Form I-765 Worksheet and the required fees along with their Form I-821D, Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. DACA requests filed without the required fees and Form I-765 will be rejected.
If your deferred action status is expiring, make sure to file your renewal request between 150 days and 120 days prior to the expiration date of your status. You can find the expiration date on your current Form I-797, DACA approval notice and Employment Authorization Document.
USCIS aims at processing applications for DACA renewal within 120 days. If your renewal application is pending for more than 105 days, you can submit an online inquiry by visiting egov.uscis.gov/e-request. You might not fall out of status before the USCIS could decide on your application if you file your application during the above mentioned window.
In September 2017, when the Trump administration ended the DACA program, President Trump gave the Congress time until March 5, 2018, to find a legislative solution for DACA. Since the Congress missed the deadline, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will have to comply with the court injunctions and accept DACA renewal requests.
Homeland Security spokesman Tyler Houlton said that the DACA protections are in place due to court injunctions and that the DHS believes that the U.S. Congress will find a permanent solution for the DACA recipients. He also said that the USCIS is accepting and adjudicating applications to renew DACA but not for initial DACA. He noted that DACA is valid for a two year period and that most of them who have received deferred action status under DACA “are not a priority or target group for arrest or removal.”
