Where to Send Your DACA Renewal: Lockboxes and Online Filing

You can send your DACA renewal to USCIS in one of two ways: file it electronically through a USCIS online account, or mail the paper packet to one of three lockbox facilities in Phoenix, Dallas, or Chicago, depending on the state where you live. USCIS recommends submitting the renewal between 120 and 150 days before your current DACA expires so your work authorization does not lapse.¹

Filing Online Instead of Mailing

Online filing skips the lockbox entirely. You submit Form I-821D, Form I-765, and the I-765 Worksheet through your USCIS online account without mailing anything.² The total fee online is $555, compared with $605 on paper, a $50 savings.³

To create the account you need an email address and a U.S. mobile phone number for two-step verification. USCIS sends a one-time code by text, email, or authentication app each time you sign in. The account is free and cannot be shared.⁴ Once you file, the account is also where you pay, receive secure messages, respond to requests for evidence, and track your case.²

Lockbox Addresses by State

If you file on paper, your renewal goes to one of three USCIS lockboxes based on the state or territory where you currently live. Sending it to the wrong facility can delay or get your application rejected, so confirm the address on the USCIS Direct Filing Addresses page before mailing.⁵ USCIS reassigns states between lockboxes from time to time, and an outdated address is one of the most common reasons packages get rejected at intake.

Phoenix Lockbox

File in Phoenix if you live in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, U.S. Virgin Islands, or Wyoming.

USPS: USCIS, Attn: DACA, P.O. Box 20700, Phoenix, AZ 85036-0700
FedEx, UPS, or DHL: USCIS, Attn: DACA (Box 20700), 2108 E. Elliot Rd., Tempe, AZ 85284-1806

Dallas Lockbox

File in Dallas if you live in Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, or Wisconsin.

USPS: USCIS, Attn: DACA, P.O. Box 660045, Dallas, TX 75266-0045
FedEx, UPS, or DHL: USCIS, Attn: DACA (Box 660045), 2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business, Suite 400, Lewisville, TX 75067-8003

Chicago Lockbox

California residents file in Chicago.

USPS: USCIS, Attn: DACA, P.O. Box 5757, Chicago, IL 60680-5757
FedEx, UPS, or DHL: USCIS, Attn: DACA (Box 5757), 131 S. Dearborn, 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60603-5517

Assembling the Paper Packet

Every paper renewal includes three forms, all free to download from the USCIS website: Form I-821D, Form I-765, and Form I-765WS.¹ The $605 total breaks into two payments: $85 for the I-821D and $520 for the I-765, made out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. There is no separate biometrics fee. If you are paying by credit card, include Form G-1450 to authorize the charge.⁶ Confirm the current fees on the USCIS fee schedule before writing checks; USCIS adjusts rates periodically.³

Stack the packet in order: payment on top, then Form G-1450 if you are paying by card, then the I-821D, the I-765, the I-765WS, and any supporting documents such as court records or evidence of changed circumstances. Use paperclips, not staples. Lockbox staff separate pages quickly and staples slow them down.

A fee waiver is available if you meet one of three narrow conditions and your income is below 150 percent of the federal poverty level: a serious chronic disability that keeps you from caring for yourself, $10,000 or more in unreimbursed medical expenses for you or an immediate family member in the past 12 months, or being a minor without parental or family support. Attach a letter explaining your situation with supporting documentation.⁷

Mailing and Tracking the Package

Ship with a trackable service. USPS Certified Mail or Priority Mail with tracking works, and so does any private courier with delivery confirmation. Use a sturdy envelope and write the lockbox address clearly, matching the USPS or courier line above to the carrier you actually use.

Clip Form G-1145 to the front of the packet. It tells USCIS to send you a text or email within 24 hours of accepting the application, which gives you early confirmation that your package landed and entered the system.⁸

What USCIS Sends Back

After the lockbox receives your packet or the online system accepts your submission, USCIS mails a Form I-797C, Notice of Action. It confirms the case is under review and carries a 13-character receipt number.⁹ Some applicants also get a biometrics appointment notice for an Application Support Center visit; in other cases USCIS reuses biometrics from an earlier filing.

You can check progress anytime through the USCIS Case Status Online tool using the receipt number.¹⁰ USCIS reports that it processes most DACA renewals within 120 days, though individual timelines vary.¹ Approval brings a new two-year grant of deferred action and a new Employment Authorization Document.

One boundary worth knowing before you mail anything: DACA work permits in the (c)(33) category do not receive an automatic extension while a renewal is pending.¹¹ If your current EAD expires before USCIS decides your case, you cannot legally work in the interval. That is why the 120-to-150-day window matters. And if your DACA has already expired, you can still submit a renewal within one year of expiration; after a year, or if your DACA was terminated, you must file a new initial request rather than a renewal.¹²

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-821D, Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Filing Tips for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 2024 Final Fee Rule
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How to Create a USCIS Online Account
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-821D, Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055, Fee Schedule
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Guidance for an Exemption from the Fees for a Form I-821D
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Case Status Online
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Automatic Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Extension
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Frequently Asked Questions