Immigration Court Hearing Location

Have you received a Notice to Appear that schedules you to attend a hearing at an immigration court location that is far from your home? In some circumstances, it may be possible to change to a court that will be closer to your home and less difficult for you to attend. I strongly recommend that you consult with an immigration lawyer and not attempt to change the location of your scheduled hearing on your own.

How to Change Your Immigration Court Hearing Location

To change the location of your immigration court hearing,  you must file a Motion to Change Venue with the court where the hearing is scheduled. A Motion to Change Venue has specific requirements:

• It must comply with all of the requirements in the Immigration Court Practice Manual.
• It must include your reasons for requesting the change of venue.
• It must be timely filed or it will be denied. In general, this means that it must be received by the court at least 15 days before your scheduled court date. But, it is normally best to file the motion as soon as possible.

This list does not include everything that must be considered. The Immigration Court Practice Manual describes the additional information that needs to be considered when filing a Motion to Change Venue. Don’t forget that a Motion to Change Venue is an official court filing. I strongly recommend that you consult with an immigration lawyer instead of trying to do this type of motion on your own.

Always remember that you must attend your scheduled hearing on the date and time and at the location listed on your Notice to Appear unless you receive written confirmation of any changes. If you fail to attend your scheduled hearing, you may be ordered deported even though you are not present.