Paste the letter — from USCIS, ICE, or the immigration court. In a few seconds you get what it is, the date that matters and what happens if it's missed, what not to do, and where to find a real accredited representative near you. No account. Nothing stored. You can leave out your A-number.
Free — 20 seconds
Type or paste the text. A photo's text is fine. You can leave out names and your A-number — the words and the dates are what matter.
Why this exists
A Request for Evidence, a hearing notice and an ICE check-in look alike on paper and mean very different things. Missing the wrong one can end a case. Meanwhile 'notarios' charge families for advice they are not allowed to give. This reads the letter, names the date, and points only to people who are actually allowed to help.
How it works
The text of the notice. Leave out your A-number if you like. Nothing is saved.
Plain English or Spanish: what the letter is, the deadline, what happens if it's missed, how to confirm it.
The DOJ roster of accredited representatives, free legal aid — and, in the full version, a one-page summary to bring to the meeting.
Plans
The free reading gives you what the letter is, the date and where to get real help. The full version writes the one-page summary and document checklist to bring to an accredited representative — in Spanish and English.
The full reading, a one-page summary to bring to your representative, and the list of documents to gather for the first meeting. Printable.
For a parish, a school's family liaison, a library or a community center that helps families read these letters every week.
All prices in USD, handled by Stripe. The free reading — what the letter is, the date, the real-help links — never goes behind a paywall.
Common questions
Immigrant Paper Decoder is a free tool: you paste text from a letter from USCIS, ICE or the immigration court, and it gives you a plain-language explanation of what it is, the date that matters and what happens if it's missed, what not to do, and how to find a free or low-cost accredited representative. If your letter is a hearing notice, it will remind you that if you don't show up the judge can order removal without you there (8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(5)), so you must confirm the date, time, address and whether it's in person or by video, and go even without a lawyer. It is not a lawyer and cannot tell you what to file or what to say to an officer — confirm every date with the official number and talk to an accredited representative or attorney.
The basic plain-language explanation is free, with no account needed. There's an optional Summary + checklist for $4.99 per letter, and a $29-per-month plan meant for churches, schools and community organizations helping many people. Nothing you paste is stored, and you can leave out your A-number when you paste the letter.
Contact an accredited representative or immigration attorney today; this is the most important next step. There are sometimes ways to try to reopen a case after a missed hearing, but only a representative or attorney can tell you whether that applies to you and how. This tool cannot give that advice.
In the United States, a notary public ('notario') is not a lawyer and cannot give immigration advice — only an attorney or a person accredited by the Department of Justice at a recognized organization can. You can search the DOJ EOIR roster of recognized organizations and accredited representatives by state and city, or look for free civil legal help through FloridaLawHelp.org.
USCIS and ICE do not ask for payment by gift card or wire transfer, and they do not threaten arrest over the phone — those are signs of a scam. Still don't ignore the letter: verify it directly using the official numbers, USCIS at 1-800-375-5283 or the EOIR automated case line at 1-800-898-7180, and talk to an accredited representative or attorney before responding to anyone who contacted you.
Immigrant Paper Decoder es una herramienta gratuita: usted pega el texto de una carta de USCIS, ICE o la corte de inmigración, y recibe una explicación en lenguaje sencillo de qué es, la fecha que importa y qué pasa si no se cumple, qué no debe hacer, y cómo encontrar un representante acreditado gratuito o de bajo costo. Si su carta es un aviso de audiencia, le recordará que si no se presenta el juez puede ordenar la deportación sin usted presente (8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(5)), por lo que debe confirmar la fecha, la hora, la dirección y si es en persona o por video, y debe asistir aunque no tenga abogado. Esta herramienta no es abogado y no le dice qué formulario presentar ni qué decirle a un oficial — confirme siempre la fecha con el número oficial y hable con un representante acreditado o un abogado.
La explicación básica en lenguaje sencillo es gratuita y no requiere cuenta. Hay un servicio opcional de Resumen + lista de pasos por $4.99 por carta, y un plan de $29 al mes pensado para iglesias, escuelas y organizaciones comunitarias que ayudan a muchas personas. Nada de lo que usted pega se guarda, y puede omitir su número de A al pegar la carta.
Comuníquese hoy mismo con un representante acreditado o un abogado de inmigración; este es el paso más importante. A veces existen formas de intentar reabrir un caso después de faltar a una audiencia, pero solo un representante o abogado puede decirle si eso aplica a su situación y cómo hacerlo. Esta herramienta no puede darle ese consejo.
En Estados Unidos, un notario público ('notario') no es abogado y no puede dar consejo de inmigración — solo un abogado o una persona acreditada por el Departamento de Justicia en una organización reconocida puede hacerlo. Puede buscar en el listado de organizaciones reconocidas y representantes acreditados del DOJ EOIR por estado y ciudad, o buscar ayuda legal civil gratuita a través de FloridaLawHelp.org.
USCIS e ICE no piden pagos con tarjetas de regalo ni por transferencia electrónica, y no amenazan con arresto por teléfono — eso son señales de estafa. Aun así, no ignore la carta: verifíquela directamente usando los números oficiales, USCIS al 1-800-375-5283 o la línea automatizada de casos de EOIR al 1-800-898-7180, y hable con un representante acreditado o un abogado antes de responder a quien lo haya contactado.
Built by the same team, free to try.