Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients are being urged to begin renewing their status eight to 10 months before their work permits expire due to lengthy processing times that the United Farm Workers (UFW) Foundation said have left some individuals unable to work.
Juana Carbajal, a representative with UFW, said the organization has seen DACA recipients seeking renewal assistance only a few months before their permits expire. However, current processing delays have increased the risk that recipients could experience gaps in employment authorization while waiting for approval.
“We’ve helped them, but we have seen that the process is very slow,” Carbajal said.
According to Carbajal, some recipients have already experienced disruptions to their employment because their renewed work permits had not arrived before their existing authorization expired.
“As a matter of fact, last night I spoke to a person who works, I believe it’s the micro program or one of those agencies, and he’s not working right now because he still hasn’t received his work permit,” Carbajal said. “They didn’t let him go, but he can’t work until his work permit comes in.”
Carbajal said UFW Foundation attorneys have encouraged the organization to educate communities about the importance of renewing well before expiration dates.
“She was telling me that we should advocate in the community to let those DACA recipients know that it’s very important to do your renewals either from eight to 10 months before it expires,” Carbajal said. “That way they have enough time so they can get their work permit and they’re not losing their jobs.”
While Carbajal said she could not speak definitively about the reasons behind the delays, she noted that processing times appear to have increased across several immigration-related applications, including permanent resident card renewals and citizenship cases.
UFW provides free assistance to eligible DACA recipients seeking to renew their status. Carbajal said the organization does not charge for completing or renewing applications and regularly hosts workshops both at its offices and in communities throughout California.
“We do not charge for filling out or renewing their application,” Carbajal said. “It’s totally free.”
In addition to application assistance, the organization may also help cover renewal fees for low-income applicants when funding is available.
“If the person is low income and they can provide us information showing they’re receiving Medi-Cal or are on the poverty line, then if we have funds, we also help them pay for their work permit,” Carbajal said.
Carbajal said the organization currently has funding available to assist qualifying applicants.
For those seeking renewal assistance, the process typically begins with a prescreening to review eligibility and identify any issues that may require additional legal review before an application is submitted.
“The prescreen is just to see that they’re clear so we can go ahead and put them in one of our workshops,” Carbajal said. “If there are issues with their case, then we have to look at whether they should renew or not.”
Students attending colleges that partner with the UFW Foundation may also be able to access legal assistance through their campuses, she said.
Carbajal emphasized that renewing DACA status before expiration is especially important because recipients who allow their status to lapse for an extended period may face significant barriers to maintaining their protections.
“This is your work permit. You should put priority to it,” Carbajal said. “That’s why we urge everyone to please, please renew your work permit.”
The UFW Foundation operates offices in Bakersfield, Fresno, Salinas and Oxnard, where DACA recipients can seek assistance with renewals and determine whether they qualify for available financial support.
