Virtual Hearing Guide – NY VISA LAWYER (2024)

See our full WebEx Virtual Hearing Guide here.

TheDepartment of Justicehas several tables on their website which contain all the webex links for every Immigration Judge (throughout the country, I’m only focusing on New York). You can find that official master list of links athttps://www.justice.gov/eoir/find-immigration-court-and-access-internet-based-hearings.

If your hearing notice states that you have a virtual hearing then you are expected to attend the hearing by going to the link on that notice and appearing virtually. If the link on your hearing notice isn’t working, you lostost your hearing notice, or you just don’t feel like typing it in then you can find the webex link for each New York Immigration Judge below (these sometimes change so if it isn’t working then you can check the Department of Justice’sofficial listof webex links.

Please note that even though it should not be possible, the webex links can sometimes be case sensitive . If you ever have an issue with a webex link check the case matches the link. You can find a list of all of the Immigration Judges’ WebEx links at the bottom of this guide or you can find themhere.

HOW TO ENTER THE VIRTUAL COURTROOM

1. Find your Immigration Judge in the list below and click on the link

2. Click “allow” if you get a pop-up asking you about cookies

3. Depending on your browser and its setting a download may start or you may be prompted asking if you want to start downloading–YOU DO NOT NEED TO DOWNLOAD WEBEX UNLESS YOU WANT TO.

Feel free to download it if you want but if you dot then you are on your own and the rest of these steps won’t be any help for you. Webex works just as well from the browser and it’s a much easier way of getting to your virtual hearing.

4. I recommend using webex from your browser by clicking the link which will bring you to a login screen.

You donotneed to make an account. You just type in your name and email address, then type the letters in the “CAPTCHA” to prove you’re not a robot and you can enter. Doing this will only get you into the Courtroom it is not going to create an account and you will have to do this step each time you enter a webex courtroom. You usually don’t even get an email from webex since it is a one-time entry.

If you have a hard time reading the weird CAPTCHA letters then you can click on the little speaker logo the arrow is pointing to in the picture and it will read the letters aloud through your computer speakers. This serves a dual purpose by also testing the volume of your computer speakers.

5. Click the “Next” button and it will bring you to a screen where you can test your camera to make sure it is working.

6. You will most likely get a prompt requiring you to give your browser access to your computer’s camera and microphone but it depends on your browser and its settings.

7. If your audio does not connect and you see a button that reads “connect audio” simply click the button and select “computer’s audio.”

8. Turn your camera on using the button on the bottom of the screen to test it.

9. If your camera is working and sound is connected then turn off your camera using the button on the bottom of the page and mute your microphone using the mute button.

NOTE: You must keep your microphone muted until you are talking to the Judge or you will disturb the courtroom (even if you don’t make noise it will cause echoing).

10. To enter the virtual courtroom (after you turn off your camera and mute your microphone) click the green button that reads “join meeting.”

11. The following screen will be what the inside of the virtual courtroom looks like.

Since it is against the law to take photos, videos, or record audio during an actual virtual hearing I had to make a meeting with no other participants to make this guide, which is why the screen shows my name instead of showing a video feed of the Judge and the DHS attorney (Assistant Chief Counsel). During your actual Court hearing you will see them on the screen and probably multiple other people like a translator and other attorneys.

12. Use the buttons on the bottom of the page to mute/unmute, turn camera on/off, or anything else. Once you are done you can press the red button with the “x” to leave the virtual courtroom.

TESTING WEBEX PRIOR TO YOUR HEARING

You can do a test on a day prior to your hearing using this specialwebex test meeting link. DO NOT USE THE WEBEX LINKS FOR IMMIGRATION COURT ANY TIME OTHER THAN WHEN YOU ARE SCHEDULED FOR YOUR HEARING. It will throw you into a virtual hearing of someone else. You may find yourself on the big screen in the Courtroom behind the Judge while they are in the middle of a really important case and it would not be fun.

FIND IMMIGRATION JUDGE’S WEBEX LINK

WHO IS MY JUDGE?

If you lost your hearing notice or you can’t figure out who your Judge is then go to the EOIR Automated Case Status System and look up your A# (the 9 digit number with the letter “A” in front of it that appears on every document you received from immigration). Once you enter your A number and press submit it will show you information about your case including the date, time, location, and Immigration Judge.

NOTE: The automated system will show the location of the Court even if you have been scheduled for a virtual hearing. That does not mean you have to physically go to the Court at that address. You should still appear virtually.

NEW YORK IMMIGRATION COURT LINKS FOR VIRTUAL HEARINGS (VIA WEBEX)

Department of Justice Website with all WebEx links:https://www.justice.gov/eoir/find-immigration-court-and-access-internet-based-hearings#NY

TEST YOUR AUDIO AND VIDEO BEFORE ENTERING WEBEX HEARING

You should use the “camera” application on your computer to record a short 20 second video of yourself talking and then watch it back to make sure you can hear yourself talking. If the sounds quality is bad you can adjust the volume to get it right before you’re in the virtual courtroom.