DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, does two core things for people who were brought to the United States as children: it pauses their deportation for two years at a time, and it lets them apply for a work permit. From those two pieces flow the practical benefits most recipients rely on day to day, including a Social Security number, a driver’s license in most states, and health coverage through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. What DACA does not do is just as important: it is not a green card, not a path to citizenship, and not a ticket to most federal benefits or federal student aid.
Pauses Your Deportation for Two Years
The foundation of DACA is a two-year grant of deferred action. The federal government formally agrees to put your removal case on hold and not prioritize deporting you during that window, as long as you follow the program’s rules.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) The grant can be revoked if you are convicted of a disqualifying crime or are found to pose a threat to public safety, and it has to be renewed before it expires.
One distinction trips people up constantly. DACA gives you “lawful presence” but not “lawful immigration status.” Lawful presence means the government acknowledges you are here and has chosen not to remove you. Lawful immigration status is what a visa holder, green card holder, or citizen has. That difference matters for federal benefits, for adjusting status later, and for how permanent the protection feels. Deferred action can be ended by a future administration, a new court ruling, or congressional action, so it is fundamentally temporary.
Renewal timing is not optional if you want to keep the protection running. USCIS asks recipients to file renewals between 150 and 120 days before the current approval expires, which gives the agency time to decide before your existing DACA lapses.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Let your DACA expire and wait more than one year to file, and USCIS treats the request as an initial application rather than a renewal.2Department of Homeland Security. Renew Your DACA as Early as Possible
Lets You Work Legally
DACA recipients can apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), commonly called a work permit. Federal regulation permits individuals granted deferred action under the DACA program to work if they can show an economic need for employment.3eCFR. 8 CFR 274a.12 – Classes of Aliens Authorized to Accept Employment Once you hold the card, you can work for any employer in the country, and employers can verify it through E-Verify.
Your work permit expires on the same date as your deferred action. If a renewal lands after the expiration, you cannot legally work in the gap, and your employer cannot keep you on payroll during it. That is the practical reason the 120-to-150-day filing window matters so much.
With a work permit come tax obligations. Most DACA recipients meet the IRS substantial-presence test and are treated as resident aliens for tax purposes, filing a standard Form 1040 and reporting worldwide income.4Internal Revenue Service. Publication 519 U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens Employers withhold federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare. Self-employed recipients pay self-employment tax on Schedule SE.
Opens the Door to a Social Security Number
Once USCIS approves your EAD, you can get a Social Security number. You can request one at the same time you apply for the work permit: Form I-765 includes a section for a Social Security card, and if USCIS approves the EAD, it forwards the necessary data to the Social Security Administration, which mails the card separately.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Apply for Your Social Security Number While Applying for Your Work Permit Skip that section and you can visit a Social Security office after the EAD arrives.6Social Security Administration. Apply for Your Social Security Card While Applying for Your Work Permit, Lawful Permanent Residency, or U.S. Naturalization
The card issued to DACA recipients carries the printed notation “VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION,” which distinguishes it from the unrestricted card issued to citizens and permanent residents.7Social Security Administration. Types of Social Security Cards The number itself still functions the same way for filing taxes, building credit, opening bank accounts, and applying for loans.
Qualifies You for a State ID or Driver’s License
DACA’s lawful-presence status satisfies documentation requirements for a state-issued driver’s license or ID card in most states. Rules vary by state, and some issue a license with a shorter validity period that tracks the two-year DACA grant instead of the state’s normal renewal cycle.
Unlocks ACA Marketplace Health Coverage
Starting November 1, 2024, a federal rule classified DACA recipients as “lawfully present” for purposes of enrolling in a health plan through the ACA Marketplace. Under that rule, you can buy a Qualified Health Plan on HealthCare.gov or a state exchange and qualify for premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions if your income falls in the right range.8Federal Register. Clarifying the Eligibility of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Recipients and Certain Other Noncitizens for a Qualified Health Plan Through an Exchange Before the rule, DACA recipients were specifically excluded from ACA coverage even though other categories of lawfully present individuals could enroll.
The change does not extend to Medicaid. DACA recipients remain ineligible for full Medicaid coverage in most circumstances, though emergency Medicaid for treatment of an emergency medical condition is still available regardless of immigration status.8Federal Register. Clarifying the Eligibility of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Recipients and Certain Other Noncitizens for a Qualified Health Plan Through an Exchange Given DACA’s ongoing legal challenges, this benefit could be affected by future court decisions or administrative action.
Allows Approved International Travel Through Advance Parole
Leaving the United States without permission terminates your DACA. If you need to travel abroad, you apply in advance for a document called Advance Parole using Form I-131. USCIS currently accepts these applications from DACA recipients with an approved Form I-821D.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records The filing fee is $630.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Frequently Asked Questions on the USCIS Fee Rule
Approval is not automatic. Your travel has to fall into one of three recognized categories:
- Humanitarian, such as attending a funeral, visiting a seriously ill relative, or similar urgent personal circumstances.
- Educational, such as study-abroad programs, academic conferences, or research that requires your physical presence in another country.
- Employment-related, such as overseas job assignments, professional training, or interviews.
Vacation and general leisure travel do not qualify. Processing times have historically hovered around six months, so plan well ahead of the trip.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Historic Processing Times Leaving without an approved Advance Parole document in hand ends your deferred action at the moment of departure, and you may not be able to reenter.
What DACA Does Not Do
People sometimes overestimate the program’s reach. A few limits worth understanding before you plan around DACA:
- No green card and no path to citizenship. DACA is purely a temporary administrative action. It does not place you in line for permanent residency, and having DACA does not, on its own, make you eligible to adjust your immigration status.
- No federal student aid. DACA recipients are not eligible for Pell Grants, federal student loans, or federal work-study. Some states offer separate state-funded aid or in-state tuition rates, but availability varies widely.12Federal Student Aid. Undocumented Students and Financial Aid
- No most federal public benefits. Recipients are generally ineligible for SNAP, Supplemental Security Income, and full Medicaid coverage. Emergency Medicaid remains available.
- No protection from future policy changes. Because DACA was created by executive policy rather than legislation, a future administration or court ruling can narrow or end it.
One Boundary on Who Can Get In Right Now
Everything described above assumes you already have DACA. If you have never had it, the program does not currently do any of these things for you. USCIS will accept a first-time request and issue a receipt notice, but a federal court order prohibits the agency from approving any initial DACA request or granting an accompanying work permit while the injunction remains in effect.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. DACA Litigation Information and Frequently Asked Questions On January 17, 2025, the Fifth Circuit ruled that the 2022 DACA Final Rule conflicts with the Immigration and Nationality Act, but it kept a stay in place for existing recipients, so USCIS continues to accept and adjudicate renewals along with the accompanying work permits.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Anyone weighing an initial application should talk to an immigration attorney before spending the filing fees.