The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has been in the news so often that it can be difficult to stay up to date with its current state. It is reasonable for anyone who currently has or has had DACA in the past to be confused.
While those who have never had DACA before are unable to apply, renewals are still acceptable. Who is eligible to renew?
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), anyone who met the initial 2012 DACA guidelines can renew. Anyone making a renewal request must also meet these additional guidelines:
- The applicant did not depart the United States on or after August 15, 2012, without advance parole
- The applicant has continuously resided in the country since they submitted their most recent DACA request that was approved
- The applicant has not been committed of a felony, significant misdemeanor, or three or more misdemeanors of any level, and if the applicant does not pose any other threat to national security or public safety
Anyone renewing DACA does not need to submit new documents unless they have new paperwork involving removal proceedings or criminal history that wasn’t submitted in a previous request. Knowingly or willingly providing false information is a felony and can lead to removal proceedings
USCIS aims to process renewal requests within 120 days of submission, but sometimes the government can work slowly. An immigration attorney can help with the process, make sure all the forms have the correct information and hopefully keep the renewal moving as quickly as possible.