Thank you for your interest in seeking financial assistance for your DACA application fees. Due to a high level of interest, we have met the limit of financial assistance we are able to provide at this time. As a result, our application has closed.
While we cannot guarantee that we will be able to offer this program going forward, in the event we reopen the application in the future, we ask that you fill out the interest form linked below to be placed on a waiting list. If resources become available, we would contact you based on your position on the waitlist. Placing your name on the waitlist does not guarantee assistance.
Please check this page for updates.
For additional information regarding DACA, please visit our DACA Toolkit.
First, some terms to understand:
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”) = Program for young persons that grants work authorization, and access to various federal benefits, such as social security number, driver’s license, protection of removal from the U.S., etc.
- Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”) = The rules that specify how U.S. federal agencies make and enforce regulations
- Executive order = Instructions by the U.S. President to federal agencies on how to operate
- Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) = Agency of the U.S. government. They are in charge, among other things, that deal with customs, border and immigration enforcement, cybersecurity, etc.
- United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) = agency of the U.S. government, that under DHS, receives applications for immigration benefits
- Advance Parole = pre-approved permission by the U.S. government to travel abroad and return
1. How do I know if I have ever had DACA or have DACA now?
You would have received an approval notice from USCIS for the I-821D DACA application and I-765 Employment Authorization Document (“work permit”). Additionally, you would have received a Employment authorization document, which looks like a card. Here is what the documents look like:
2. How do I know if I am an Initial DACA applicant?
An initial DACA application is for a person that has never been granted DACA status before. You would also apply as an Initial DACA applicant if:
- You have never submitted an application before
- You obtained help or paid someone to help you with an application, but nothing was ever submitted
- You submitted an application, but it was rejected
- You submitted an application, but it was denied, and you did not apply again
- You submitted an application, were asked for more information and you did not respond. These requests are Requests for Further Evidence, or “RFE”. It is possible that you submitted a response and it was then denied.
- You submitted an application, responded to an RFE, but then received another notice for more documents, and did not persuade USCIS to grant you DACA. These requests are Notice of Intent to Deny, or “NOID”. It is possible that you submitted a response and it was then denied.
Note: On occasion, USCIS will receive your application but then not issue any decision or you may not receive any information after your submission. In these situations, an inquiry has to be made to figure out what happened to the application. You may have been approved or denied without having received any documents as to a decision. If you feel you are in this situation, you should seek legal counsel, but you can mark on the RAICES DACA fund application as an Initial DACA application.
3. How do I know if I am a renewal DACA applicant?
In general, if you have ever had DACA status granted, you would be considered by USCIS and for the RAICES DACA fund application as a renewal DACA applicant. It does not matter how long of a lapse you have had or when you last applied. You would still be considered a DACA renewal. However, there is a difference between what you have to submit with your application. Some other common scenarios:
- You applied for DACA at any time, received an approval notice like the above shown, but did not receive all approval notices and/or Employment authorization document.
- You were approved, but lost the approval notices and/or Employment authorization document
- You were approved, but let it lapse or did not renew.
- You were approved but USCIS cancelled or revoked your DACA application
- You were approved but had problems using the Employment authorization document
- You were approved but have been or are currently in removal proceedings
- You were approved and have other applications for immigration benefits pending