What happens on the day of my IRB hearing?
Short answer
In Canada, at a Refugee Protection Division hearing, the member introduces the people present, explains how the hearing will run, asks the claimant to promise to tell the truth, and then asks questions about their background, their documents and the legal issues in the claim.
In detail
The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) describes the hearing as a session where the member begins with introductions and an explanation of how things will proceed, before taking the claimant's promise to tell the truth.
The questions asked deal in particular with the person's background, the documents that have been filed, and the legal issues that matter to the refugee claim. The member reviews the documents entered into evidence and assigns each a number, and may also look at originals brought to the hearing.
The IRB also indicates that some less complex refugee claims may go through a short-hearing process or a file-review process. Which process applies depends on the file.
What to document
Before the hearing: a numbered list of your documents and where the originals are. After the hearing: write down the same day what you were asked, what you answered, and which documents came up. Memory fades quickly, and these dated notes are useful if an appeal follows.
Put your facts in writing, free. Writing your version down early, keeping your documents dated and preparing your questions for a lawyer: the tool is there to document, never to advise.
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Official sources
- Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada — Claiming refugee protection: attending your hearing
- Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada — Less complex refugee claims (short-hearing process, file-review process)
Related questions
- What documents do I need to bring to my refugee hearing?
- What do I do if I do not understand a question from the Board member?
- How many days do I have to spend in Canada to keep my permanent residence?
- Does time spent abroad with my Canadian spouse count?
- I work abroad for a Canadian company does that count toward my permanent residence?
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What this page is not
This is general legal information about the law of Quebec and Canada, dated and sourced. It is not legal advice, not a strategy, and not a prediction about the outcome of a case. In Quebec, only lawyers and notaries may give legal advice (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128 and 133). Laws and amounts change: the official source always prevails over us.