Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Consultative Committee

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Meeting bi-annually, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada’s Consultative Committee (IRB CC) brings together stakeholders from across Canada with specialized knowledge and expertise and IRB’s senior management. These stakeholders represent lawyers, immigration consultants, refugee advocacy organizations, and provincial legal aid programs. This committee allows for a more comprehensive understanding of our operational reality and priorities and enhances the development and review of our policies, tools, processes and initiatives through formalized and frequent engagement with stakeholders.

Last meeting: May 31, 2023​

​Terms of Reference

The Terms of Reference for the IRB CC are currently being reviewed and will be posted on this page at a later date.​

Membership

IRB (internal) IRB CC membership includes: 

  • Chairperson
  • Chief of Staff
  • Executive Director
  • Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Protection Division
  • Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Appeal Division
  • Deputy Chairperson, Immigration Division
  • Deputy Chairperson, Immigration Appeal Division
  • Senior General Counsel, Legal Services
  • Director General, Operations and Regional Services
  • Chief Innovation and Technology Officer
  • Director General, Strategic Directions and Corporate Affairs
  • Senior Director, Policy, Engagement and Parliamentary Affairs
  • Secretariat: Outreach and Engagement Unit

Stakeholder (external) IRBCC members include representatives from: 

  • Aide juridique Montréal|Laval (1 member)
  • Association québécoise des avocats et avocates en droit de l'immigration (AQAADI) (2 members)
  • Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC) (2 members)
  • Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL) (2 members)
  • Canadian Bar Association (CBA) (3 members)
  • Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) (3 members)
  • Legal Aid British Columbia (1 member)
  • Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) (1 member)
  • Refugee Lawyers Association of Ontario (RLA) (1 member)
  • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Office (UNHCR) (1 member)
Overview of the Last Meeting​​

The IRB CC last convened in Ottawa on May 31, 2023 for the Spring 2023 Biannual Meeting. Each of the four IRB Divisions provided an overview of their accomplishments for fiscal year 2022-23 and presented their operational plans for fiscal year 2023-24. Areas of discussion throughout the day included important issues, such as the IRB’s Designated Representatives program, the IRB’s updated hearings operating model, the review of the Chairperson’s Guidelines, and the IRB’s Digital Agenda, amongst others.​