Series
Hands-on guides to what happens in immigration court: hearings, notices, filings, deadlines and what to bring. Written by the attorneys who appear in these courts.
Moving does not move your case. Only the immigration judge can change venue, only for good cause, and only on a written motion. Until then, your hearings stay where they are.
The Notice to Appear is the paper that starts a removal case. Read it the day it arrives: the address on it, and the date and place it lists, decide a lot about what happens next.
The first hearing is short, but it starts the clock on your case. Here is what the judge will ask, which deadlines begin, and what to have with you.
Most immigration court deadlines count backward from your hearing date, and a filing counts only when the court receives it. Here is the arithmetic, with a worked example.
New York City has three immigration courts in Manhattan, and there is another in Newark, New Jersey. Here is how to find yours, what to bring, and what the rules say about moving a case.
The individual hearing is where the judge decides your asylum case. It is also where the record is made that every later appeal will rely on.
A missed hearing usually means a removal order entered without you. It can often be challenged, but the deadlines are strict and you get one try.
Many asylum cases turn on whether the judge believes you. The law lets a judge rely on details that seem minor, which is why preparation starts with your own paperwork.
Your case is not a blog post
Talk it through with an attorney who reads these rules every week. Bring your notice, your I-589 and any letters from USCIS or the court.
