Fill out Form I-821D online

Who uses Form I-821D

• Current DACA recipients renewing their deferred action
• People whose last DACA period expired less than one year ago and was not terminated (they follow the renewal instructions)
• People 15 or older requesting DACA for the first time, or whose DACA expired more than one year ago or was terminated
• Requestors who are in removal proceedings, have a final removal order or a voluntary departure order (they may file even if under 15), or are in immigration detention
• Interpreters and preparers, including attorneys and accredited representatives, who complete Parts 6 and 7

Before you start

• For a renewal, the date your current DACA period expires; USCIS says this is also the date your Employment Authorization Document expires
• Your A-Number (USCIS rejects a renewal without it), U.S. Social Security number (if any), last passport details and Border Crossing Card number (if any)
• Every U.S. address with dates: since your first entry for an initial request, or since your last approved Form I-821D for a renewal
• Dates and reasons for each trip outside the United States: since June 15, 2007 for an initial request, or since your last approved Form I-821D for a renewal
• For an initial request, copies of documents showing you meet each DACA guideline, such as identity, arrival before age 16, continuous residence and education or military service
• Copies of any removal orders and any arrest records or court dispositions that apply to you, plus a completed Form I-765 and Form I-765WS

How to fill out Form I-821D

1. 1

   Page 1 and Part 1, Items 1–4: type of request, name and mailing address

   Select whether you are in immigration detention. Select Item 1 for an initial request or Item 2 for a renewal, and for a renewal enter the date your most recent DACA period expires. Enter your full legal name in 3.a–3.c and your U.S. mailing address in 4.a–4.f; use the same address as on Form I-765. If an attorney or accredited representative is filing for you, they select the Form G-28 box at the top of page 1.

2. 2

   Part 1, Items 5–21: removal proceedings, personal details and biometrics

   Item 5 asks whether you are now or have ever been in removal proceedings, or have a removal order from any other context. If you answer Yes, select your status in 6.a–6.e and give the most recent date and the location in 6.f–6.g. Items 7–15 ask for your A-Number, Social Security number, date of birth, sex, place of birth, country of residence and citizenship, marital status and other names used. Items 16–21 ask for ethnicity, race, height in feet and inches, weight in pounds, eye color and hair color.

3. 3

   Part 2: residence and travel

   Item 1 asks whether you have lived in the United States continuously since at least June 15, 2007. Items 2–5 list your present address and up to three earlier addresses with dates. Items 6–7 list departures from the United States with dates and reasons: initial requestors list all absences since June 15, 2007, and renewal requestors list only those since their last approved Form I-821D. Item 8 asks whether you left without advance parole on or after August 15, 2012, and Items 9–10 ask for passport and Border Crossing Card details.

4. 4

   Part 3: initial requests only

   Renewal requestors skip this part. Items 1–5 ask whether you arrived and established residence before age 16, the date and place of your first entry, your immigration status on June 15, 2012, and any Form I-94, I-94W or I-95. Items 6–8 ask how you meet the education guideline, the school, and the graduation or last attendance date. Item 9 asks about U.S. Armed Forces or Coast Guard service, with branch, dates and type of discharge in 9.a–9.d.

5. 5

   Part 4: criminal, national security and public safety questions

   Answer Yes or No to every question in Items 1–7, including 5.a–5.d. USCIS rejects the form if any of these is left blank. For each Yes, describe the circumstances in Part 8, and for a Yes to Item 1 or 2 include the court dispositions or arrest records the form asks for.

6. 6

   Parts 5–7: statements, signatures and contact details

   In Part 5, select 1.a if you read and understand English, or 1.b if an interpreter read the form to you and name the language. Sign and date in 2.a–2.b and give your phone numbers and email address in Items 3–5. An interpreter completes and signs Part 6. Anyone who prepared the form for you, including an attorney or accredited representative, completes and signs Part 7; an attorney or accredited representative also submits Form G-28.

7. 7

   Part 8: additional information

   Use Part 8 for answers that do not fit, such as more addresses or trips, an explanation for Part 1 Item 6.e, or any Yes answer in Part 4. Enter your name and A-Number at the top, give the page, part and item number for each answer, and sign and date each sheet. You can make copies of the page if you need more space.

After you fill it out

Mail Form I-821D to USCIS in one package together with Form I-765, Form I-765WS, your evidence and the required fees. Paper requests go to a USCIS lockbox that depends on the state where you live, so check the filing address and current fees on the official USCIS pages. Renewal requests can instead be filed online through a USCIS online account, which does not use this PDF. You can clip optional Form G-1145 to the first page to get an email or text when USCIS accepts your request.

Signing: The instructions require the requestor's original handwritten signature in Part 5; USCIS does not accept a stamped or typewritten name and rejects an unsigned form, so print the form and sign it in ink. A parent or legal guardian may sign for a requestor under 14 years of age.

Questions about Form I-821D

Official information

• USCIS: Form I-821D, Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
• Instructions for Form I-821D (PDF)
• USCIS: Filing tips for DACA
• USCIS: Filing addresses for Form I-821D

Page text last reviewed November 7, 2026.

Related forms

• Form G-28Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative
• Form G-1145e-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance
• Form I-131Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records
• Form AR-11Alien's Change of Address Card