Immigration court guide · Philadelphia
Your immigration court case, step by step.
What happens at each stage, the deadlines that do not move, and where to check your case.
Free guides from our Allentown team for people with a case at the Philadelphia Immigration Court or another immigration court in the region. Start with the stage you are in. Every guide is written in English and Spanish.
Stage by stage
Start with the stage you are in.
A removal case moves through the same stages for most people. Each card opens a full guide.
Stage 1 · The notice
You received a Notice to Appear.
The Notice to Appear starts the case. Read the charges, check that your name and address are right, and note the court and the date. Then take the first steps before the first hearing.
Read the guide
Stage 2 · Your case file
Check your case and keep your address current.
EOIR's case information line shows your next hearing date, time and place. If you move, you have five days to tell the court on Form EOIR-33, and a hearing notice sent to your last address on file can still count.
Read the guide
Stage 3 · The first hearing
The master calendar hearing.
A short hearing with many cases on the same docket. The judge reads the charges, asks whether you have a lawyer, confirms your address and sets the next steps. Going without a lawyer carries real risks.
Read the guide
Online hearings
Hearings by Webex.
Some hearings happen online. EOIR posts a Webex link for each judge, but the links for in-person hearings are only for parties the court has approved to appear remotely. Know which kind of hearing you have before the day.
Read the guide
Stage 4 · The final hearing
The individual hearing: building your case.
This is where the judge hears testimony and decides whether you qualify for asylum, cancellation of removal or another form of relief. Evidence is generally due 30 days before this hearing.
Read the guide
If you missed court
A missed hearing and an in absentia order.
If you miss a hearing, the judge can order you removed without you there. The order can be reopened within 180 days for exceptional circumstances, or at any time if you never received proper notice. Do not wait.
Read the guide
Stage 5 · After the decision
Appeals and motions after the judge decides.
A notice of appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals is due 30 days after the decision, and it must already state your reasons. A motion to reopen or to reconsider runs on its own clock.
Read the guideDeadlines
The deadlines that do not move.
The most common deadlines in immigration court, from the regulations and EOIR's own deadline table. A judge can set different deadlines in your case, and in detained cases the court sets them.
After you move or change your phone number: tell the court on Form EOIR-33.
8 C.F.R. § 1003.15(d)(2)A master calendar hearing: filings that ask the judge for a ruling.
EOIR Policy Manual, Appx. CThe individual hearing: evidence and other filings.
EOIR Policy Manual, Appx. CThe judge's decision: notice of appeal to the Board (Form EOIR-26).
EOIR PM 26-02After a final order: a motion to reconsider (30) or to reopen (90), with some exceptions.
8 C.F.R. § 1003.23(b)(1)After an in absentia order: 180 days for exceptional circumstances; any time if you never received proper notice.
INA § 240(b)(5)(C)Since March 2026 the official online regulations have shown a 10-day appeal deadline for many cases. A federal court vacated that change before it took effect, and EOIR Policy Memorandum 26-02 confirms the deadline is 30 days.
Official tools
Where to check your case yourself.
These are the government's own pages. They open in a new tab.
Detained or a hearing this week
If the date is close, call today.
Detention, a hearing in the next few days, or an order you just learned about changes what has to happen first: a bond request, a motion or a stay. Our urgent-help page lists the first steps, and our team takes these calls in English and Spanish.
Have the Notice to Appear and any court notices in hand when you call.
More court guides
Our practice pages and related guides.
How do I find out when my next immigration court hearing is?
Use EOIR's automated case information online at acis.eoir.justice.gov, or call 1-800-898-7180. You need your nine-digit A-number. It shows your next hearing date, time and location and the judge's decision. Bond hearing information is not on it; for that, contact the court.
Where is the Philadelphia Immigration Court?
In the Robert Nix Federal Building and Courthouse, 900 Market Street, Suite 504, Philadelphia, PA 19107. EOIR lists public hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday, except federal holidays. The court can close for weather or emergencies, so check EOIR's operational status before you go.
I moved. What do I have to do?
Within five days of the move, give the immigration court your new address on Form EOIR-33, either online through EOIR Respondent Access or on paper. The court sends hearing notices to the most recent address it has, and a notice sent there can count even if you never see it.
Can I attend my hearing online?
Only if your hearing is an internet-based hearing or the court has approved you to appear remotely. Under EOIR Policy Memorandum 26-06 (July 15, 2026), Webex links posted for in-person hearings are only for parties with that approval. If your notice says the hearing is in person, plan to be there in person.
What happens if I miss my hearing?
If the government shows you were given written notice and are removable, the judge orders you removed in absentia. That order can be reopened within 180 days if exceptional circumstances caused the absence, or at any time if you did not receive proper notice or were in custody through no fault of your own. Filing that motion pauses removal while the judge decides it. A person who was warned of the consequences and still missed court can be barred from several forms of relief for 10 years.
How long do I have to appeal the judge's decision?
Thirty calendar days from the judge's oral decision or from the mailing of a written decision. The notice of appeal, Form EOIR-26, is filed directly with the Board of Immigration Appeals and must state the reasons for the appeal. The official online regulations still show a 10-day deadline, but a federal court vacated that change, and EOIR Policy Memorandum 26-02 confirms 30 days.
Do I need a lawyer for immigration court?
You have the right to a lawyer of your choice, but at no expense to the government, so the court will not appoint one for you. At the first hearing the judge must tell you about free legal service providers and confirm you received EOIR's list. Many people ask for time to find a lawyer at that hearing.
Can my case be moved to a court closer to where I live?
Yes, through a motion to change venue. The judge can grant it for good cause, after the other side has a chance to respond. Until the judge grants it, your hearings stay at the court where they are scheduled, and you must attend them.
Reviewed against official sources on October 15, 2026: the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 C.F.R. parts 1003 and 1240, and the EOIR Policy Manual and policy memoranda. General information, not legal advice.
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