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Form I-821D / Form I-765 (c33) / 120-150 Day Window

DACA Renewal Guide (2026)

General informational roadmap for existing DACA recipients requesting renewal of deferred action and associated employment authorization, including current USCIS forms, fees, filing timing, evidence requirements, and processing information.

Required Forms & Renewal Checklist

A standard DACA renewal request includes the required USCIS forms and applicable fees. Evidence requirements can vary based on changes in criminal history, removal proceedings, identity, or other material facts. Check off the core filing components below:

Complete the renewal portions and provide current information requested by the form, including relevant address, travel, criminal-history, and removal-proceeding information. USCIS instructs renewal applicants not to resubmit evidence already provided unless the current instructions require new or updated evidence.

Request employment authorization under category (c)(33) for DACA and use the current USCIS edition of Form I-765.

Complete Form I-765WS with your current annual income, current annual expenses, and total current value of assets to establish economic need for employment authorization. Supporting financial evidence is not required by the worksheet itself, although USCIS may accept documentation you choose to submit.

USCIS may require biometrics, including a photograph, if necessary. Follow the current USCIS instructions and any biometrics appointment notice rather than assuming that two new passport photographs are required for every renewal filing.

Form I-821D is $85. Form I-765 for DACA category (c)(33) is $470 online or $520 by paper. The combined standard filing fees are therefore $555 online or $605 by paper.

Recommended Filing Window

USCIS strongly encourages submitting your DACA renewal request between 120 and 150 days(4 to 5 months) before the expiration date shown on your current DACA approval notice and EAD. Filing earlier than 150 days does not result in a faster decision, and filing late increases the risk of a gap in deferred action and employment authorization.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

USCIS officially recommends filing your DACA renewal package between 120 and 150 days (4 to 5 months) before your current DACA grant and Form I-766 Employment Authorization Document (EAD) expire.

Yes. Eligible DACA recipients may file renewal requests online through a USCIS online account. Online renewal filing includes Form I-821D, Form I-765, and Form I-765WS with the applicable fees. The current combined fee is $555 online ($85 for Form I-821D plus $470 for Form I-765) or $605 by paper ($85 plus $520). USCIS provides electronic receipt and case-status features through the online account.

A DACA renewal request generally includes Form I-821D, Form I-765 requesting employment authorization under category (c)(33), and Form I-765WS, along with the applicable fees and any evidence required by the current USCIS instructions. Renewal applicants generally do not need to resubmit evidence already provided in an earlier DACA request, but new criminal-history, removal-proceeding, identity, or other material changes may require supporting evidence. USCIS may require biometrics, including a photograph, if necessary.

If the most recent DACA period expired more than one year ago, USCIS instructs the person to submit a new initial DACA request rather than a renewal request. The same treatment can apply if USCIS previously terminated the DACA grant. USCIS currently accepts initial DACA requests but, under the continuing court injunction, cannot adjudicate or approve those initial requests or their associated employment-authorization requests.

Under the current USCIS fee schedule, Form I-821D costs $85. For DACA category (c)(33), Form I-765 costs $470 when filed online or $520 when filed on paper. That makes the standard combined DACA renewal filing fees $555 online or $605 by paper, before any separately applicable fee or fee rule that may apply to a particular filing.

USCIS currently accepts initial DACA requests, but it cannot adjudicate or approve those initial requests or their associated employment-authorization requests while the continuing court injunction remains in effect. USCIS continues to adjudicate DACA renewal requests under its existing renewal policies.
Official USCIS References

• USCIS Official DACA Portal: uscis.gov/DACA
• USCIS Form I-821D Instructions: uscis.gov/i-821d
• USCIS Fee Schedule (Form G-1055): uscis.gov/g-1055
• USCIS DACA Filing & Renewal Guidance: uscis.gov

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