The transmission of documents electronically by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) through the use of Canada Post’s Connect service is at the discretion of the Divisions. Divisions may choose other methods of delivery to send documents to parties. Connect service allows for electronic file transfers that are secure, private, and confidential. The instructions below will guide you through the process of signing up for this service and receiving documents electronically from the IRB.
Please note that this process is for counsels who are members in good standing of a professional body (lawyers, or members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, Ontario paralegals and Quebec Notaries) who have clients with active cases before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB).
The process consists of five parts.
-
Sign up to submit documents to the IRB using Connect
- Submit a written request to the IRB to register to receive documents from the IRB through Connect
- Fill out and submit the form you will receive from the IRB
- The IRB will schedule a virtual meeting to verify your identity
- The Divisions will establish a new secure conversation with you to send you documents
Part I – Sign up to submit documents to the IRB using Connect
You have to
sign up to submit documents to the IRB using Connect.
Part II – Submit a written request to the IRB to register to receive documents from the IRB through Connect
You must send a written request indicating your intent to begin the identity verification process to receive documents from the IRB through Connect.
To do so, you must go to the existing Connect conversation of the region for which you wish to receive documents and send a written request containing the following information:
- Your first and last name
- Your role in the proceeding (e.g. counsel)
Please refer to the
Instructions on how to submit documents to the IRB for more details on how to submit documents to the IRB using Connect.
Part III – Fill out and submit the form you will receive from the IRB
Once the IRB has received your written request to be authenticated to receive documents from the IRB through Connect, the IRB will send you a form through Connect.
You must duly fill out the form and submit it to the IRB using the same Connect conversation from which you received the form.
Part IV – The IRB will schedule a virtual meeting to verify your identity
The IRB must verify the identity of anyone who wishes to receive documents from the Divisions through Connect. To do so, the IRB will contact you to schedule a virtual meeting, during which you will have to show a valid government ID by webcam, using Cisco WebEx.
Please note that this meeting may not be used to make general inquiries or inquiries about specific files.
Part V – The Divisions will establish a new secure conversation with you to send you documents
Each regional office of the divisions may establish a new secure conversation with you. As a final step, when a division in a specific region creates a new secure conversation, it will ask you to answer a security question.
Note: please
do not submit documents through the secure conversations with the divisions. If you wish to submit any documents to the IRB, please use the secure conversation intended for submitting documents.