Which document tells me when and where my hearing is?
Removal cases begin with a Notice to Appear, Form I-862. It may list the date, time and place of the first hearing. If it does not, the immigration court mails a Notice of Hearing to the last address it has on record, and later changes are also given in writing. Treat the most recent notice as your instruction, and keep every page and envelope. EOIR's own website says that documents issued by the court or the Board are the only official determinations in your case, so an online result never overrides a notice in your hands. If you have a lawyer, notices generally go to that lawyer electronically, so ask for a copy each time.
How do I check my hearing online?
EOIR's Automated Case Information site, acis.eoir.justice.gov, asks for your A-number and your nationality and shows basic status information for certain cases before the immigration courts or the Board of Immigration Appeals. Know its limits. EOIR says not all cases, and not all information about a case, are displayed. If an A-number has several cases, the site shows the most recent one. It tells you to contact your local court for bond hearing information. It also describes itself as provided for convenience only. In March 2026 EOIR addressed unconfirmed reports that the site displayed a wrong appeal deadline, which is one more reason to read the order itself rather than rely on a screen.
How does the EOIR phone line work?
The automated immigration court line is 1-800-898-7180. EOIR lists it as available in English and Spanish, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so a Russian speaker may want someone beside them to help with the prompts. Have your A-number ready and enter only the digits, without the letter A. If your A-number has eight digits, enter a zero first. EOIR says the line gives your next hearing date, time and location, case processing information, the judge's decision and its date, Board appeal information and filing information. For Board matters EOIR lists a separate line, 703-605-1007. Write down what you hear, and the date you called, then compare it with your paper notice.
What are ECAS and the Respondent Access Portal?
ECAS is EOIR's electronic case system. Attorneys and accredited representatives use its Case Portal to file documents and view records. People without a lawyer use a separate tool, the Respondent Access Portal, which EOIR is rolling out in phases. You cannot simply sign up: EOIR mails an official notice when you may register, and you then need a DOJ Login account. Adults without a representative qualify, unless their case is combined with a minor's. Inside, you can see case information, hearing dates and court correspondence, download the electronic record where one exists, and file certain documents, including a change of address. Even if you enroll, EOIR policy says unrepresented people must still receive hearing notices on paper.
How do I find out which court and judge have my case?
Your notice names the court. EOIR publishes a directory of immigration courts by state and an alphabetical directory of immigration judges. Searching a judge's name shows where that judge is listed, not which judge has your case, and a listing is not proof of assignment. If your notice does not make the judge clear, contact the court. If you have moved, the case does not follow you on its own. A change of venue is requested by written motion showing good cause, and the judge decides. Until the court issues a new notice, plan to attend where your current notice says. Moving also triggers a duty to update your address, which is covered below.
Is my hearing in person or internet-based?
Do not assume. EOIR says that respondents without a representative of record always have in-person as their default hearing format, whatever the court listing shows. If you are unsure, EOIR tells you to contact the immigration court hearing your case. Webex links posted for in-person hearings are only for parties who received court approval to appear remotely, so finding a link does not give you permission to use it. EOIR's telephone hearings use the dial-in number and access code it publishes for each judge. Video and telephone hearings follow the same rules as in-person hearings, and a merits hearing can be held by telephone only with the respondent's consent. EOIR prohibits recording or photographing internet-based hearings.
What if I or a relative is detained?
For people held in a detention facility or jail, EOIR policy says the hearing notice is addressed in care of the person in charge of the facility, and that the court also gives the facility its full hearing calendar. Filing deadlines in detained cases are set by the judge rather than by the usual calendar rules, so they can be much shorter. Relatives trying to help will need the A-number, and they should use the same website and phone line described above. Remember that the online tool does not give bond hearing details, so call the court with jurisdiction over the detention location. Our separate guide on immigration bond hearings explains that process.
What if nothing shows up, or the information looks wrong?
First check the A-number digit by digit against your Notice to Appear, and check the nationality you selected. A blank result does not prove that you have no case. Proceedings before a judge begin only when DHS files the charging document with the court, so a Notice to Appear you received may not be on file yet, and EOIR warns that not every case appears online. Do not treat silence as good news, and do not stop checking. Contact the court named on your paperwork, and check again regularly. If the system shows a decision or a removal order you did not know about, stop and read our in absentia guide today, because some deadlines run from the date of the order.
How do I avoid missing a notice, and when should I call a lawyer?
The regulations require you to tell the immigration court about any new address within five days, on Form EOIR-33. Telling DHS does not count as telling the court, and mail to your last address on file is generally enough for the court to proceed against you. Talk to a lawyer now if you cannot locate your case, your hearing is close, you have moved, a relative is detained, or you see an order you did not expect. A lawyer can read your actual file and act on it, which a website cannot do. Ace Immigration's attorney, Anna Tsibel, is a Russian-speaking immigration attorney licensed by the California bar whose practice is immigration law, with a focus on asylum and deportation defense.