Sample Notice to Appear

This document is a Notice to Appear (NTA), also called Form I-862. On the NTA, you can find your A Number, which is an 8- or 9-digit immigration identification number that begins with the letter A.

The U.S. government gives NTAs to people who they believe are in the United States without permission. If you receive an NTA, this means that the government is starting an immigration court case against you.

If you received an NTA, you can apply for asylum in immigration court. If you have never received an NTA, and your information does not appear in the immigration court system, you can apply for asylum with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) instead. Read about the asylum process here.

Your NTA may list the date and location of your next immigration court hearing. Or, it may not list a specific date or location. You may also receive a hearing notice in the mail with the location and date of your next immigration court hearing.

If you do not know the date of your first hearing, you should check the immigration court system. In some cases, even though you received an NTA, your information may not be in the immigration court system yet. Sometimes the government takes a long time to update the system. You can continue to check it every week. If you think that you have a hearing, but your information is not in the system, you can call your immigration court directly to check if you have a hearing.

Even if you do know the date of your first hearing, you should still check the immigration court system regularly, because the date of your hearing can change.

To pursue your asylum case, it is very important that you go to your hearing in immigration court. If you do not go, you could receive a deportation order. Watch this video about what happens at your first hearing, and these videos about applying for asylum in immigration court. You can also watch this video from another organization that explains what an NTA is in more detail. If you move, make sure you update your address with the government.

This information is not intended to be legal advice.