The IRB continues to monitor the evolving situation and the measures in place to protect the health and safety of our employees and those who appear before the Board. Further to the IRB’s Practice Notices dated March 15, 2020, the IRB has issued a new Practice Notice outlining several special measures related to COVID-19, including:
Continued suspension of in-person hearings until further notice, except detention reviews and some admissibility hearings involving detained persons.
Advance notice before resuming hearings subject to specific exceptions.
IRB will be flexible with respect to the application of its rules where the parties have difficulty complying with them due to the COVID-19 situation.
Extension to time Limits are granted for certain Division-specific matters.
To facilitate communication, the Immigration Division and Immigration Appeal Division are now accepting communication by email. The RPD continues to accept documents by Canada Post e-Post. Divisions are exploring various options to facilitate communication and will provide updates as and when available
Finally, the IRB recognizes the critical importance of the open court principle, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the media wishing to access proceedings should contact IRB Media Relations.
The IRB may issue further Notices when appropriate, including the resumption of in-person hearings. Please check the IRB website regularly for updates.