Recent changes to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) filing fees will impact Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewal applicants who are requesting employment authorization. These changes are part of an overall update, in some cases providing fee exemptions and fee waivers, for others an increase in fees.
Applications and petitions postmarked on or after April 1, 2024, must reflect these changes or USCIS will not accept them. Find more information about the new fee schedule here.
The new fee rule makes no changes to the DACA program, how often DACA must be renewed, or Advance Parole through DACA and the filing fee for a DACA renewal is still $85. However, the fee for the Employment Authorization Document has increased to $520 if filed by mail and $470 if filed online (see the 2 minute USCIS video about filing a DACA renewal online). There is no fee waiver available for the DACA Renewal or for the required Application for Employment Authorization.
Be aware that USCIS no longer accepts a single check, money order, or similar payment for the combined fees when submitting both the DACA renewal and the Employment Authorization Form together. This means that you must submit separate payments for the DACA renewal (Form I-821 D) and for Employment Authorization (Form I-765).
USCIS strongly encourages DACA recipients to submit DACA Renewal requests 4 to 5 months before the expiration. Filing during this window reduces the risk that your current DACA and employment authorization will expire before you receive a decision on your renewal request. Find tips about filing for DACA renewal here.
Also please note: starting June 3, 2024, USCIS will accept only the most recent 04/01/24 edition of the Form I-821D for DACA. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page on the form and instructions.
As always, HELS can assist with the entire application process at no cost for our legal services. Currently, we also have funds for those who are students, staff or faculty of a California Community College that can cover the DACA Renewal and Employment Authorization Document fees. Contact us or make your appointment today!
