Beginning September of 2012, USCIS began granting what is known as deferred action to children who arrived to the United States before reaching the age of 16, having met other various requirements. Eligible deferred action applicants received an employment authorization good for a period of up to two years from USCIS. Applicants who applied for deferred action early on are now facing the expiration of their initial two year employment authorization granted to them by USCIS. Due to this, a DACA renewal process is currently underway, giving qualified applicants the opportunity to request and extend their deferred action, in order to avoid unlawful presence in the United States and be able to continue their employment. Details regarding the renewal process will be released in late May 2014, at which time USCIS anticipates that Form I-821D will be used for the dual purpose of initiating DACA petitions and renewal requests. All DACA applicants who wish to file a renewal request must wait until USCIS releases the new form designated for that purpose. Applicants that wish to file an initial deferred action request and not a renewal, can continue to file using the form currently available.
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