Is Sterling a different court from Annandale?
Yes, and the two are easy to confuse, because EOIR's Administrative Control List, updated October 1, 2026, shows the Arlington DHS district office under both. So an Arlington-area immigration document does not tell you which one has your hearing. Sterling opened on October 3, 2022, and EOIR said it was sending change of location notices to parties whose cases were reassigned here. The Annandale court is a separate building with a separate phone. The list also leaves out Suite 200, which the court page gives, so use the full address. Our guide to confirming your date, court and judge covers the check.
Where can I park at Ridgetop Circle, and is there a bus?
EOIR's court page, updated October 23, 2026, gives two short facts. There is street parking as well as paid parking in close proximity to the court, with no rates or lot names. The transit listed is Loudoun County Transit and Commuter Services, RT. 70, with loudoun.gov/bus as the reference. The page names no Metro station, and we will not guess at one. Because street and paid spaces are all it mentions, and an individual merits hearing can run long, bring payment for a long stay, and look up the bus timetable on the county site before you rely on it.
How do the elevator hours affect my visit?
EOIR's page uses the same commercial building language as Annandale's: screening on all three floors, a magnetometer and an X-ray of your things on every visit. A second inspection can add wanding and a shoe X-ray. The practical point at Ridgetop Circle is the clock. Elevator access begins at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m., and no visitors are permitted on the court floors once security leaves, so do not plan to wait upstairs past that point. Food and drinks need the judge's permission, and cameras and recording devices are prohibited in EOIR space.
How do I file papers or reach the court?
The window accepts filings from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and public hours continue to 4:30 p.m. Call 703-674-4600, or email Sterling.Immigration.Court@usdoj.gov with general questions; unrequested faxes and emails are not made part of the record. Attorneys and fully accredited representatives have had to use ECAS, EOIR's electronic filing system, since February 11, 2022, in eligible cases. Asylum.Clock.Sterling@usdoj.gov takes only requests about the asylum work permit clock, and needs the applicant's name, alien registration number and the reason for the adjustment. The court may close suddenly for bad weather, so check EOIR's status page that morning. A master calendar hearing runs on the notice's time, not the window's.
Which judges does EOIR list, and how do the lists differ?
EOIR's directory, updated October 29, 2026, lists 16 names under Sterling, with Robert K. Lundberg as Assistant Chief Immigration Judge; he is also listed for Falls Church. The court page, updated October 23, 2026, shows Kuyomars Golparvar as backup Assistant Chief and adds Bobbie C. Masters, whom the directory lists under Aurora instead, so the two do not fully match. A March 11, 2026 EOIR release placed Stephen P. Alcorn and Anupriya Krishna here, and both remain on the lists. Webex links in the directory help only if your notice sets a remote hearing. For your date, use acis.eoir.justice.gov or 1-800-898-7180 with your A-number. Our list of judges by court is only a reference.