How to check your immigration court date and case status

This page explains how to find your next immigration court date and the status of a case before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) — the immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). It covers the two official tools the government runs, how to read the A-Number you need to use them, and why keeping your address current is the single most important thing you can do to avoid missing a hearing. This is general information, not legal advice; every case turns on facts that only an attorney can evaluate.

The two official tools

There are two official EOIR tools, both run by the government, and both search by A-Number (see the next section).

  • The Automated Case Information Hotline — 1-800-898-7180. The alternate number is 240-314-1500, and the TDD line for hearing-impaired callers is 800-828-1120. The telephone menu is available in English and Spanish. After you enter the A-Number, the hotline gives the status of a case before the immigration courts (EOIR) or the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), including the next hearing date, time, and location and the status of decisions.
  • The online ACIS portal — acis.eoir.justice.gov. Enter the A-Number to check case status, the next scheduled hearing, and decision status. A Spanish interface is available as well.

The portal carries an official disclaimer that is worth reading word for word:

Case information from this automated resource is provided for convenience only. Documents the immigration court or Board of Immigration Appeals issue to you or your representative are the only official determinations related to your case.

The system also states that it provides basic information about the status of certain cases and that not all cases, or all information about a case, is displayed. In other words, use these tools to confirm a hearing date quickly, but treat the written notices the court mails to you as the official record.

Your A-Number is the key

Both tools require the Alien Registration Number (A-Number) of the person whose case you are checking. It is the number the government uses to track a noncitizen’s records.

  • The A-Number is 9 digits, written like A 234 567 890.
  • Older A-Numbers had only 8 digits (for example, A 12 345 678). For those, enter a leading zero so the number has 9 digits — for example, A 012 345 678.
  • You can find it on prior immigration paperwork: the Notice to Appear (NTA), work permits or EADs, green-card applications, and prior court or removal documents.

If you do not have the A-Number, look first at the NTA — the charging document that started the court case — because the number is printed at the top.

Keep your address current — Form EOIR-33

The most important practical step in any immigration court case is keeping your address current, because the court mails every notice and decision to the address on file. You report a change of address or phone number to the immigration court using Form EOIR-33.

  • Deadline: within 5 working days of the change (or within 5 days of receiving a charging document such as an NTA that has the wrong contact information).
  • Legal authority: 8 U.S.C. §1229(a)(1)(F)(ii) and 8 C.F.R. §1003.15(d)(2).
  • The court only updates its records when it receives this form — not based on a different address written on a motion, a pleading, or any other communication.
  • Two versions: use Form EOIR-33/IC for a case before the immigration court, and Form EOIR-33/BIA if the case is on appeal at the Board of Immigration Appeals.
  • File it with the immigration court where the charging document was filed (or, if venue changed, the court with administrative control of the record). It can be filed online through EOIR Respondent Access at respondentaccess.eoir.justice.gov.

A wrong or old address is the number one reason people miss a hearing notice — and missing a hearing can lead to an in-absentia removal order, covered next.

If you miss a hearing: in-absentia removal

If a person fails to appear at a scheduled hearing, the immigration judge may order removal in absentia under INA §240(b)(5). The rules for asking the court to reopen and rescind such an order are set out categorically — they describe what kind of motion has what deadline, not whether any one person qualifies:

  • A motion to reopen based on exceptional circumstances must be filed within 180 days of the in-absentia order.
  • A motion based on lack of proper notice of the hearing, or on being in federal or state custody with no fault, may be filed at any time — there is no deadline.
  • There is no filing fee when the basis is lack of notice.
  • Only one such motion to reopen to rescind an in-absentia order is permitted.

The legal authority is INA §240(b)(5) and 8 C.F.R. §1003.23 (reopening before the immigration court).

Whether a particular situation fits any of these categories — and what, if anything, should be filed — is a legal question with high stakes and tight timing. That is a job for a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative, never a notario. See how to find pro-bono legal help and your right to an attorney in immigration proceedings.

If the person is detained

People in ICE detention are placed on a separate detained docket, and these cases generally move faster than non-detained cases. That speed makes it especially important to confirm hearing dates promptly and to line up legal help early.

For detention or location questions — which are separate from the EOIR case-status hotline — the ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line (DRIL) is 1-888-351-4024, staffed by live operators Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern.

If you are trying to locate a detained family member, see our guide on what to do when a family member is detained, which walks through the locator and the first steps. For what detention itself looks like and how bond hearings work, see what happens in immigration detention and how immigration bonds work.

Find which court has your case

If you are not sure which immigration court is handling a case, our directory lists the immigration courts and how to reach them. See immigration court by state to find the right court, then use the A-Number with either official tool above to check the next hearing date.

Last verified: 2026-06-24. General information, not legal advice. Court dates, case status, filing deadlines, and the rules governing in-absentia orders and motions to reopen vary by case and jurisdiction, and the only official determinations are the documents the immigration court or Board of Immigration Appeals issues to you or your representative. For any specific case, contact a licensed immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative.