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How to check your immigration court case status (EOIR ACIS, phone line and the court)

EOIR runs an Automated Case Information System that shows basic status for certain immigration court and Board of Immigration Appeals cases. You look up a case with the A-number and a nationality, online or by phone. EOIR says the documents the court or the Board send to you or your representative are the only official determinations.

People with a case in immigration court often want one answer: when is my next hearing, and is anything pending? EOIR, the Executive Office for Immigration Review inside the Department of Justice, runs the immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals. It publishes an online system for checking case status and a telephone line that reads the same data.

This page explains how those tools work, what EOIR itself says they show and do not show, and how a status check fits with the notices a court sends. It also sets out the rules that make a status check more than a convenience: hearings go ahead on the date in the court's notice, a person who does not appear after proper written notice can be ordered removed in their absence, and the court sends notices to the last address on file. It describes the system as at 9 October 2026 and does not interpret any individual case. Notaries public, notarios and immigration consultants are not lawyers and cannot give immigration legal advice. Only a licensed attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative can.

Quotation marks mean the exact words of EOIR's pages or of the regulation named.

The online system: ACIS

EOIR's case information page describes it in these words:

"EOIR maintains an Automated Case Information System that allows you to check some of your case status details online. ACIS provides basic information about the status of certain cases before an immigration court or the Board of Immigration Appeals. Not all cases, or all information about a case is displayed. ACIS includes details regarding the primary case only. If there has been more than one case for the A-Number, ACIS displays the most recent case. Please contact your local immigration court if you need bond hearing information."

Several things follow.

  • It is a convenience, not a record. The tool shows "basic information". EOIR's own wording is that "Not all cases, or all information about a case is displayed."
  • It covers the Board as well as the court. The same lookup shows "certain cases" at either level.
  • One case at a time. If a person has had more than one case, only the most recent is shown for that A-number.
  • Bond is separate. For "bond hearing information" the page sends you to the court.

The system is at acis.eoir.justice.gov. The lookup page asks for two things: an A-Number and a nationality chosen from a list. A reader cannot look up a case by name alone. The page is available in English and Spanish.

At the foot of the lookup page EOIR adds the sentence that matters most: "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 telephone line

EOIR's immigration court information page says the same data is available by phone. "For information about your case, please check the Automated Case Information System online or at 800-898-7180 (TDD: 800-828-1120) or call the immigration court handling your case."

The page also explains the lag between a notice and the system: "Please call the immigration court handling your case if you need clarification regarding your hearing date and time. Following the issuance of a new hearing notice, such information will be updated. As always, court documents such as notices are your official source of information."

Read those sentences together. A new hearing notice can be issued before the system shows it. If the paper notice and the system disagree, EOIR's position is that the notice is the official source and that the court is the place to call.

What the A-number is for. ACIS is keyed to the alien registration number, which 8 CFR 1003.15(c)(3) refers to as "The alien's registration number". If a person is not sure of it, the court handling the case is the contact EOIR names for clarification.

What a status check can and cannot tell you

Treat each result as a prompt to confirm with the court, not as a conclusion.

  • A hearing date is shown. The date and court can be checked against the written notice. Rule: the court is "responsible for scheduling cases and providing notice to the government and the alien of the time, place, and date of hearings" (8 CFR 1003.18(a)). Where a hearing is changed or postponed, the statute says a written notice must give "the new time or place of the proceedings" and the consequences of not attending (8 U.S.C. 1229(a)(2)(A)).
  • Nothing is shown. This can mean different things: there is no case under that A-number and nationality, the case is not displayed, or the data has not caught up with a recent filing. EOIR's own caution that "Not all cases, or all information about a case is displayed" applies. A blank result is not proof that no case exists. Call the court.
  • The most recent case is shown, and it is not the one you expected. The tool shows one case per A-number. A person with an earlier case and a later one will see only the later.
  • A Board case is shown. The Board decides appeals, usually on the written record. EOIR describes it this way: "Generally, the BIA does not conduct courtroom proceedings - it decides appeals by conducting a 'paper review' of cases." See our page on the BIA appeal for the deadlines.
  • A decision is shown. Appeal and motion deadlines run from the judge's decision, not from the day a person checks the system. Our pages on BIA appeals and motions to reopen set out the periods.

ACIS also does not track every kind of immigration case. A petition or application filed with USCIS (an I-130, an I-485, an N-400 and so on) is not an immigration court case and does not appear there. USCIS has its own online status tools on uscis.gov.

Why the check matters: the notice and address rules

Three rules in the statute and regulations explain why people check, and why EOIR calls the notices the official source.

The court sends notices to the last address on file. 8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(5)(A) says written notice "shall be considered sufficient for purposes of this subparagraph if provided at the most recent address provided under section 1229(a)(1)(F)". A person who moves has five days to tell the court on Form EOIR-33 (8 CFR 1003.15(d)(2)).

No address, no notice. 8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(5)(B): "No written notice shall be required under subparagraph (A) if the alien has failed to provide the address required". 8 CFR 1003.26(d) repeats it for the in absentia hearing.

Non-appearance after notice leads to a removal order. The statute says a person who does not attend after written notice "shall be ordered removed in absentia" if DHS establishes the notice was provided and that the person is removable. See our page on in absentia removal orders.

Put plainly: a status check does not replace the address on file. A person who checks ACIS every week but has an out-of-date address with the court may not receive the written notice that the law treats as sufficient. And a person who has a correct address but never checks may miss a change that was only mailed. Both are features of how the notice system is built; neither is a judgement about what any person should do.

Court closures. EOIR publishes each court's operational status. Its immigration court information page adds: "If a filing is due on the day of a court closure, the filing deadline is extended to the next business day that the court is open." Emergency filings during a closure go to an alternate filing location EOIR designates.

Hearings by video, phone or in person

EOIR's page "Find an Immigration Court and Access Internet-Based Hearings" lists every court, "alphabetized by state and then immigration court within each state", with, for each judge who hears internet-based cases, a video link and a telephone access code. It explains the default:

"Respondents who do not have a representative of record will always have a default hearing medium of in-person, regardless of the indication below."

and: "If you have difficulty accessing an internet-based hearing, or if you are uncertain whether your hearing is scheduled in person or is internet-based, please contact the immigration court that is hearing your case."

Two practical points follow from EOIR's own text. First, whether a hearing is in person or online is a matter to confirm with the court, because the default depends on whether a representative of record has entered an appearance. Second, EOIR notes that photographing or recording an internet-based hearing "is strictly prohibited and subject to possible penalties" and cites 8 CFR 1003.28.

The statute also permits video and telephone hearings in removal proceedings, with a limit. 8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(2) says an evidentiary hearing on the merits "may only be conducted through a telephone conference with the consent of the alien involved after the alien has been advised of the right to proceed in person or through video conference."

Finding the court. The listing includes, for example, three courts in New York City (Broadway, Federal Plaza and Varick), Newark, three in Los Angeles, three in Houston, two in Miami and two in Atlanta. A case sits in the court where DHS filed the NTA unless a judge changes venue (8 CFR 1003.14, 1003.20).

Other EOIR tools: filing, records and representation

EOIR's case information page lists three more tools.

  • Respondent Access. "EOIR's Respondent Access website allows you to file forms with the immigration court and the Board of Immigration Appeals." This is the online filing route for a person without a representative.
  • EOIR Courts & Appeals System (ECAS). "ECAS is available at all immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals. Use of the system is mandatory as of February 11, 2022. (For DHS and Attorneys and Accredited Representatives)". A regulated representative files through ECAS.
  • Request for ROP. "'Request for ROP' is a request made directly to the immigration court or BIA for a copy of your file." ROP means the record of proceedings.

A representative enters an appearance on Form EOIR-28 in the immigration court (8 CFR 1003.17(a)) and on Form EOIR-27 before the Board (1003.38(g)). Filing the form is what makes someone the practitioner of record and gives them access to the record. A person who has paid someone who is not an attorney or accredited representative, and who has no appearance on file, has no one of record. Our page on who can give immigration advice explains the closed list in 8 CFR 1292.1.

Fees and payment. Court fees are paid through "the EOIR Payment Portal" at epay.eoir.justice.gov; 8 CFR 1103.7(a)(1) says it is the only accepted form of fee payment, and that payment of a fee "does not constitute filing of the appeal, motion, or application". See our pages on the BIA appeal and motions to reopen for the amounts.

A routine for reading a status result

What follows is a description of the sources a person can compare, not advice about any case.

  1. The paper. The Notice to Appear and any later hearing notice carry the court's name and address. Our page on the Notice to Appear lists what the statute says the first notice must contain.
  2. ACIS. The lookup shows the hearing and any recent action in the case, with EOIR's caveat that not everything is displayed.
  3. The telephone line or the court. EOIR names both for clarification, and says the court's own documents are official.
  4. The address. The court's record of your address is what the notice rules use. A change goes on Form EOIR-33.
  5. The representative of record, if any. An attorney or accredited representative who has filed an EOIR-28 receives service on a person's behalf (8 CFR 1292.5(a)).

If the sources disagree, EOIR's position is that the court's documents control and the court is the contact. If a hearing has already passed with no appearance, the in absentia rules and their deadlines apply; those deadlines are short, so check dates quickly.

Finding a licensed attorney or accredited representative

Migratio's directory lists immigration attorneys and DOJ-accredited representatives. Listings are shown in a neutral order with factual filters (state, language, attorney or accredited representative). Migratio does not recommend, rank or match any lawyer, and it is not a lawyer referral service. Check any listing yourself against the state bar or the EOIR roster before you sign anything.

See attorneys and accredited representatives in the directory.

Notaries public, notarios and immigration consultants are not lawyers and cannot give immigration legal advice. Only a licensed attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative can.

Migratio is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Only a licensed attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative can advise you.

Questions people ask

How do I check my immigration court case status?

Use EOIR's Automated Case Information System at acis.eoir.justice.gov, which asks for your A-Number and nationality, or call 800-898-7180 (TDD 800-828-1120), or call the immigration court handling your case. EOIR says the court's own documents are the official source.

Where do I find my A-Number?

ACIS requires the A-Number, which is the alien registration number referred to in 8 CFR 1003.15(c)(3). Look at documents from DHS and the court. If you cannot find it, EOIR names the immigration court handling the case as the contact for clarification.

Why does ACIS show nothing for my case?

EOIR states that "Not all cases, or all information about a case is displayed". A blank result is not proof there is no case. Call the court. Also check that the A-Number and nationality are exactly right.

Is the online status the same as my hearing notice?

No. EOIR says the tool is "provided for convenience only" and that documents the court or Board issue "are the only official determinations related to your case". A new hearing notice may take time to appear in the system.

Does ACIS show my USCIS application status?

No. ACIS covers certain cases before an immigration court or the Board of Immigration Appeals. A petition or application filed with USCIS is tracked on uscis.gov.

What happens if I miss a hearing I did not know about?

Under 8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(5), a person can be ordered removed in absentia only if DHS establishes written notice was provided, and an order can be rescinded on a motion to reopen if the person did not receive notice. The deadlines and grounds are in our page on in absentia removal orders; an attorney or accredited representative can assess a specific case.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • Notice to Appear (NTA): what it is, what it must say and what happens next — A Notice to Appear starts removal proceedings once it is filed with an immigration court. The statute lists what it must contain, sets a minimum of 10 days before the first hearing and requires an address on file with the court. Missing a hearing after proper written notice can lead to an order of removal in the person's absence.
  • Missed immigration court: in absentia removal orders, the 180-day motion and what the law says about notice — If a person does not attend a removal hearing after written notice, an immigration judge must order removal in absentia when DHS proves notice and removability by clear, unequivocal and convincing evidence. The order can be rescinded only by a motion to reopen: within 180 days for exceptional circumstances, or at any time for no notice or federal or state custody. There is no appeal to the BIA.
  • BIA appeal 2026: the $1,060 fee, the deadline and the March 2026 summary-dismissal rule — An appeal of an immigration judge's decision goes to the Board of Immigration Appeals on Form EOIR-26, with a $1,060 fee or a fee waiver request, and under 8 CFR 1003.38(b) it must reach the Board within 10 calendar days (30 days only where the judge adjudicated an asylum application on the merits). Since 9 March 2026 the Board must dismiss most appeals unless a majority votes to accept them.
  • Motion to reopen in immigration court: the 90-day deadline, the $1,095 fee and the exceptions — A motion to reopen asks the immigration judge to reopen a decided case on the basis of new facts. Under 8 CFR 1003.23(b)(1) it must generally be filed within 90 days of the final administrative order, a party gets one, and the filing fee for a motion to the immigration court is $1,095 unless an exception or fee waiver applies.
  • Deportation defense: who the law lets represent you in immigration court, and how to check — In removal proceedings the law gives a person the privilege of being represented "at no expense to the Government", and 8 CFR 1292.1 limits who may do it to a closed list: registered attorneys, fully accredited representatives of DOJ-recognized non-profits, supervised law students and graduates, and a few others. Notaries, notarios, consultants and document preparers are not on the list.
  • Who can legally give US immigration advice? — Attorneys in good standing and DOJ-accredited representatives of recognized non-profits can advise and represent you; a few narrow categories can appear unpaid. Notaries, notarios and immigration consultants cannot give immigration legal advice. Form preparers may only fill in blanks for a nominal fee.
  • How to check an immigration lawyer's license — Ask which state licenses the lawyer, look them up on that state's bar or court register, then check EOIR's List of Currently Disciplined Practitioners. For a non-lawyer accredited representative, check the EOIR roster instead.
  • Free ($0) and low-cost immigration legal help: where it comes from — Legal help at $0 or low cost comes mainly from three official sources: EOIR's List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers (for people in immigration court), DOJ-recognized non-profits with accredited representatives, and supervised law school clinics. Government filing fees usually still apply.