U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released the below announcement regarding DACA renewal forms:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced today that individuals who previously received deferred action under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) may now file Form I-821D, Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, online.

“The expansion of online filing is a priority for USCIS as we make our operations more efficient and effective for the agency and our stakeholders, applicants, petitioners and requestors,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “The option to file DACA renewal requests online is part of USCIS’ ongoing move to minimize reliance on paper records and further transition to an electronic environment.”

At this time, the option to file online is only available for individuals who have previously been granted DACA. Such individuals must also file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, which is available for online filing, as well as the Form I-765 Worksheet, which is required as evidence in support of the filing for DACA.

During fiscal year (FY) 2021, USCIS received more than 8.8 million requests for immigration benefits and other requests, including 438,950 Form I-821D DACA requests. Since launching online filing in 2017, the overall number of forms filed online has increased significantly. In FY 2021, approximately 1,210,700 applications, petitions and requests were filed online, a 2.3% increase from the 1,184,000 filed in FY 2020.

To file Form I-821D and Form I-765 online, a DACA requestor must first create a USCIS online account, which provides a convenient and secure method to submit forms, pay fees and track the status of any pending USCIS immigration request throughout the adjudication process. There is no cost to set up an account, which offers a variety of features, including the ability to communicate with USCIS through a secure inbox and respond online to Requests for Evidence.

With the addition of online filing for Form I-821D, individuals can now file 13 USCIS forms online, which can all be found on the Forms Available to File Online page. USCIS continues to accept the latest paper versions of all forms by mail.

Consistent with a court order issued in State of Texas, et al., v. United States of America, et al., 1:18-CV-00068 (S.D. Tex. July 16, 2021), the Department of Homeland Security continues to accept the filing of both initial and renewal DACA requests, as well as accompanying requests for employment authorization. However, under the July 16, 2021, order issued by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, DHS is prohibited from granting initial DACA requests.

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.

End of announcement.

If you have questions about an immigration issue, DACA, or otherwise, contact us at ILBSG. We actively monitor ongoing policy updates to ensure our clients get the right advice.

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