Your immigration legal questions answered

Please see the Federal Court of Canada website.

The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) has extended time limits for the filing of various forms, submissions, and notices for many of its divisions. The IRB mailroom in Vancouver re-opened on June 15, 2020. Documents can be submitted by fax (up to 50 pages), mail, or e-mail. The IRB is currently not accepting in-person delivery of documents.

Refugee Protection Division

Refugee Protection Division (RPD) Basis of Claim forms that were due between February 15, 2020 and July 4, 2020 are now due on July 19, 2020.

Fax the RPD at 604-666-3043.

Email the RPD at RPDWestern-SPRouest@irb-cisr.gc.ca.

For more about submitting documents to the RPD, see their website.

Refugee Appeal Division

Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) notices of appeal and appellant’s records that were due between January 1, 2020 and August 18, 2020 are now due on August 19, 2020.

Fax the RAD at 604-666-9870.

Email the RAD at IRB.RAD-W-O-SAR.CISR@irb-cisr.gc.ca.

For more about submitting documents to the RAD, see their website.

Immigration Appeal Division

Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) deadlines to file a Notice of Appeal that was due on or after March 16, 2020 has been extended to August 4, 2020. Hearings at the IAD will resume July 20, 2020. All normal IAD timelines resume August 5, 2020.

Fax the IAD at 604-666-3043.

Email the IAD at: IRB.IAD-WO-SAI.CISR@IRB-CISR.GC.CA.

Immigration Division

For the Immigration Division (ID), some hearings are being conducted by telephone, but most in-person hearings have not yet resumed. The IRB will advise at a later date when the majority of in-person hearings at the ID will resume.

The Refugee Protection Division (RPD) of the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) previously suspended all in-person refugee hearings. In-person refugee hearings are now scheduled to resume on July 20, 2020. The RPD plans to stagger starting times of hearings to minimize the number of people who are in common areas at the same time. If your hearing is scheduled for July 20, 2020 or later the RPD may change the time the hearing begins. If your hearing has not yet been scheduled or was previously cancelled the RPD will contact you or your lawyer to reschedule.

For more about the resumption of in-person hearings, see the RPD website.

The RPD is also implementing a pilot project in Vancouver for holding hearings by video. Initially only certain files will be selected for this project, and participation in the project will be entirely voluntary. If your file is selected for this project you will be contacted by the RPD.

Refugee Protection Division (RPD) Basis of Claim forms that were due between February 15, 2020 and July 4, 2020 are now due on July 19, 2020.

Fax the RPD at 604-666-3043.

Email the RPD at RPDWestern-SPRouest@irb-cisr.gc.ca.

for more about submitting documents to the RPD, see their website.

If you lose your refugee claim, the time to appeal to the Refugee Appeal Division has temporarily changed.

If your time limit for filing a notice of appeal falls between January 1, 2020, and August 18, 2020, the deadline is now August 19, 2020.

If your time limit for perfecting an appeal falls between January 1, 2020, and August 18, 2020, the deadline is now August 19, 2020.

Yes, if you live in Canada, even temporarily, you may be eligible to receive temporary income support through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). To get more information in your own language about who is eligible and how to apply, see the Government of Canada website.

IRCC has cancelled all appointments and interviews with refugee claimants and will reschedule the appointments at a later date. If your address or phone number change while you're waiting, you can update your contact information online.

IRCC is no longer accepting in-person claims. If you'd like to make a refugee claim, please email IRCC.RefugeeClaim-Demandedasile.IRCC@cic.gc.ca and let them know you want to make a claim.

IRCC will send you an email asking for information about yourself, including photo(s).

After you reply, IRCC will send you another email with an Acknowledgement of Claim letter, which is proof that they’ve officially received your refugee claim. They'll also send you a letter similar to this one. You won’t be scheduled for an interview at this time. Once normal IRCC operations begin again, you‘ll be contacted by your local IRCC office and asked to bring in your original completed forms and any passports or identification that you have.

You must continue following your Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reporting conditions, if you have them.