What kind of hearing it is
Immigration courts are run by the Executive Office for Immigration Review, part of the Justice Department. A master calendar hearing is usually short, with many people scheduled at once, and it is where you respond to the charges and the judge sets the next steps. An individual hearing is longer and is where testimony and evidence on any application for relief are heard. Some hearings take place by video, and the court provides interpreters. Recently, government attorneys have sometimes moved to dismiss cases at a hearing in order to pursue faster procedures, so talk to counsel before your date if you can.
Notices, addresses, and attendance
The court sends notices to the address it has on file, and you have to update that address promptly on the court's form whenever you move. You can check your hearing date and case status online or by phone using your A-number. If you miss a hearing, the judge can order removal in your absence, and the ways to reopen such an order are narrow. Arrive early with your documents and identification, and bring copies of anything you filed. If an emergency prevents you from attending, contact the court and counsel immediately. Once you have a lawyer, counsel files a notice of appearance so that papers go to the lawyer as well.
Getting ready for the date
Keep your Notice to Appear, every hearing notice, and copies of all filings in one place. If you have a pending application with USCIS, bring the receipt, since the judge may want to know about it. Witnesses for an individual hearing should be ready to testify and to answer cross-examination. Before your date, we review the type of hearing, what has already been filed, and the deadlines the court has set. We explain what is likely to happen procedurally at the next appearance, without predicting what the judge will decide.
