What does a Form G-28 establish about an immigration representative?
G-28 is the USCIS notice of appearance for an attorney or accredited representative. It identifies a representative in an agency matter; it is separate from a private fee agreement, a state-bar verification and an EOIR court appearance. Check all of those records in their own context.
Sources: Form G-28: understand a representative’s USCIS appearance · Checked October 25, 2026
What this guide covers
- Identify the agency appearance
- Read the engagement and appearance together
- Review delivery and communication choices
- Do not transfer USCIS assumptions to court
At a glance
- Verify the representative’s professional status independently.
- Compare the engagement scope with the agency matter.
- Review notice and document-delivery selections.
Use the current official form
Government forms are free to access from their owner. Check edition, fees and filing instructions directly.
Open the official form pageIdentify the agency appearance
A person may help organize a file without being authorized to represent an applicant. The G-28 record concerns an attorney or accredited representative’s appearance before USCIS. Check the representative’s identity, the client and the matter described rather than assuming that any signed office document creates agency representation.
A law firm’s name, marketing page or paid invoice is not a substitute for professional-status verification. Keep the state-bar or recognition-and-accreditation research separate from the appearance form. A valid professional credential also does not establish that a particular representative has agreed to handle every related immigration matter.
Read the engagement and appearance together
The engagement agreement describes the privately agreed work and payment arrangements. The agency appearance identifies representation in an administrative record. Compare the scope: a consultation, a petition, an application and later proceedings can be separate assignments. Preserve any question about where the agreed work begins or ends.
Review delivery and communication choices
Read the current form’s notice and document-delivery options with the representative before signing. Distinguish an agency delivery choice from the office’s promise to communicate with a client. Keep a complete signed copy in the private file and ask how future notices will be shared, especially after a move or staff change.
Do not transfer USCIS assumptions to court
An immigration-court or BIA proceeding uses its own appearance framework. A USCIS G-28 should not be treated as proof of an EOIR appearance. A change of counsel, withdrawal or end of a representation raises agency-specific procedural questions that this publication cannot resolve for an individual case.
| Item | What it establishes | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| G-28 | USCIS appearance record | Which agency matter does it cover? |
| Engagement agreement | Privately agreed services | What work and fees were agreed? |
| Bar or accreditation record | Professional status evidence | Is the identified person authorized? |
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Version: October 25, 2026.
Go to the source
Sources & verification
Follow the institution that owns the requirement and check its current instructions.
Common questions
Is G-28 the same as a fee agreement?
No. Agency appearance and the private agreement for services have different purposes. Review both.
Sources: Form G-28: understand a representative’s USCIS appearance
Does a G-28 prove a lawyer is in good standing?
No. Verify the lawyer’s status through the appropriate licensing authority, or the applicable accreditation record for an accredited representative.
Sources: Form G-28: understand a representative’s USCIS appearance
Can G-28 be assumed to cover immigration court?
No. Check EOIR’s own appearance requirements for the specific proceeding.
Sources: Form G-28: understand a representative’s USCIS appearance
Should I sign a blank appearance form?
Review the completed form, identity, scope and choices before signing. Resolve unanswered entries with the representative rather than relying on a blank copy.
Sources: Form G-28: understand a representative’s USCIS appearance
About this guide
By Immigrant Insider editorial desk. Updated .
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