- Delaware DACA recipients face renewal delays up to eight months, with some cases lasting more than a year.
- USCIS ended automatic work-permit extensions for filings on or after October thirtieth, twenty twenty-five.
- The pending-renewal backlog reached one hundred twenty thousand applications as approvals fell sixty-three percent in FY twenty twenty-six.
Delaware DACA recipients face the same federal renewal delays affecting applicants nationwide, with work permits expiring while renewal requests remain pending. Reported USCIS data in August 2026 placed the median renewal time at 2.8 months. Other cases have taken four to eight months, with some extending beyond a year.
The delay can interrupt employment. A recipient may remain in the renewal pipeline but lose the ability to work when an existing employment authorization document expires before approval arrives.
Current holders remain eligible to renew deferred action and work authorization. First-time applications remain blocked under existing court orders, however. USCIS accepts those filings but does not approve them.
The rules apply in Delaware through the federal DACA framework. Texas litigation affects some aspects of initial DACA, but it has not ended renewal access for most current recipients.
USCIS recommends filing as early as possible before expiration. Immigration practitioners commonly point applicants to a 150- to 120-day window, intended to reduce the chance of a gap.
Applicants with pending cases should retain proof of filing and monitor their case status. A renewal outside normal processing time may warrant advice from an immigration lawyer.
A pending renewal can still leave a worker without authorization
A federal policy change removed a protection that previously gave some renewal applicants additional time. USCIS issued an interim final rule on October 30, 2025, ending automatic work-permit extensions for people who had previously qualified for them.
The change applies to people who filed on or after that date. Filers who submitted applications earlier were not covered by the new rule.
The American Immigration Council said delayed processing, combined with the policy change, has produced gaps in lawful work authorization for some applicants, including people renewing permits tied to deferred action. The cited analysis found that pending work-permit renewal requests older than six months increased from 33 percent to 69 percent during the first three months after the rule took effect.
| Filing timing | Automatic-extension treatment | Potential consequence during a delay |
|---|---|---|
| Before October 30, 2025 | Earlier filers were not subject to the new change | The prior eligibility framework applied |
| On or after October 30, 2025 | The rule ended automatic extensions for people previously eligible for them | A work permit may expire before renewal approval |
The work authorization question is separate from whether a renewal request remains pending. A person can have a case under review and still face an employment interruption when the card expires.
The backlog has grown as approvals have fallen
USCIS approved 63% fewer DACA renewals in the first half of FY 2026 than during the same period of FY 2025. The pending-renewal backlog reached 120,000 applications.
That volume helps account for reports of recipients waiting months for updated cards after filing on time. The reported median does not describe every case. Some applicants have waited far longer.
The delay affects more than the card itself. Employers may need valid employment authorization, while recipients may have jobs, housing, or other obligations that depend on continued work.
Current DACA holders therefore face a federal processing problem rather than a Delaware-specific renewal system. State law does not create a separate route around the federal review process.
The federal framework also preserves a sharp difference between renewals and new applications. Existing recipients may continue seeking renewed deferred action and work authorization, while USCIS continues receiving but not approving first-time DACA requests under the court orders described in the current guidance.
The processing figures come as recipients and practitioners watch cases filed after the October 30, 2025 policy change. Earlier filers remain outside that change, but applicants facing current expirations may still confront a gap if USCIS does not decide their renewal before the existing permit ends.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
