EOIR-28 is the Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Representative Before the Immigration Court, a form of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the office within the Department of Justice (DOJ) that handles proceedings before the Immigration Court. It is the document an attorney or representative uses to enter an appearance before that court. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF is published at justice.gov, and EOIR decides how it is received.
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What is EOIR-28?
Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Representative Before the Immigration Court (Form EOIR-28) is the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) form by which an attorney or representative gives notice that they are entering an appearance before the Immigration Court.
EOIR is the Department of Justice (DOJ) office that runs the immigration courts. The form carries the agency's own number, EOIR-28, and its title names the court it addresses: the Immigration Court. The completed form is therefore a notice from the person who will act as attorney or representative, not an application for a benefit and not a petition.
The form is published as a PDF on the Justice Department's website. Separately, EOIR runs an online portal at https://portal.eoir.justice.gov/ for people who practice before it. That portal covers the registration process to practice before EOIR, the use of a required DOJ account, downloading case materials, and electronically filing designated forms, including sending and receiving service of electronically filed materials. Registering to practice before EOIR is a process of its own and is not what this notice does.
Completing the PDF does not file it. Filing happens through the channels EOIR provides for the Immigration Court.
Who needs to file EOIR-28?
Attorneys and other representatives who are entering an appearance before the Immigration Court use Form EOIR-28. The title of the form places it with that audience: it is a notice of entry of appearance "as attorney or representative."
Points that follow from the form's title and from EOIR's portal page:
- The form is directed to the Immigration Court. It is not a notice for any other tribunal.
- Electronic filing of designated forms before EOIR is limited to authorized users with the required DOJ account. Use of the portal by anyone else is prohibited and may bring criminal, civil, or administrative penalties.
- Registration to practice before EOIR is a separate process from this notice.
The text available for this page does not say who is eligible to act as a representative or who must sign for whom. Check EOIR's own instructions for the form before you rely on this page for those questions.
When to file EOIR-28
Form EOIR-28 is used at the moment an attorney or representative enters an appearance before the Immigration Court, which is the event its title describes. No separate due date is printed in the material available for this page, so confirm any timing rule that applies to your case in EOIR's instructions or with the court.
How to fill out EOIR-28
Open the fillable EOIR-28 PDF
Start from the form published by EOIR at the official source link on this page, so you are working with the current published version.
Enter attorney or representative details
Complete the sections that identify the attorney or representative entering the appearance, using the information exactly as the form asks for it.
Identify the person you represent
Fill in the fields that name the person on whose behalf the appearance is entered, matching the spelling used in the case.
Add the Immigration Court case details
Enter the case information the form requests so the notice is tied to the matter pending before the Immigration Court.
Complete the signature and certification areas
Sign and date where the form prints signature and date blocks, and complete any certification or service portions it contains.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check every entry against your records, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and file it through the EOIR channels described under How to submit.
How to submit EOIR-28
EOIR's online portal is the only channel described for this page; any other delivery method follows EOIR's own filing instructions.
- EOIR online portal: https://portal.eoir.justice.gov/. EOIR limits authorized use of the portal to registering to practice before EOIR, using the required DOJ account to create, access and make permitted changes to an account profile, downloading case materials, and electronically filing designated forms, including sending and receiving service of electronically filed materials. Confirm in EOIR's instructions whether this form is among the designated forms.
- Other delivery: this page lists no mailing address or in-person location for Form EOIR-28. Use the filing instructions that EOIR publishes for the Immigration Court.
Do not use the portal without authorization or for purposes outside those listed; EOIR warns that use may be monitored, recorded or audited. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using Form EOIR-28 for a tribunal other than the Immigration Court; its title limits it to an appearance before the Immigration Court.
- Using the EOIR portal without authorization or without the required DOJ account; EOIR prohibits unauthorized or improper use and warns of criminal, civil, or administrative penalties.
- Treating the completed PDF as filed; the form must still reach EOIR through its filing channels.
- Using the portal for something other than its listed purposes, such as registering to practice, using the DOJ account, downloading case materials or electronically filing designated forms.
- Confusing this notice with registration to practice before EOIR, which the portal handles as a separate process.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form EOIR-28 used for?
Form EOIR-28 is the Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Representative Before the Immigration Court. An attorney or representative uses it to give notice to the Immigration Court, which is part of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), that they are entering an appearance.
Can I fill out the EOIR-28 form online?
Yes. You can complete the EOIR-28 PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file the form with EOIR; you file it through the channels EOIR provides.
Where do I file Form EOIR-28?
EOIR operates an online portal at https://portal.eoir.justice.gov/ for authorized users with a DOJ account to electronically file designated forms. This page lists no mailing address, so confirm EOIR's filing instructions for the Immigration Court for other methods.
Who can use the EOIR online portal?
Only authorized users. EOIR limits the portal to registering to practice before EOIR, using the required DOJ account, downloading case materials and electronically filing designated forms. Unauthorized or improper use is prohibited and may lead to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties.
Is Form EOIR-28 the same as registering to practice before EOIR?
No. EOIR describes registration to practice before it as a separate process handled through its portal and a required DOJ account. Form EOIR-28 is the notice of entry of appearance before the Immigration Court.
Is there an official PDF of Form EOIR-28?
Yes. EOIR publishes the form as a PDF on the Justice Department's website at https://www.justice.gov/media/1191376/dl?inline. This page lets you fill out that form online and download or print the completed copy.
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