At a glance
The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada is an independent tribunal. Its divisions hear refugee claims and certain immigration appeals. A consultant who holds the licence for it (an RCIC-IRB) may represent clients before those divisions.
Our part is to explain each step, help prepare the forms, your written account, the evidence and any translations, and get you ready for the hearing. The Board makes its own decisions, and nobody here can say what one will be.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Who it is for
- People who have made a refugee claim, or are thinking about one
- People with an appeal or another matter before the Board
- Relatives who want to understand what the process involves
Papers to collect
- Every notice or letter you have received, with its dates
- Identity and travel documents you hold
- Records that support your account, and any translations
- Your own notes of events, in the order they happened
How the work unfolds
Understand where you are
Your notices are read together, so you know which stage your matter has reached and what follows.
Prepare the file
We help with the forms, your written account, the evidence and any translations.
Prepare for the hearing
We explain how a hearing is run and talk through what to expect, at the pace you need.
Keep track of notices and dates
We follow the Board's notices and the dates they set, so nothing in your matter is missed.
Asked about this route
A consultant licensed for it may represent clients before the divisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board: preparing the forms, the written account, the evidence and the translations, getting you ready for the hearing, and keeping track of notices and dates.
No consultant can promise an outcome. Final decisions on applications are made by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This practice is independent and does not speak for any government body.
Matters in the Federal Court of Canada, such as an application for judicial review of a Board decision, need a licensed legal professional, a member of a provincial law society. A consultant cannot appear in that court, and we say so plainly.
The Board decides, not the consultant and not the person preparing the file. Nobody can tell you in advance how a decision will turn out.