If you are one of the almost half-million people who received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) near when it first became available, your work authorization cards will be expiring soon.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has stated from the beginning that, if you have received DACA and have not committed certain crimes or broken the DACA guidelines, you will be able to renew for more than two years.
It was a mystery, however, as to exactly how USCIS would go about the renewal process until recently, when a notice was issued regarding the issue.
The current plan for renewal stipulates that it must be requested 120 days prior to the very end of your 2-year period of deferred action.
Unfortunately, for now, this does not apply to all the recipients of DACA — most of which have received it from between June 15, 2012 and August 15, 2012. This period was also before USCIS accepted formal applications, which is why this opportunity for renewal currently applies to so few people.
People who first applied from between June 15, 2012 and August 15, 2012 will also be required to apply for DACA as though they are doing it for the first time. This basically means that you’ll have to provide proof once more that you meet all the necessary requirements.
Just a quick reminder about moving quickly — if you do not receive a renewal before your first DACA grant expires, you will fall out of status and lose your work authorization for the periods of time between deferred action.
Please remember that this first wave only applies to those who applied in the beginning of DACA’s availability years ago, but this doesn’t mean that if you applied outside of the period between June 15, 2012 and August 15, 2012 that you are out of luck. It is expected that more waves will be opened to accommodate all eligible recipients of DACA in an orderly and efficient way.
If you are eligible to renew in this first wave, you must submit Form I-821D, Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival. This must also be accompanied by Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization.