What a Notice to Appear means and what to do next

This page explains the Notice to Appear itself. It is general information, not legal advice. For the full path of a case, see How the deportation process works.

What is a Notice to Appear?

It is the paper that starts a deportation case in immigration court. Its official name is Form I-862, and people often call it an NTA. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) gives it to you, and the case begins when DHS files it with the immigration court (8 CFR 1003.14).

The law (8 U.S.C. 1229(a)) says it must tell you:

• What kind of case this is, and the law it is brought under
• What the government says you did (the "allegations," numbered facts about you)
• The "charges," meaning the parts of immigration law the government says you broke
• That you may have a lawyer, with a list of free legal services
• That you must give the court your address and phone number, and report any change
• The time and place of the hearing, and what happens if you do not come

It is not a deportation order. No judge has decided anything yet. You will have a chance to answer every allegation and charge.

What should I do first?

1. Keep it safe. Make a copy and keep the original with your important papers.
2. Write down your A number. It starts with "A" and is followed by numbers. You need it for everything.
3. Check whether your case is filed. Use the case information site or call 800-898-7180. If the court shows a hearing, write down the date, time and place.
4. Get legal help this week. Bring the Notice to a free legal service. A lawyer can spot options you may not know about. See Who can help?
5. Keep your address current with the court. See below.
6. Watch the calendar. Some ways to stay have deadlines. Asylum, for example, is usually due within one year after you arrived, with some exceptions (8 U.S.C. 1158(a)(2)). Filing costs $100, and a yearly fee follows. See New immigration court and asylum fees in 2026. Ask a lawyer right away if this could apply to you.

How do I check my court case?

You have three ways, all free:

• Online: Automated Case Information. Enter your A number and country. It shows your next hearing, the judge's decision and how to reach the court. It does not show every case or every detail.
• By phone: 800-898-7180 (TDD 800-828-1120), with your A number ready.
• Respondent Access: an online account at respondentaccess.eoir.justice.gov where you can see your files and hearings and file some forms, like a change of address.

Check again a few days before every hearing. Courts move cases. In the Bay Area, the San Francisco court closed on September 4, 2026 and its cases went to Concord, with new notices sent by mail (EOIR notice, May 1, 2026). See Bay Area immigration courts.

How do I change my address with the court?

If your Notice has the wrong address, or you move, or your phone number changes, you must tell the court within 5 working days. The court only updates your address from this form. A phone call, a letter or a change with USCIS does not count.

• Form: EOIR-33/IC, Change of Address/Contact Information (Rev. Feb. 2026)
• How to file: online through Respondent Access, in person at the court, or by mail to the court
• Send a copy to ICE: you must also give a copy to the ICE Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (the government lawyers) and fill in the proof of service on the form. You can use the DHS eService Portal, mail or hand delivery. If you skip this, the court may reject your form (Form EOIR-33/IC).
• Keep proof: save a copy of what you filed and when.

If the court mails a hearing notice to your old address because you did not update it, the judge can still order you deported if you miss the hearing.

You must also tell USCIS within 10 days of a move, online or with Form AR-11 (USCIS address change). That is a separate step.

What should I check on my Notice?

Read it with your lawyer. Look for:

• Is your name spelled right, and is your birth date right?
• Is the A number the same one on your other immigration papers?
• Are the facts in the allegations true? For example, your country or the date you came.
• Is there a date, time and court address?
• Is there a certificate showing how and when it was given to you?

Mistakes can matter. Do not try to fix them alone, and do not sign anything you do not understand. Point them out to your lawyer.

What if my case is not on the court system yet?

This happens. DHS can give you the Notice before it files it with the court, and the case starts only when it is filed. Until then, there is no court case to look up.

• Keep checking the case information site every week.
• Keep your Notice, the envelope and any letter that came with it.
• Get legal help now anyway. The asylum one year clock does not wait for the court.
• If you move before the case shows up, keep proof of your new address and ask a lawyer how to tell the court once the case is filed.

What happens after this?

• First hearing: a short hearing with many people. The judge explains the charges and your rights and sets dates. See What happens at your first hearing.
• Applications: you file any request to stay, such as asylum or cancellation of removal, by the judge's deadline.
• Final hearing: you tell your story, and the judge decides.
• If the government asks to end your case at a hearing, it may be trying to use fast deportation without a judge, which since June 23, 2026 can be used nationwide for people who cannot show two years here. See Can I be deported without seeing a judge?

What does this look like in real life?

This example is made up to show the steps. It is not a real person.

Daniel gets a Notice to Appear by mail. The hearing date says "to be set." He writes his A number on the worksheet below and looks it up online. Nothing shows yet. He checks every Monday. In week five, a hearing appears at the court named on his Notice, four months away. He notices his apartment number is missing from the address on the Notice. He files Form EOIR-33/IC online the same day, sends a copy to the ICE lawyers through the eService Portal, and saves both receipts. He arrived ten months ago, so he calls a legal clinic that week to ask about the one year asylum deadline.

What if I am afraid of being arrested at court?

Go anyway. Missing court is one of the most dangerous things you can do in a deportation case. In 2026, federal judges struck down the 2025 policies that allowed wide arrests at immigration courts, in San Jose on June 23 (Pablo Sequen v. Albarran order) and nationwide in New York on September 30 (African Communities Together v. Lyons, per the ACLU, counsel in the case). The government may appeal, and arrests can still happen. Make a plan with your family before your date. See Make a family preparedness plan and Do I have to go to immigration court?

Who can help?

You don't have to face this alone. These are free or low cost nonprofits and public offices. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

Anywhere in the United States: the DOJ List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers, sorted by immigration court.

For San Mateo and Santa Clara County residents:

• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA): 650-326-6440. Deportation defense for people with low income. Walk in Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1861 Bay Road, East Palo Alto.
• Asian Law Alliance (San Jose): (408) 287-9710
• Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County: (408) 468-0100
• Catholic Charities San Francisco, immigration services (serves San Mateo County): (650) 285-6451
• San Mateo County Immigrant Services: (650) 363-4194
• Bay Area cases: use the Concord section of the DOJ list.

More choices are on Free or low cost immigration legal help. To get ready for the meeting, see What to bring to your first meeting with an immigration lawyer. Only a lawyer or a DOJ accredited representative may give you legal advice. Watch for immigration scams.

Is there a worksheet I can print?

Yes. Fill it in and bring it to your first legal appointment.

A Notice to Appear is the start of a process, not the end of your story. Take the first step today.