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On January 13th of this month, USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) “resumed accepting requests to renew to renew a grant of deferred action under DACA.”

This means that hundreds of thousands of DACAmented people can now renew their DACA and begin working and living in the country again without the threat of deportation.

For many, these have been stressful and anxious days. As a result, your finances might have suffered a bit, especially if your work permit expired days before the announcement was made.

If you are struggling to come up with the $495 DACA application fee here are a couple of things you can do to quickly gather the funds.

Sell things

Many of us can make a list of unnecessary or underused items.

When was the last time you used your video game console? Do you have an old phone you no longer use?

Many video game companies will buy your games and game consoles for a fraction of what you originally bought it, but an extra hundred bucks will help you reach the $495 to renew for DACA.

Selling your old phones or electronics can also give your DACA fund a nice boost.

I have used BuyBackWorld to sell my old iPhones. BuyBackWorld gives you all the shipping materials; all you have to do is package it and ship it. I do get paid by BuyBackWorld if you click on this link, but you won’t pay anything.

Find a side hustle

A side hustle is anything that brings in extra cash, additional to your regular full-time job.

In the past three months, I have made close to $700 with a mix of blogging and finding work through freelance sites like Upwork.com.

This might take some time to develop into a worthwhile business adventure, so if your DACA allows for the time spent, then, by all means, get started.

If you have less than a month or two, perhaps working extra time or finding gigs, like moving furniture or cleaning houses/apartments, might be a better route.

Even starting a garage sale or flipping furniture might be something to consider. Consider driving for a ride-sharing company if your current employment card hasn’t expired and try to hit the $495 fee as soon as possible.

Apply for aid

Mission Asset Fund is an organization that helps nonprofits and aims to create financial equality through loan programs.

Since the reopening of DACA Renewals, MAF (Mission Asset Fund) has opened their own grant application program for DACAmented people to apply.

MissionAssetFund.org has additional immigration loan programs to help you pay for citizenship and your green card.

According to their site, the loans come at zero percent interest rate, while helping you create a repayment plan and build a credit history.

If you have time to gather the funds, more power to you. I do ask you avoid short-term, quick loans like the plague.

Those type of loans come with huge fees and prey on the weak and desperate. Good luck and make the most of your time and money!

Budget

Planning your budget once or twice a month can be the best step you can take. Make sure the DACA fees are taken care of and that they are added to your budget.

You can’t pay for what you need if you spend your money recklessly. At this stage of the immigration process, you can’t ignore how you spend your money.

Consider added expenses like travel when you get called for your biometrics. This is especially true if you need to drive or fly out to another city.

Do you have any other tips to pay for DACA quickly?