Reviewed on Oct 5, 2026
Master Calendar Hearing
A procedural immigration court hearing for matters such as pleadings, identifying issues and scheduling. It is distinct from the individual hearing on the merits. Read the hearing notice and court instructions.
Individual (merits) hearing
A hearing at which the immigration judge considers evidence and testimony about the requested relief. A scheduled date is not a guarantee that the case will be decided that day.
Form I-589
The Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal. Use official current form instructions; this glossary does not explain eligibility, filing fees or deadlines.
Notice to Appear (NTA)
Form I-862, a charging document used to initiate removal proceedings through filing with the immigration court. It contains allegations and charges; it is not an asylum approval or a final decision.
Notice of Hearing
A court notice with hearing details such as the date, time and location or appearance instructions. Confirm discrepancies with the court; do not infer that a hearing is canceled from an empty online result.
Credible fear
A screening determination used in certain expedited removal procedures about fear of persecution or torture. It is not a grant of asylum and does not replace a later merits decision. Procedures and legal standards can change; consult current official guidance and a qualified representative.
A-number
An Alien Registration Number used to identify a person in immigration records. EOIR’s case tool uses nine digits and nationality; ICE’s locator uses the number with country of birth. A USCIS receipt number identifies a filing and is different.
Asylum grant, denial and other completion
A grant awards asylum; a denial rejects the asylum request. Other completion categories, including withdrawal, abandonment or administrative closure, are distinct from a merits grant or denial. We exclude other completions from the merits grant-rate denominator; an agency’s completion labels need their own definitions.
EOIR
The Executive Office for Immigration Review, within the Department of Justice, administers immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). Its case-information tool is separate from USCIS and ICE.
USCIS
US Citizenship and Immigration Services, within the Department of Homeland Security, handles immigration benefit applications, including affirmative asylum matters within its jurisdiction. Its status tool uses receipt numbers.
ICE
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, within the Department of Homeland Security, carries out immigration enforcement, including detention and removal through Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Its locator is separate from court or benefit-application status.
Affirmative and defensive asylum
Affirmative asylum generally refers to a request before USCIS; defensive asylum generally refers to seeking asylum in removal proceedings before an immigration judge. Jurisdiction has exceptions; identify the agency from your own notices rather than this shorthand.
Backlog and hearing calendar
Pending proceedings measure workload. Backlog divided by recent completions is a ratio, not an elapsed wait. Calendar medians and percentiles describe dates in a snapshot, not a personal prediction.