What Is a Notice to Appear (NTA / Form I-862)? How to Read It and What to Do

A Notice to Appear (NTA), Form I-862, is the charging document the Department of Homeland Security uses to start removal proceedings under INA §240 — it is not a deportation order. This page explains who issues it (ICE, CBP, or USCIS), how to read each part (the three classification check-boxes, the factual allegations, the charges of removability, and your A-Number), what the hearing date or to be set notice means, what happens at the first master calendar hearing, and the procedural steps that protect you: verifying the date at acis.eoir.justice.gov or 1-800-898-7180, keeping your address current with Form EOIR-33, not missing the hearing, and getting a lawyer.

What is a Notice to Appear (NTA / Form I-862)?

A Notice to Appear (NTA), Form I-862, is the charging document the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uses to start removal proceedings against a person in immigration court. An NTA is not a deportation order — it begins the case, and an immigration judge decides the outcome later. This page explains, categorically, what an NTA is, who issues it, how to read each part of it, what happens at your first hearing, and the procedural steps that protect your right to be heard. This is general information, not legal advice; what your specific allegations and charges mean is a question only an attorney can answer for your case.

What a Notice to Appear is — and who issues it

The Notice to Appear (NTA), Form I-862, is the document DHS issues and files with the immigration court to start removal proceedings under INA §240 against a person. The person the case is brought against is called the respondent.

An NTA can be issued by any of the DHS enforcement components: ICE, CBP, or USCIS.
It is the modern charging document — it replaced the older Order to Show Cause (Form I-221) and Form I-122.
An NTA is not a deportation order. It starts the case. Whether a person is removable, and whether any relief from removal applies, is decided later by an immigration judge.

In short, receiving an NTA means a case has begun in immigration court — not that it has been decided.

How to read your NTA — the parts

An NTA is a structured form. Reading it part by part tells you what DHS is asserting and what the court expects of you. The document includes:

Your name and address at the top.
Three classification check-boxes describing the nature of the case. One is marked to indicate that DHS alleges the respondent is:
1. an arriving alien;
2. a person present in the United States without being admitted or paroled; or
3. someone who was admitted but is now removable for the stated reasons.
Factual allegations — the facts DHS says establish alienage (such as your country of birth or nationality) and other facts that support removability. These are usually numbered 1, 2, 3, …
The charges of removability — the specific INA grounds DHS is charging against the respondent.
Your A-Number (Alien Registration Number), which you will need to look up your case.
A requirement to appear before an immigration judge — with the date, time, and place of the first hearing if it is known, or a statement that the date is “to be set.” When it is “to be set,” a separate Notice of Hearing is mailed to you later.

What a particular allegation or charge means for a specific case — and how a respondent answers it — is a legal question. That is for a licensed attorney to evaluate, not this page.

Your first hearing: the master calendar hearing

The first appearance in immigration court is a master calendar hearing — a short, preliminary hearing rather than a full trial. At it, the immigration judge typically:

confirms the respondent’s identity;
explains the respondent’s rights;
asks whether the respondent has a lawyer;
takes the respondent’s pleadings to the factual allegations and the charges of removability; and
identifies what relief, if any, the respondent may seek.

Arrive early. And know this: you have the right to be represented by a lawyer, but at your own expense. The government does not provide a free lawyer in immigration court. You must hire one or find free or low-cost (pro-bono) help.

What to do when you receive an NTA

These steps are procedural — they apply to any NTA, regardless of what it charges.

Verify your hearing date. The date may be printed on the bottom of the first page of the NTA, or the NTA may say it is “to be set” with a Notice of Hearing to follow. Either way, always verify it yourself, because dates change. Check the online ACIS portal at acis.eoir.justice.gov or call the EOIR Automated Case Information Hotline at 1-800-898-7180 (free, 24/7) using your A-Number. For a full walkthrough, see how to check your immigration court date and case status.
Keep your address current — Form EOIR-33. If you move, report your new address to the immigration court using Form EOIR-33. The court mails every notice — including any change to your hearing — to the address on file, so a wrong or old address can mean you never receive the notice. See how to change your address with the immigration court.
Do not miss the hearing. If you fail to appear, the judge may proceed in your absence and order you removed (an in-absentia removal order), and DHS may detain you. Treat the hearing date as a hard deadline.
Get a lawyer or pro-bono help early. Hire a licensed immigration attorney or find free or low-cost pro-bono help as soon as you can. Learn more about your right to an attorney in immigration proceedings. Beware of notarios, who are not lawyers and cannot represent you.

If you are not sure which court is handling the case, see immigration court by state, then use your A-Number with either official tool above.

How to check your immigration court date and case status — the EOIR hotline and ACIS portal
How to change your address with the immigration court — Form EOIR-33
Immigration court by state — find which court has your case
Your right to an attorney — representation in immigration proceedings
How to find pro-bono legal help — licensed attorneys and DOJ-accredited representatives
How to find an immigration attorney — hiring licensed counsel
What to do if a family member is detained — locating someone in ICE custody

This page contains no compensated links — every link above points to a free official government resource or to another MigrantUSA guide.

Last verified: 2026-06-27. General information, not legal advice. A Notice to Appear starts a removal case, and what its allegations and charges mean — along with any relief, deadlines, and outcomes — depends on facts that vary by case and can only be evaluated by an attorney. The only official determinations are the documents the immigration court issues to you or your representative. For any specific case, consult a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.

Frequently asked questions

Does the NTA always have my hearing date on it?

Not always. The date, time, and place of the first hearing may be printed at the bottom of the first page of the NTA, or the NTA may state that the date is to be set. If it is to be set, a separate document called a Notice of Hearing is mailed to you later. Either way, you should always verify the date yourself, because dates change. Check the online ACIS portal at acis.eoir.justice.gov or call the EOIR Automated Case Information Hotline at 1-800-898-7180, which is free and available 24/7, using your A-Number.

What happens if I miss my hearing?

If you fail to appear at a scheduled hearing, the immigration judge may proceed in your absence and order you removed. This is called an in-absentia removal order, and after it is entered DHS may detain you. That is why verifying the date, keeping your address current with the court, and arriving early all matter so much.

Who gives me a lawyer in immigration court?

No one is assigned to you. You have the right to be represented by a lawyer, but at your own expense — the government does not provide a free lawyer in immigration court the way it does in criminal court. You must hire a licensed immigration attorney or find free or low-cost (pro-bono) help. Beware of notarios, who are not lawyers and cannot represent you in immigration proceedings.

What is an A-Number and where is it on the NTA?

The A-Number, or Alien Registration Number, is the number the government uses to track a noncitizen’s records, and it appears on the NTA. You need it to look up your case using either the ACIS portal or the EOIR hotline, so it is one of the first things to find on the document.

Is a Notice to Appear the same as a deportation order?

No. An NTA is not a deportation order — it is the charging document that starts the case in immigration court. It opens removal proceedings under INA §240; an immigration judge decides the outcome later, after the hearings. Receiving an NTA means a case has begun, not that it has been decided.

The rules change. Hear about it first.

Monthly digest of USCIS, IRS, and consulate fee, form, and deadline changes — no spam.

General information, not legal advice. MigrantUSA is an independent publisher and is not a law firm; using this site does not create an attorney-client relationship, and this content is not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney about your specific situation. US federal, state, and local government procedures, fees, and forms change. Always verify current details directly with the relevant agency before acting. For immigration, tax, or other legal matters specific to your situation, consult a licensed attorney or BIA-accredited representative.