Are you planning to apply to renew your DACA and wondering when you should send your renewal application to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)? The handy calculator available at the bottom of this page can help you decide.
You should apply to renew your DACA before it and your employment authorization document (EAD) expire. (Your EAD is the work permit card that was issued to you when you received DACA.) But don’t wait until the last minute! If you do, your EAD might expire and you might start accruing “unlawful presence,” which can make it hard for you to adjust to permanent lawful immigration status in the future.
Recommendation by USCIS: Apply 120 to 150 days before DACA and EAD expire.
USCIS recommends that you submit your DACA renewal application 120 to 150 days before the date your current DACA and EAD expire. Our DACA renewal calculator will tell you the beginning and end dates of that particular “application window.”
However, as we say below, using the calculator should not take the place of getting legal advice from an expert with whom you can talk about the details of your case before you apply.
Get expert legal advice and plan ahead.
Using our DACA renewal calculator should not take the place of getting advice from either a qualified attorney or an accredited representative who works for a reputable nonprofit organization that provides legal services to immigrants.
Plan ahead! It may take weeks or even months to gather all the documents and evidence you need, such as records related to any contact you’ve had with law enforcement. And it may take a while to get an appointment with a legal service provider or to find a free legal clinic that can help you with your application.
Reminder: The calculator below was designed for you to find out when the USCIS-recommended 120-150 day “application window” begins and ends (see the explanation above). So in the calculator:
- the “Submit … AFTER” date is 150 days before the EAD expiration date
- the “Submit … BEFORE” date is 120 days before the EAD expiration date
Enter the expiration date of your employment authorization document (EAD).
Submit your DACA renewal application AFTER this date:
Submit your DACA renewal application BEFORE this date:
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