DACA Renewal (Form I-821D)

Court-case status: renewals run nationwide, initials stay frozen, and the Texas work-permit order is pending — see the current DACA status page for dated updates.

⚠️ CRITICAL ALERT: EAD no longer auto-extends (effective October 30, 2025)

Official source: Federal Register 2025-19702

Verified: 2026-05-25

What changed

Before October 30, 2025: If you timely filed Form I-765 to RENEW your EAD, your EAD was AUTOMATICALLY EXTENDED for 540 days (up to 18 months). You could keep working legally while waiting.

After October 30, 2025: This 540-day automatic extension was REMOVED. If your EAD expires BEFORE USCIS approves your renewal, YOU MUST STOP WORKING.

Who is affected

• ✅ DACA recipients — category C-33
• ✅ TPS holders — category A-12, C-19
• ✅ Asylum applicants — category C-8
• ✅ USC spouses with pending I-485 — category C-9
• ✅ Many other EAD categories

What to do

1. Renew EARLY: file Form I-765 at least 6-8 months BEFORE your current EAD expires
2. Contingency plan: save funds for potential period without EAD
3. Don’t work without valid EAD: employers can now FIRE you immediately if expired
4. Use USCIS Case Status to monitor renewal

Prior status NOT affected

EADs that were automatically extended BEFORE October 30, 2025 REMAIN VALID until the original auto-extension date. But NEW renewals filed AFTER October 30, 2025 no longer get auto-extension.

DACA Renewal (Form I-821D)

As of October 30, 2025, USCIS removed the 540-day automatic extension of work authorization (Federal Register 2025-19702), so a DACA recipient whose EAD expires before USCIS approves the renewal must stop working. Under the 2024 USCIS fee schedule, a complete paper DACA renewal costs $605 total — the $85 Form I-821D fee plus the $520 Form I-765 fee.

Download the official form

USCIS publishes Form I-821D as a free PDF. Always download the current version directly from USCIS — third-party copies may be outdated.

• Download Form I-821D (PDF) — official USCIS source
• Download Instructions for Form I-821D (PDF) — read before filling out the form
• File Form I-821D online with USCIS (where supported)

Official USCIS Fee (effective 2024-04-01)

Verified source: Federal Register 2024-01427

Filing fee

A complete DACA renewal requires both Form I-821D and Form I-765 filed together. Under the 2024 USCIS fee schedule, the fees for a paper (mailed) filing are:

• Form I-821D: $85
• Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization): $520 when filed on paper ($470 if filed online, where available)
• Total (paper filing): $605 ($85 + $520)

There is no separate biometrics fee for the I-765 under the 2024 fee rule.

Verify current fee

⚠️ USCIS fees can change. Verify the current fee before filing at:

• USCIS Fee Calculator — official tool
• USCIS Form G-1055 — full schedule

What is it for?

Renew Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) consideration and the associated work authorization.

Who needs it?

People who already have DACA and need to renew before their EAD (Employment Authorization Document) expires.

Processing time

Typical range: 2 to 6 months (renewal). Historic average: 90-120 days. Verify current times on USCIS.

⚠️ Times change weekly and vary by service center. For current time and your specific case:

• Check current times at USCIS
• Check YOUR case status at USCIS (you need your receipt number)

Fee

$605 total for a paper (mailed) filing: $85 for Form I-821D plus $520 for the accompanying Form I-765 (paper filing). Fees may change — verify the current amount before mailing.

How to file

By mail. Online filing is NOT accepted for I-821D currently. USCIS lockbox per jurisdiction.

Required documents

• Completed and signed Form I-821D
• Completed Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization)
• Form I-765WS (Worksheet)
• Copy of previous EAD (front and back)
• Evidence of continuous residence since last DACA approval (if applicable)
• Check or money order payable to ‘U.S. Department of Homeland Security’
• Two recent passport-style photos

Current USCIS processing times

USCIS publishes the time in which 80% of cases complete, per form, category, and office. The table below renders from our automatically maintained copy of the official data — always verify against the live system before relying on a deadline.

Frequently asked questions

When should I file my DACA renewal?

USCIS recommends submitting the renewal between 150 and 120 days before your current EAD expires. Filing earlier may result in rejection as premature. Filing after expiration may cause a gap in work authorization.

Can I keep working while my renewal is pending?

Yes — if you filed on time and your original EAD has not yet expired, you can work until the expiration date. If your EAD expires during processing, you must stop working until the new EAD arrives.

How much does DACA renewal cost?

Under the 2024 USCIS fee schedule, the total for a paper (mailed) DACA renewal is $605 — the $85 Form I-821D fee plus the $520 Form I-765 fee for paper filing. Fees may change — verify at uscis.gov/i-821d before mailing.

Do I need a lawyer to renew DACA?

Not required. Many people renew themselves or with help from a nonprofit (CHIRLA, NILC, ILRC, United We Dream, Make the Road). If your case has complications (jurisdictional change, criminal history, prior USCIS issues), consult an immigration attorney.

Can I travel outside the US with DACA?

Only with Advance Parole (Form I-131) approved in advance. Leaving without valid Advance Parole automatically terminates your DACA and re-entry is uncertain. Consult an attorney before any international travel.

Planning around the EAD gap: the post-October 2025 reality

Since the October 30, 2025 rule removed automatic EAD extensions, a renewal that processes slower than your card’s remaining validity creates a work-authorization gap — days or weeks when you cannot lawfully work, even though your renewal is pending and will likely be approved. Planning shrinks that risk to near zero:

1. File at day 150, not day 120. The window is 150–120 days before expiration; filing at the front of it buys a full extra month against slow processing. Median processing is ~3.5 months — against a 5-month head start, most cases clear with weeks to spare.
2. Know what happens at work if the gap hits. Your employer must reverify work authorization on Form I-9 when the EAD expires (Section B). An expired EAD plus a receipt notice is not sufficient for DACA categories under the current rule — the employer must take you off the schedule until the new card arrives. This is the employer following federal law, not a firing decision; reinstatement when the card arrives is the normal practice, but it is not legally guaranteed.
3. Watch the knock-on expirations. In most states, your driver’s license expires with your EAD (state rules vary). Renew the license as soon as the new card arrives — some DMVs accept the new EAD the same day.
4. Calendar the next cycle the day your card arrives. A 2-year card filed at day 150 means your next filing date is about 19 months away. The single best protection against a gap is never compressing your own window.

Advance parole with DACA, in depth

Form I-131 advance parole is the only lawful way to leave the US and return with DACA. USCIS grants it for three purposes — humanitarian (medical treatment, visiting a sick relative, funerals), educational (semester abroad, academic research), and employment (assignments, conferences, client meetings abroad). Tourism is not a qualifying purpose.

What the application looks like in practice:

• Evidence drives approval. A letter from a doctor or hospital for humanitarian trips, an enrollment letter for educational ones, an employer letter for work travel — generic statements are the main denial cause.
• Fee and timing: $630, filed on its own I-131. Normal processing takes months — for urgent humanitarian travel, USCIS can expedite (call the Contact Center with evidence of urgency).
• The risk calculus is real. Advance parole permits re-entry but does not guarantee it — CBP retains discretion at the port. A prior removal order, certain criminal history, or even an expired document during travel can turn a routine trip into a crisis. The standing recommendation from every legal-aid organization: have an immigration attorney review your history before booking anything.
• The quiet upside: returning on advance parole gives you a documented lawful entry — which can matter enormously later if you ever become eligible to adjust status through a US-citizen spouse, because adjustment generally requires having been “inspected and admitted or paroled.”

If your renewal goes long: escalation tools

A case past the posted processing time isn’t stuck until you make it visible. The escalation ladder, in order:

1. Case inquiry (e-request): once your case is outside normal processing time, submit an online inquiry at egov.uscis.gov/e-request. USCIS answers most within 30 days.
2. USCIS Contact Center (800-375-5283): ask for a service request referencing an imminent EAD expiration — work-authorization loss is an expedite criterion USCIS recognizes.
3. CIS Ombudsman (Form DHS-7001): an independent DHS office that takes cases USCIS hasn’t resolved through normal channels. Free, and effective for cases stuck beyond all posted times.
4. Your congressional office: every House and Senate office runs constituent casework with a dedicated USCIS liaison channel. A congressional inquiry routinely shakes loose cases that e-requests didn’t.

Keep every receipt notice and inquiry confirmation — each level of the ladder asks what you’ve already tried.

Renewals vs. initial requests in 2026

These are two different worlds under the ongoing Texas v. United States litigation: renewals continue to be accepted and processed, while initial (first-time) DACA requests can be filed but are not being adjudicated to approval under the court orders in effect. Nothing on this page changes for renewals because of the litigation — but if you’ve heard “DACA is closed,” that refers to new applicants, not to you. Court orders can change with little notice; before relying on any litigation-status statement, check uscis.gov/DACA or a legal-aid organization for the current posture.

Cost breakdown and how payments fail

Payment errors are a leading cause of rejection at intake (the package is returned unprocessed — losing you weeks of your filing window):

• One payment per form is the safe pattern USCIS recommends; a single combined check can be rejected.
• G-1450 card authorizations fail on signature omissions and expired cards — fill one G-1450 per form fee.
• Checks must be payable to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security” — spelled out, not “USDHS” or “DHS.”
• A bounced payment after acceptance triggers rejection plus a returned-check penalty.

If the package is rejected for payment, you refile from scratch — which is exactly why filing at day 150 instead of day 121 matters.

Related information

• Other USCIS forms
• Federal and state procedures
• Consulates of your country in the USA

Last verified: 2026-05-24. General information — not legal advice. Fees, requirements, and times change frequently. Always verify at USCIS.gov before filing.

Related procedural information

• Consulate of your country in the US — passport renewal, consular ID, document apostille
• ITIN — file federal taxes without SSN — required regardless of immigration status
• USCIS form library — federal immigration forms (I-130, I-485, N-400, etc.)
• Find an immigration attorney — pro bono lists + AILA + BIA-recognized
• Know Your Rights — ICE encounters — constitutional protections