How to Move Your Immigration Hearing to a Different Court

Review this Sample Change of Venue to see what it looks like.

You can find the name and address for your current court by checking where your hearing is scheduled. 

• By Phone. Call the EOIR hotline at 1-800-898-7180. Enter your A-Number or “Alien Registration Number.” (Visit immigrationhelp.org to learn how to find your A-Number.) Use the menu of options to check the date and time of your hearing. The hotline is in English and Spanish. Push 2 for help in Spanish.
   
• Online. Visit acis.eoir.justice.gov. Enter your A-Number. Look at “Next Hearing Information” and “Court Contact Information.”

At your immigration hearing, it is your job to prove you should not be deported. It is the government lawyer’s job to prove you should be deported. The government lawyer needs to know if you want to change your venue. The government lawyer works at the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA). The OPLA office address is different from the court’s address. To find the OPLA office address to mail your motion to:

• Call the court where your hearing is scheduled. Tell them you are trying to file a change of venue. Ask for the name and address of the OPLA office assigned to your court.

The court will mail you an order (an official piece of paper) that says whether or not your request was granted. You can also call or check online to see if you have a hearing scheduled at the immigration court you chose to move to. You will be told the date, time, and location of your hearing. If your venue changed, your new court will be listed.

• By Phone. Call the EOIR hotline at 1-800-898-7180. Enter your A-Number or “Alien Registration Number.” (Visit immigrationhelp.org to learn how to find your A-Number.) Use the menu of options to check the date and time of your hearing. The hotline is in English and Spanish. Push 2 for help in Spanish.
   
• Online. Visit acis.eoir.justice.gov. Enter your A-Number. Look at “Next Hearing Information” and “Court Contact Information.”