If you are a Guatemalan in US removal proceedings, your case lives in the immigration court system run by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), part of the US Department of Justice. You can check the basic status of the case yourself, in Spanish or English, online or by phone, with your A-Number. This page shows how, what the result does and does not tell you, and the address rule that protects you from missing a hearing. For asylum itself, see our guide to asylum for Guatemalans in the US; this page does not repeat it.
Quick summary: Online: ACIS at acis.eoir.justice.gov (English or Spanish), with your A-Number and nationality. Phone: 1-800-898-7180, toll-free, English and Spanish, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (TDD 800-828-1120). Enter the 9 digits of the A-Number without the A; if it has 8 digits, put a 0 first. ACIS shows the primary case only, does not cover bond hearings (call your local court) and is not an official determination. If you move, tell the court within five working days on Form EOIR-33/IC or through Respondent Access.
The ways to check your case
| Channel | Where | What you need | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACIS online lookup | acis.eoir.justice.gov | A-Number and nationality (both required) | English and Spanish versions | Basic status for certain immigration court and BIA cases |
| Automated phone line | 1-800-898-7180 (toll-free); TDD 800-828-1120 | A-Number (9 digits, no letter A) | English and Spanish | 24 hours a day, 7 days a week |
| BIA phone tree | 703-605-1007 | — | — | Appeals, motions, transcripts and briefs, stays, BIA decisions, change of address |
| Respondent Access portal | Online, through EOIR (described on EOIR’s ECAS page) | Registration when the court notifies you that you are eligible | — | For people without a lawyer; phased enrollment |
| The immigration court | The immigration court handling your case | — | — | EOIR’s operational-status page tells you to call the court handling your case |
Sources: EOIR ACIS (English and Spanish), EOIR Customer Service Initiatives (updated May 29, 2025), EOIR Immigration Court Operational Status and ECAS pages, all read on 15 October 2026.
Step by step: checking online with ACIS
- Open acis.eoir.justice.gov/en/ for the English version or acis.eoir.justice.gov/es/ for the Spanish version.
- In A-Number, type your alien registration number.
- In Nationality, pick your nationality from the list. The field is marked as required in both language versions.
- Press Submit (Enviar in Spanish). The site footer says it is protected by hCaptcha.
What ACIS will and will not show, in its own words: “ACIS includes details regarding the primary case only. If there has been more than one case for the A-Number, ACIS displays the most recent case.” It also says: “Please contact your local court if you need bond hearing information.”
And a limit that matters if the screen and your papers disagree: “Documents the immigration court or Board of Immigration Appeals issue to you or your representative are the only official determinations related to your case.” Keep every notice the court mails you.
Checking by phone: 1-800-898-7180
EOIR describes the line as an electronic phone system that gives case status information in English and Spanish, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. According to EOIR, the line gives:
- next hearing date, time and location;
- case processing information;
- immigration judge decision outcome and date;
- Board of Immigration Appeals appeal information, including appeal due date, brief due date, decision outcome and date;
- filing information.
How to enter the A-Number. EOIR says the number begins with the letter A followed by 8 or 9 digits, and is printed on all DHS and EOIR correspondence. When the voice prompt asks, enter the 9 digits but not the letter A. If your A-Number has 8 digits, enter a zero (0) first, then the 8 digits.
| Your A-Number | What you key in |
|---|---|
| A + 9 digits (e.g. A123456789) | 123456789 |
| A + 8 digits (e.g. A12345678) | 012345678 |
The example numbers are illustrations of EOIR’s rule, not real cases. If you do not know your A-Number, look at any letter you have from DHS or EOIR; EOIR says the number is printed on all of that correspondence. Our page on the US alien registration requirement covers registration rules, a separate topic.
Keep your address current: five working days
EOIR says that to receive notifications about your case “you must provide the immigration court or the BIA with any changes to your address or contact information within five working days of the change.” For the immigration court the form is EOIR-33/IC, filed with the court where your case is being heard; for the Board it is EOIR-33/BIA. Both can also be completed online through Respondent Access. When a change affects more than one person with a pending case, each person needs their own form, and you can submit it online, in person or by mail.
Why it matters: under 8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(5)(A), a person who does not attend after the required written notice has been provided to them or their counsel of record “shall be ordered removed in absentia” if the government establishes by clear, unequivocal and convincing evidence that the notice was so provided and that the person is removable. The written notice counts as sufficient if provided at the most recent address you gave, and no written notice is required if you failed to provide your address (1229a(b)(5)(B)).
| If you missed a hearing | What the statute says (8 U.S.C. 1229a) |
|---|---|
| The failure to appear was because of exceptional circumstances | The in absentia order may be rescinded on a motion to reopen filed within 180 days after the date of the order of removal (1229a(b)(5)(C)(i)) |
| You did not receive notice, or you were in federal or state custody and the failure to appear was through no fault of your own | The motion to reopen may be filed at any time (1229a(b)(5)(C)(ii)) |
| A final order of removal was entered in absentia, after you were given oral notice, in your native language or another language you understand, of the time and place of the proceedings and of the consequences of not attending, and you failed to attend other than because of exceptional circumstances | No eligibility for relief under sections 1229b, 1229c, 1255, 1258 or 1259 for 10 years after the date the final order of removal was entered (1229a(b)(7)) |
This is general information from the statute, not legal advice. For more on asylum cases, see our asylum guide.
If the person is detained
ACIS does not give bond hearing information; the local court does. Once a bond is set, our guide on how to pay an ICE immigration bond explains how to pay it. For what the Guatemalan consulate can do for a detained national, see consular assistance if detained or hospitalized, and find your consulate with the consulate finder.
If the case ends in removal, our page on what happens when a deportation flight lands covers the arrival in Guatemala. For US policy changes this year, see the 2026 tracker of US actions affecting Guatemalans.
What we could not confirm
- The nationality list in ACIS: it loads by script and was not in our capture, so we do not reproduce its options.
- Calling the 1-800 line from Guatemala: EOIR’s page describes the number as toll-free; we did not find on that page whether it can be dialed from outside the United States.
- The Respondent Access web address: we do not print a URL for the portal here. Use the links on EOIR’s ECAS and address-update pages listed below.
Sources
- EOIR, Automated Case Information System: https://acis.eoir.justice.gov/en/ and https://acis.eoir.justice.gov/es/
- EOIR, Customer Service Initiatives (phone line; updated May 29, 2025): https://www.justice.gov/eoir/customer-service-initiatives
- EOIR, Immigration Court Operational Status: https://www.justice.gov/eoir/immigration-court-operational-status
- EOIR, Update Respondent or Alien Information (updated May 18, 2026): https://www.justice.gov/eoir/update-respondent-or-alien-information
- EOIR, ECAS (updated February 24, 2025): https://www.justice.gov/eoir/ECAS
- 8 U.S.C. 1229a, US Code 2024 edition: https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/8/1229a
All sources read 15 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check my immigration court case online?
Use EOIR’s Automated Case Information System (ACIS) at acis.eoir.justice.gov. The form asks for your A-Number and your nationality, both marked as required. ACIS gives basic status information for certain cases before an immigration court or the Board of Immigration Appeals. It has an English and a Spanish version.
What is the phone number to check my immigration court date?
1-800-898-7180 (toll-free). EOIR says the line gives case status information in English and Spanish, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The TDD number EOIR lists is 800-828-1120. For Board of Immigration Appeals matters EOIR lists a separate phone tree at 703-605-1007.
My A-Number has 8 digits. How do I enter it on the phone line?
EOIR says the A-Number begins with the letter A followed by 8 or 9 digits. On the phone system you enter the 9 digits without the letter A; if your number has 8 digits, enter a zero first and then the 8 digits.
Where do I find my A-Number?
EOIR says the number is printed on all Department of Homeland Security and EOIR correspondence.
ACIS does not show my bond hearing. Why?
ACIS tells users to contact their local court for bond hearing information. It also shows only the primary case and, if there has been more than one case for the same A-Number, only the most recent one. For how a bond is paid once it is set, see our guide to paying an ICE immigration bond.
Is what ACIS shows official?
No. ACIS says its case information is provided for convenience only, and that the documents the immigration court or the Board of Immigration Appeals issue to you or your representative are the only official determinations in your case.
I moved. How do I tell the immigration court?
EOIR says you must give the immigration court or the BIA any change of address or contact information within five working days of the change, using Form EOIR-33/IC for the court (EOIR-33/BIA for the Board), or online through EOIR’s Respondent Access portal. Each person with a pending case needs their own form.
What happens if I miss my hearing?
Under 8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(5)(A), a person who does not attend after the required written notice has been provided to them or their counsel of record shall be ordered removed in absentia if the government proves the notice was provided and that the person is removable. Notice provided at the most recent address you gave counts as sufficient. Talk to an immigration attorney or an accredited representative right away if you missed a hearing.
