What should you do if your case is not displayed?
If you are unable to find your information in the immigration court system, there are several steps you can take.
1. Check the immigration court system regularly. Sometimes it can take several months or longer for your information to appear in the system.
2. Check your documents for a "Notice to Appear" (NTA). Some NTAs include the date and location of your first court appearance. If your NTA contains court information, contact the immigration court to confirm that the hearing is scheduled for that date. If there is no information about your case in the court system, you should still appear for your hearing on the scheduled date. Your information may be added to the system at the last minute, even during the hearing itself.
3. If you do not have an NTA or your information is not in the system, you may not have a case in immigration court and may instead file an application for asylum (Form I-589) with USCIS. Generally, you should apply for asylum within one year of your arrival in the United States. However, if your information is not yet in the immigration court system, your application may be denied when you try to file. In this case, you can send your application to USCIS to ensure that you do not miss the one-year deadline. This will also help you obtain work authorization more quickly.
4. You can also ask ICE officials to submit your information to the court system. They are the ones responsible for sending your I-862 form to the court and initiating the court process. There is no special form to do this. You can make the request in person, by phone, or by e-mail. Some attorneys also offer assistance in this matter.
To find out how to contact an ICE officer, click here.
Eventually, the immigration court will have to schedule your first hearing, called a Master Hearing. Check the status of your case each week to see when your hearing is scheduled.
5. It is also possible that the prosecutor or judge will decide to stop deportation proceedings against you, or not to start them at all. If this happens, your case will be referred to USCIS. You can read more about prosecutorial discretion here.
1. Check the immigration court system regularly. Sometimes it can take several months or longer for your information to appear in the system.
2. Check your documents for a "Notice to Appear" (NTA). Some NTAs include the date and location of your first court appearance. If your NTA contains court information, contact the immigration court to confirm that the hearing is scheduled for that date. If there is no information about your case in the court system, you should still appear for your hearing on the scheduled date. Your information may be added to the system at the last minute, even during the hearing itself.
3. If you do not have an NTA or your information is not in the system, you may not have a case in immigration court and may instead file an application for asylum (Form I-589) with USCIS. Generally, you should apply for asylum within one year of your arrival in the United States. However, if your information is not yet in the immigration court system, your application may be denied when you try to file. In this case, you can send your application to USCIS to ensure that you do not miss the one-year deadline. This will also help you obtain work authorization more quickly.
4. You can also ask ICE officials to submit your information to the court system. They are the ones responsible for sending your I-862 form to the court and initiating the court process. There is no special form to do this. You can make the request in person, by phone, or by e-mail. Some attorneys also offer assistance in this matter.
To find out how to contact an ICE officer, click here.
Eventually, the immigration court will have to schedule your first hearing, called a Master Hearing. Check the status of your case each week to see when your hearing is scheduled.
5. It is also possible that the prosecutor or judge will decide to stop deportation proceedings against you, or not to start them at all. If this happens, your case will be referred to USCIS. You can read more about prosecutorial discretion here.