por What to do when faced with an appointment in Immigration Court 2023
Many people wonder what they should do that day and what is going to happen in immigration court, usually you will receive an appointment with your court date and the time you must appear.
This appointment almost always arrives a long time in advance so don’t worry about that, the important thing is to be patient, and know exactly the place, date and time indicated.
All that remains is to wait for that first day of immigration court, surely many people like you have never been to a court and do not know what it looks like or what is going to happen that day, who is going to receive them, how they are going to be treated, so Don’t worry, the important thing here is not to feel nervous, just try to feel confident and positive that everything is going to turn out well for you.
What you should bring to your first immigration court appointment
Bring your court date and the documents they gave you at the border. If you do not have a document called Notice to Appear (NTA), better known as an appearance sheet, ask the judge to give you a copy of that document, as it is a essential document and if you intend to hire an immigration lawyer, the lawyer will need that document
So if you don’t have it before you go to your first court, ask for that document because it is necessary for your case.
These documents are very important and you should always have them in a special place so that they are not lost or damaged. Remember that every legal process must always go hand in hand with documentation to be able to formalize your case.
Recommendations for your first appointment in immigration court
Some recommendations for you are the following:
To be on time
Arrive 30 minutes early to avoid traffic delaying you, because due to a delay you may not be able to find parking, there may also be some type of construction near the court area that prevents you from arriving on time.
We always recommend that our clients schedule themselves to arrive 30 minutes early, that is, if the appointment is at 9 in the morning, schedule yourself to be there at 8:30 in the morning, if the appointment is at 10 in the morning plan to be there at 9:30 in the morning
If possible, if you live in the same city, try to go beforehand and drive around the area and familiarize yourself with the place, so you know where you are going to be able to park, where and how to get up to the building and all those things.
Sometimes people live hours from where the immigration court is, but if you have the possibility to go to the court beforehand and know where the building is, it would be ideal.
Bring cash
I recommend you bring money for parking, many times it has happened that you have arrived at the court and have to park and then you do not have cash to pay for the parking, many offices and many parking lots only accept cash so I recommend you bring 20 dollars or 40 dollars .
They can also choose to look for a parking lot that is a little further away where they do not have to pay, many immigration courts do not charge for parking; but others do and that is why it is important to become familiar with the different locations.
Hire an immigration lawyer
Another important recommendation when you finish your first immigration court appointment is to definitely look for a lawyer, generally they will give you more time to prepare and request an immigration lawyer.
Try to go to your second court with representation because defending yourself, in an immigration court that is very difficult, all the issues that are discussed and seen are very complicated for a person who does not know the law.
Go to court well dressed
A very important point is that they must be well dressed, ladies should wear blouses, preferably long-sleeved blouses covering up to the sleeve, any long-sleeved blouse of any color should be sufficient.
Try not to wear jeans, do not wear any type of shorts, a recommendation is if you have any of these pants that are black or beige that are normally used to work in offices, wear them.
We always tell our clients to imagine that they are going to church, what clothes you would wear to church and that is the ideal clothing, it has to be formal clothes and closed shoes, especially for ladies, do not wear sandals, Do not wear tennis shoes, preferably wear closed and low heels.
For men the same thing, wearing a shirt, not jeans, but pants, they don’t have to wear a jacket; Although we recommend that, for your last court, if you are going to have the last court, you should use a jacket, but the first court can go without a jacket, a shirt, pants, a belt and closed shoes, it is more than enough.
That is our recommendation, you don’t have to spend a lot of money, you can find these clothes in rose, or in other stores like that, but the idea is to be formal and well dressed.
Obviously, well-combed hair and all those things, keep in mind that this is the impression that you give to the judge, it is the impression that he is going to have for the rest of your case, so it is very important, even if you don’t think it will go well. prepared.
With the correct presentation, try not to use too much jewelry, too many chains, preferably small earrings, to create a better presentation, so do not take it personally, if that is your style, but do not wear it on the day of your immigration court, After they leave immigration court they can wear whatever style they want.
