About

This website gives refugee claimants some idea of what to expect when they go to their refugee protection hearings at the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB).

Drawings show a typical Refugee Protection Division hearing room and waiting room at the IRB in Toronto. Brief descriptions include information about who may be there and their role in the refugee hearing process.

There is also information that may help claimants:

• Before their hearing
• On the day of their hearing
• After their hearing

Applying for refugee status in Canada is complicated. This website gives only basic information about the refugee hearing process. Refugee claimants should try to get legal help. More information on the refugee claim process is available at Refugee Rights in Ontario.

CLEO

This website is a project of CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario / Éducation juridique communautaire Ontario), a non-profit organization that develops practical legal rights information to help people who have low incomes or face other barriers, such as language or literacy, to understand and exercise their legal rights. Its core funding is provided by Legal Aid Ontario and the Department of Justice of Canada. It receives project funding from the Law Foundation of Ontario. Visit CLEO's website for more information.