A Guide to EOIR Online Case Status
The Executive Office for Immigration Review oversees America’s immigration courts, case appeals, and immigration-related employment cases. Read this article to know how to check the status of your online EOIR case!
Author: Massiel Silva Tadeo, Founder, Tadeo & Silva
Author: Massiel Silva Tadeo, Founder, Tadeo & SilvaAttorney Massiel Silva Tadeo is a partner and owner at The Tadeo & Silva Law Firm. She specializes in removal (deportation) defense, family immigration, and hardship waivers. Updated on: July 01, 2022.
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Understanding EOIR Online Case Status
The EOIR or Executive Office for Immigration Review falls under the U.S. Attorney General’s purview. Its purpose is to interpret and administer immigration laws in the United States.
In addition to adjudicating immigration cases, the EOIR provides a website with automated case information, fact sheets on various immigration matters, and a place to submit immigration-related Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
If you or your loved one has an ongoing case in immigration court, you can find out your next hearing date on the EOIR website or call their hotline.
You may feel like your case has been pending for longer than the normal processing times stated by the USCIS service center. Unfortunately, delays are common in the immigration process. Checking the status of your case online may provide some peace of mind.
If you are facing immigration issues and need legal advice, you may want to hire a deportation defense lawyer from a reputable firm to help you fight your case.
How to Check Your Immigration Court Case Status Online
You can check on your immigration court case status online through your phone by dialing 1-800-898-780. The hotline uses two languages: English and Spanish.
After the initial greeting message in English and Spanish, you can choose the language you prefer to continue with. After listening to general information messages, you will be asked to enter your A-Number. That is a nine-digit number following the letter “A” that should be on your immigration paperwork. When entering, just enter the numbers.
If you hear that your information doesn’t match a record in the system or that the immigration court case has not been filed with the immigration court, that could mean you don’t have a hearing date scheduled yet. But, if you have a paper notice with a specific court hearing date, you should go to immigration court on that day, even if you don’t find information about your case.
Check Your Immigration Case Status Online
To get more information on the status of your case, you can access the Department of Justice website. That is an official government organization website, which can be recognized by a .gov domain and a locked padlock. Make sure you share sensitive information only on secure websites.
Follow these steps in order to use the official government system to check your case status:
- First, you will see a pop-up message and need to accept the site’s terms in order to access the immigration court’s online platform.
- The system will prompt you to enter your A-Number. Your A-number or Alien Registration Number is an eight or nine-digit number that you can find in your DHS and EOIR paperwork. If it has 9 digits, enter all of them. If your A-number has eight digits, enter a zero, followed by the eight numbers. You should omit the letter “A.”
- After filling in your A-number, click the SUBMIT button.
- Finally, information about your case should appear.
Sometimes, a message will appear that says, “No case found for this A number.” This could mean that your court date has not been scheduled.
Regardless of what the online system says, if you receive a paper notice detailing your next court date, you should follow up about it. In this situation, you can call the Immigration Court for more information or contact an attorney for help understanding what is going on.
You should also call the Immigration Court if the notice has a different date from the one listed on the immigration website or hotline. It is crucial to appear for all court dates during the immigration process, so do not ignore any notices about your case.
It is important to note that every person in an immigration case has their own personal A number. Therefore, you should call the immigration court hotline or check the online system for individual responses. Even if you are all on the same visa application, your family members may be scheduled to have their cases heard in different courts at different times.
How to Submit an Immigration Case Assistance Request?
The USCIS Ombudsman’s office offers assistance to individuals having difficulties with USCIS.
It is an independent office and is not part of USCIS. They do not offer legal advice. If you need legal guidance, speak to a green card lawyer. However, they can help with certain issues such as if you are not receiving USCIS notices, if there are typographical errors in your documentation, and more.
To request assistance, you can submit DHS Form 7001. This form can be submitted online.
You will be required to provide the following information before submitting the form.
- The name of the individual that needs assistance
- Contact information that includes your street address, city, postal code, country, email, and phone number
- Citizenship and both information
- Provide your A-number
- Petition information like USCIS receipt date and form number. Explain the type of immigration you applied for from USCIS.
- Provide a valid reason for your care assistance request by checking into the necessary box provided. Describe your case problem in detail.
- On the boxes provided, check all the actions you took before to solve the problem
- Give the name of the individual preparing the form. For instance, you, a family member, or an attorney
- Attach the necessary supporting documents with information related to the case
- Give consent and your signature
When Do You Need to Check Your Immigration Case Status?
If your case has been open for months, you may feel anxious to know how it is progressing or if something is wrong. In this situation, it’s helpful to check the immigration case status online tool to find out what is happening.
All you need in order to check your case status is your 13-digit receipt number. This is a number that USCIS assigns to each petition or application. You can find it on your notices from USCIS.
Once you enter your receipt number and click ”check status,” the page will refresh and update with the current status of your case.
Filing an EOIR-29 Notice of Appeal to USCIS
If the USCIS office denies your petition, such as a Form I-130 petition for an alien relative, you will need to file a Notice of Appeal. You can do this by submitting Form EOIR-29, found on the USCIS website.
When submitting the appeal, you will likely need the help of an experienced immigration attorney or certified Board of Immigration Appeals representatives.
Say for example an immigration officer denies your marriage-based visa application. You can file Form EOIR-29 to challenge the denial.
You need to file your Notice of Appeal within thirty days of getting your denial. To complete the form, you must provide your personal information and information from your denied petition.
When filing your form, include a copy of your denial letter from USCIS. You will also need to include a statement that explains why the USCIS’s denial should be revoked.
Consider consulting an immigration attorney as you fill out your Form EOIR-29 as any mistakes on the form can lead to another denial. They will also be able to help make an argument as to why the first denial was wrong.
Where Should You Send Your Notice of Appeal?
You should file your Notice of Appeal within thirty days to the Department of Homeland Security.
However, you cannot file your appeal directly. You will need to go through the District USCIS office. Their address is on the denial notice you received. The USCIS will forward your case to BIA for immigration review.
How Much Does it Cost to Appeal an Immigration Denial?
You will need to pay a non-refundable fee when filing the appeal. The rates are not constant, but it is currently $110. Since the filing fee may change, it is important to check for the current filing fee prior to filing your appeal.
How Long Does it Take to Process an Immigration Appeal?
There is no set processing time for Form 29; it depends on the intensity of work and the number of staff available at the USCIS office.
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