- USCIS approved 76,053 work permit applications for DACA recipients between April and June 2026, with renewals accounting for almost all approvals
- No initial DACA work permits were approved during the quarter, despite the agency receiving 81,026 initial applications
- A total of 231,872 DACA work permit applications remained pending at the end of June, highlighting the backlog facing applicants
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The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approved 76,053 Employment Authorisation Documents (EADs) for recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) between April 1 and June 30, 2026.
Source: Getty Images
The figures, published by the USCIS Chief Data and Analytics Office, cover the second quarter of the year and show that the agency continued processing large numbers of work permit renewals while thousands of other applications remained in the queue.
All the approvals fell under the DACA eligibility category, identified as C33 in USCIS records.
Renewals Accounted for Nearly All Approvals
Of the 76,053 work permit approvals recorded during the three-month period, 76,032 were renewals, while 21 were replacement documents.
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USCIS did not approve any initial DACA work permit applications during the quarter, despite receiving 81,026 initial applications.
The figures point to a significant difference between the processing of renewals and first-time applications. However, the data alone does not establish why no initial applications were approved.
USCIS also recorded 482 denials during the period. These comprised 478 renewal applications and four replacement requests, equivalent to approximately 0.6% of the 76,535 approvals and denials combined.
More Than 231,000 DACA Work Permit Cases Remain Pending
Despite approving tens of thousands of applications, USCIS ended June 2026 with 231,872 DACA work permit cases awaiting decisions.
The pending cases were distributed as follows:
- 125,167 renewal applications
- 101,875 initial applications
- 4,830 replacement requests
The figures show that the backlog extends beyond first-time applicants, with more than 125,000 renewal cases also awaiting decisions.
For applicants, a pending case means USCIS has not yet issued a final decision on that application. The figures do not establish how long each individual applicant has been waiting.
DACA Approvals Made Up About 21% of All Work Permits Issued
Across all employment authorisation eligibility categories, USCIS received 572,947 applications during the same quarter, approved 366,079 and denied 67,022.
The agency's total pending caseload across these categories stood at 2,110,712.
DACA approvals accounted for approximately 20.8% of all EAD approvals recorded in the second quarter of 2026, making the category a substantial part of the agency's work permit processing activity.
What the Figures Mean for DACA Applicants
The data shows that USCIS approved a high number of DACA work permit renewals during the quarter, but a considerable number of applications remained unresolved.
The absence of initial approvals is particularly notable for people seeking their first DACA-related work permit. However, these quarterly figures alone do not explain the legal or operational reasons behind that outcome.
Applicants should check their individual case status and consult official USCIS guidance for current eligibility rules and processing updates.
Source: TUKO.co.ke