With U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) now required to accept first-time requests and renewals forConsideration for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), individuals who meet the eligibility criteria may be preparing to get their forms filled out and filed with the agency. When an individual applies for DACA, USCIS requires that they submit certain documentation that shows they meet the program’s guidelines. The documentation that needs to be submitted does vary by application type and those who are submitting a renewal request are not required to re-submit documents that were submitted when they initially applied.

Below is an outline of the documentation USCIS will accept for DACA applicants.

First-Time DACA Applicants

• Evidence that they arrived in the U.S. before their 16^th birthday. Some examples include employment records, medical records, school records, etc.
• Proof of identity. Examples include a passport, birth certificate with photo identification, etc.
• Evidence that shows they have continuously resided in the U.S. since June 15, 2007, up to the present date.Examples include passport entries, dated bank transactions, automobile registration, etc.
• Evidence that shows they were present in the U.S. on June 15, 2012. This might include rent receipts, utility bills, hospital or medical records, school records, etc.
• Proof they had no lawful status on June 15, 2012. Examples include Form I-94, I-94W, or I-95 Arrival/Departure Record, a charging document that placed them into removal proceedings, etc.
• Proof they are attending school, graduated from school, or received their General Education Development (GED) certificate. Some examples include a U.S. GED certificate, U.S. high school diploma, etc.

DACA Renewal Requests

If an individual is submitting a renewal request for DACA, they are only required to submit “any new documents pertaining to removal proceedings or criminal history that [they] have not already submitted to USCIS [Source: USCIS]. If USCIS needs additional information, they will contact the applicant and request that he/she submits the information needed to process their request.

Kuck | Baxter Immigration Can Help an Individual Fill Out and File Their DACA Forms

If an individual is considering applying for DACA and they live in Atlanta, they should only do so when they have an experienced Atlanta, GA immigration lawyer available to help them. Immigration forms can sometimes be confusing and to ensure an applicant doesn’t make a mistake that could potentially cause their request to be denied, they should have a lawyer assist them with the entire application process.

The window to apply for DACA could close if the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decides request relief from the recent order that was issued by a U.S. District Court, therefore, if anyone is looking to submit a request for DACA, they are encouraged to contact Kuck | Baxter Immigration for help.

Kuck | Baxter Immigration can be reached at:

365 Northridge Road, Suite 300

Atlanta, GA 30350

Phone: 404-816-8611

Website: www.immigration.net