Do you have a master calendar hearing coming up in immigration court and still don’t have a lawyer?

Do you have a master calendar hearing coming up in immigration court and still don’t have a lawyer? 😬 That hearing can change the entire direction of your case, even if it only lasts a few minutes. ⚖️ If you show up without an attorney, you usually have two real options, and both come with serious consequences. 🚨 Option one: go forward without a lawyer and represent yourself. A lot can go wrong, and some mistakes can even trigger an immediate removal order right there in court. 🚨 For example, the government attorney might argue you should be sent to a third country to seek asylum, so the U.S. shouldn’t even consider your case. Or, if you already filed for asylum, the government may try to pretermit your case—meaning the judge says your asylum application wasn’t properly done and you don’t get the full chance to present everything. ⚖️ Option two: ask the judge to reschedule the hearing. ⏸️ After the judge confirms your name and address, you can ask for a continuance—basically pausing the case so you have time to hire a lawyer. Judges often say yes. Here’s the part most people don’t understand: if the judge grants a continuance, it can pause your asylum clock if it’s currently counting. ⏳ That clock is the 180-day count you need after filing your asylum application to become eligible to apply for a work permit (EAD). So if you already applied for asylum but it’s been less than 180 days, a continuance can delay when you reach day 180. Example: you filed a month ago, so you have about 30 days on your asylum clock. If you get a continuance, that clock can stop, and it usually won’t start counting again until you complete a full master calendar hearing. And the rescheduled master calendar hearing could be months after your original date—meaning your work permit timeline gets pushed back that entire time. ⏳ So the tradeoff can be real: pushing forward without a lawyer to avoid pausing your clock, versus getting more time to hire counsel and reducing the risk of something going badly in court. ⚖️ For help with your asylum case, send me the word “consult” in a direct message. 📩