You should send documents to support your claim for refugee protection. The documents are called
evidence.
Important: Start collecting evidence as soon as you can, so that you are ready when your hearing is scheduled.
Do not wait. If you send your evidence early, the
RPD may be able to decide your claim sooner,
or even accept your claim without a hearing.
On this page
What evidence should you send
The RPD accepts:
-
personal evidence: information about you and your refugee claim
-
country conditions evidence: information about the conditions in your country
We must get your evidence as early as possible or no later than
10 days before your hearing. If we do not get it by that deadline, the RPD may decide that you cannot use the evidence.
Personal evidence
You must tell us who you are. Send us copies of any official documents that include your name and date of birth. The copies need to be clear and easy to read.
For example, send clear copies of:
Official documents
- Passport
- National identity card
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate
- Driver's license
- Military document
Other documents
- School transcript or certificate
- Professional card
- Religious membership card
You don’t need to send your original documents, unless the RPD asks for them. Have all your documents with you for your hearing, both originals and copies.
If you don’t have your original identity documents, you may need to explain:
- why you don’t have them
- how you tried to get them before your hearing
You may have given your original documents, like your passport, to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) or Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). They will send copies to the RPD.
Other important evidence
You should send any other documents that you feel are important and help show the RPD member why you need protection. This evidence could help show that you:
- can be believed and are telling the truth
- have a real fear of being persecuted in your country
- face a risk in your country that is specific to you, and not a risk that everyone faces in your country
- will not be protected by the government in your country
- would not be safe in a different part of your country
Here are some examples of evidence you can send:
- proof of membership in political organizations
- police reports or documents
- travel visas
- sworn statements from witnesses
- medical or psychological reports
- travel documents (airplane, train, or bus tickets)
- notes or recordings of threats of violence against you
- news clippings
- photographs
- business records
These are just examples. You can send any evidence you think supports your claim.
Country conditions evidence
The
IRB produces a National Documentation Package (NDP) for every country. It is a collection of public documents that give information about country conditions.
Check the material already available:
Remember to check for the newest version of the
NDP for your home country before your hearing. Do
not send us documents from the NDP. We already consider them to be part of the evidence in each claim.
The RPD member may also decide to use other documents:
- other reports produced by the IRB research team
- media articles
- reports from human rights organizations
If the RPD member decides to use other documents, we will send you copies of those documents before your hearing.
You may also have information about your country that is not in the NDP. You can get reports from respected sources on political, social, cultural, economic, and human rights conditions in your country. You can send this information to the RPD for the RPD member to use when deciding your claim.
Important: You can send country evidence for your claim if it is not already in the NDP. The page limit is 100 pages. If your claim involves multiple countries, the page limit is 100 pages for each country.
If you have more than 100 pages for a country, send an
Application to send voluminous disclosure to the Refugee Protection Division.
An RPD member will decide if the evidence is relevant to your claim.
What is a witness
You can bring a
witness to your hearing. A witness knows about your claim and can give information that will help support your claim.
Witnesses must be ready to answer any questions about the information they give. They cannot join the hearing before they testify. They will be told when to join the hearing.
At least 10 days before the date of your hearing, send the RPD information about each of your witnesses, including:
- their address, telephone number or other contact information
- your relationship to the witness
You must explain why they will be speaking at the hearing and what information they can share.
You must tell us how much time they will need to speak at the hearing. You must also tell us if the witness needs an interpreter and the language and dialect they will use.
You can ask us if your witness can attend:
- in person
- by videoconference
- by telephone
If the witness is an expert:
- tell us about their expertise and qualifications
- ask them to write and sign a summary of what they will say at the hearing
- send the signed summary to the RPD
The RPD member will decide at your hearing if they need to hear the witness.