Form I-821D, Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is the application USCIS uses to grant or renew DACA status. It allows eligible individuals who came to the United States as children to receive protection from removal and eligibility for work authorization. Because new initial DACA grants remain blocked by ongoing federal litigation, Form I-821D is currently used almost exclusively by existing DACA recipients seeking renewal of their status and employment authorization.
Renewal applicants generally must show continuous residence since their last DACA grant, no departures that would terminate eligibility, and no disqualifying criminal history. USCIS recommends filing 120 to 150 days before the current DACA period and Employment Authorization Document expire. Form I-821D must be filed together with Form I-765 and Form I-765WS, each with its own fee requirements and evidentiary standards.
DACA renewals carry real consequences when filed too early, too late, or with inconsistent documentation, including lapses in work authorization or unnecessary Requests for Evidence. Immigration Professional Association reviews each client’s timeline, criminal and immigration history, and prior filings before submission, helping DACA recipients avoid the rejected applications and processing delays that self-filers frequently encounter.
USCIS recommends submitting Form I-821D between 120 and 150 days before your current DACA and EAD expiration. File too early and USCIS may reject the request as premature; file too late and your work authorization can lapse, jeopardizing employment and putting you at risk of accruing unlawful presence during the gap in status.
Form I-821D alone does not secure work authorization. It must be filed together with Form I-765 and Form I-765WS in a single package. Missing forms, mismatched information, or incorrect fee payments across these documents are common causes of case rejections that unnecessarily restart the filing clock.
Ongoing federal court rulings continue to block most new initial DACA grants while permitting renewals to proceed. This legal landscape can shift with little notice. Renewal applicants should track filing eligibility closely, since a lapsed renewal window sometimes gets reclassified as an initial request USCIS will not adjudicate.
Before submitting your application, always confirm that you are using the most recent edition of the form available from USCIS.gov. Filing outdated forms may result in rejection.
Full preparation and filing of Form I-821D, Form I-765, and Form I-765WS, including document review and fee payment guidance. Average budget: $700–$1,500.
Review of your current DACA history, prior filings, and criminal record to confirm renewal eligibility and identify the optimal filing window. Average budget: $250–$500.
Legal analysis and drafting of a response to a USCIS Request for Evidence issued on a pending I-821D or I-765 filing. Average budget: $400–$900.
Preparation of a travel authorization request filed concurrently with DACA renewal for qualifying educational, employment, or humanitarian purposes. Average budget: $600–$1,200.
Preparation of required USCIS notifications for address changes, legal name changes, or other biographic updates affecting a pending or approved DACA case. Average budget: $150–$350.
Ongoing tracking of receipt notices, processing times, and USCIS correspondence, with direct follow-up on stalled or delayed DACA renewal cases. Average budget: $300–$600.
Legal review of a denied or terminated DACA case, including analysis of available options and next steps for the client’s immigration status. Average budget: $350–$750.
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