DACA 2017 Renewal

DACA 2017 Renewal and the Current DACA Renewal Process

Following President Trump’s DACA executive order, there has been a mad dash by DACA recipients for renewal. At Bull City Lawyer, we’ve assisted clients whose expiration falls within the enumerated September 5, 2017 – March 5, 2018 expiration window to go through the daca renewal process. The deadline for the DACA 2017 renewal is/was October 5, 2017. It may have passed by the time you read this.

The announcement made very clear that individuals whose DACA expired between these dates must renew almost immediately. And it appears to us that many recipients acted accordingly through DACA renewal.

Recipients Whose DACA Expires AFTER March 5, 2018 are Still Filing for DACA 2017 Renewal

While there was a surge of renewals by DACA recipients that fell within the enumerated dates, there was equal panic from DACA recipients whose DACA expired after the enumerated deadline. Every panicked client had the same question, “What can I do . . . should I still file a renewal?”

Given the unpredictable nature of this administration and the constant back and forth concerning the DACA program, we assisted with DACA renewals for clients even if their expiration was beyond the March 5, 2018 deadline. We advised these clients that their DACA renewal application would likely be rejected. But many clients chose this route as opposed to a wait-and-see approach.

Should You File for DACA 2017 Renewal if you fall outside of the window?

As mentioned above, we don’t necessarily recommend that clients file the necessary DACA renewal documents if their expiration is after the March 5, 2018 deadline. For a DACA renewal, recipients must fill out and submit a Form I-821D, Form I-765, and a Form I-765 W Worksheet. Additionally, you must submit two passport style photographs. The DACA renewal costs are $465.00 plus shipping costs. This cost does not include attorney fees if you choose to hire a professional.

Many clients view the $465.00 filing fees and the attorneys’ fees as a small price to pay for even an outside chance at receiving DACA renewal. As attorneys, we advise clients that these renewal applications falling outside of the enumerated expiration dates will likely be rejected by USCIS. However, given the unpredictability of all things immigration at this moment in the United States, being proactive is never the wrong choice.