Written & reviewed by NotALawyer Review AI · Updated June 26, 2026
DACA — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — is a federal program that lets certain people who were brought to the United States as children ask the government to hold off on deporting them and to grant a work permit, usually for two years at a time. It is not a green card, not citizenship, and not a path to either. The criteria are set under federal immigration policy and apply the same way nationwide, but the program has been tied up in court challenges for years, so the rules about who can file have shifted over time.
The program was written for people who came to the U.S. before their 16th birthday, were under 31 as of mid-2012, and have lived here continuously since June 15, 2007. There are also requirements around being in school, having graduated or earned a GED, or having served honorably in the military.
A felony, a significant misdemeanor, or several misdemeanors generally rule a person out, as does being considered a threat to public safety. The exact lines are defined by USCIS, so the official criteria are worth reading closely rather than guessing.
Approved DACA grants deferred action (a temporary promise not to pursue removal) plus eligibility for a work permit and a Social Security number. It does NOT grant lawful immigration status, and on its own it builds no path to a green card or naturalization.
Protection lasts about two years and must be renewed before it lapses. People generally file to renew several months ahead so there's no gap in work authorization, since a lapse can mean losing the job permit.
Courts have repeatedly weighed whether DACA is lawful, and orders have at times treated first-time requests differently from renewals. Because the legal status can change, anyone considering DACA should confirm what USCIS is currently accepting before relying on older information.
More on this topic: the Immigration hub
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