Services / IRB Representation
IRB Representation
Advocacy before the Immigration and Refugee Board — refugee protection claims, admissibility hearings, detention reviews, and immigration appeals.
- Independent tribunal
- The IRB decides matters through four divisions. Decisions are made by tribunal members, not by any representative.
- Authorized representation
- Under section 91 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, only authorized representatives may represent you for a fee.
- Filing deadlines
- Tribunal deadlines are fixed and differ by division. Missing one can end the remedy entirely.
- Hearing format
- Most IRB proceedings are held by video, with in-person hearings where the tribunal requires them.
Omax Immigration Inc. — licensed Canadian immigration consultancy in Surrey, Canada.
About the IRB Representation
An Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) licensed representative is authorized to advocate for clients across all proceedings and divisions of Canada's immigration and refugee tribunal. The scope includes refugee protection claims, admissibility hearings, detention reviews, and immigration appeals.
The IRB is an independent tribunal — separate from IRCC — and proceedings before it follow their own rules, timelines, and evidence standards. Representation matters here more than almost anywhere else in the system: the record you build, the disclosure you file, and the advocacy at your hearing all shape the outcome. We prepare cases methodically and honestly, and we will tell you clearly what the realistic options and risks are.
Eligibility at a glance
- You have a matter before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (a claim, hearing, review, or appeal)
- Your matter falls within one of the IRB's four divisions: Refugee Protection Division (RPD), Refugee Appeal Division (RAD), Immigration Division (ID), or Immigration Appeal Division (IAD)
- Your representative is authorized to practice before the IRB — lawyers (provincially regulated) or RCIC-IRB Class L3 consultants licensed for unrestricted practice across all four divisions
- You can provide the documents and evidence relevant to your matter (refusal letters, IRB correspondence, prior applications)
Eligibility rules change. Confirm your specific situation on the CICC Public Register for our licensing, and with IRCC for current program requirements — or simply ask us in a consultation.
Where we can represent you before the IRB
Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board decides matters through four divisions. Each has its own procedures, timelines, and hearing styles.
| Division | Mandate | What representation covers |
|---|---|---|
| Refugee Protection Division (RPD) | Hears and decides refugee protection claims made in Canada. |
|
| Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) | Considers appeals of RPD decisions. |
|
| Immigration Division (ID) | Conducts admissibility hearings and detention reviews. |
|
| Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) | Hears appeals on complex immigration matters. |
|
Division by division
RPD
Refugee Protection Division (RPD)
Hears and decides refugee protection claims made in Canada.
Representative functions
- Represent claimants in first-instance hearings
- Prepare Basis of Claim (BOC) forms, evidence packages, and legal submissions
- Advocate at hearings
RAD
Refugee Appeal Division (RAD)
Considers appeals of RPD decisions.
Representative functions
- File and argue appeals
- Submit written legal arguments and evidence
- Request oral hearings in exceptional cases
- Seek confirmation, reversal, or reconsideration of RPD decisions
ID
Immigration Division (ID)
Conducts admissibility hearings and detention reviews.
Representative functions
- Represent clients in admissibility hearings (criminality, misrepresentation, security grounds)
- Advocate at detention reviews — within 48 hours of initial detention, then at 7 days, then every 30 days thereafter
IAD
Immigration Appeal Division (IAD)
Hears appeals on complex immigration matters.
Representative functions
- Family-class sponsorship refusal appeals
- Removal-order appeals for permanent residents and protected persons
- Residency-obligation appeals
- Minister's appeals of ID decisions
- Preparing appeal records, evidence, and oral submissions
Case screening & eligibility determination
Before we accept representation, every matter goes through the same four checks. If the record cannot support a remedy, we say so at this stage rather than after you have paid for a filing.
01 / Notice
Notice & file identification
We read the notice, summons, or procedural fairness letter you received, confirm which division and file it belongs to, and establish what has already been filed on your behalf.
Division and file confirmed
02 / Deadline
Deadline and limitation audit
Tribunal timelines are strict and differ by division. We confirm which limitation period applies to your matter, and whether a remedy remains available if a deadline has already passed.
Limitation period confirmed
03 / Forum
Correct forum
We confirm whether your issue belongs before an IRB division or the Federal Court. Filing in the wrong forum can cost you the remedy entirely, so this is checked before anything else is drafted.
Routing checked
04 / Merit
Evidentiary review
We assess the evidence you hold - documents, affidavits, medical or country-condition material - and tell you candidly where the record is thin before it is filed with the tribunal.
Record reviewed
Required documents checklist
Work through this list before your consultation — it makes the session dramatically more useful. Tick items off as you collect them.
1. Identity & travel history dossier
- Current and expired passports for you and any family members on the file
- Canadian visas, permits, stamps and entry records
- National identity cards, birth certificates and marriage or divorce certificates
2. Tribunal notices & official correspondence
- The notice to appear, referral or summons you received, in full
- Any IRCC refusal letter or procedural fairness letter, including the officer's reasons
- Any CBSA direction to report, section 44 report, or detention paperwork
- Prior applications and their IRCC or IRB reference numbers
3. Basis of claim & supporting evidence
- Your own chronological narrative of the events, in your words, with dates
- Medical, psychological or hospital documentation where it is relevant
- Police reports, threat letters, affidavits and any corroborating evidence you hold
- Country-condition material you want relied on (for example National Documentation Packages)
4. Representation authorizations
- Form IMM 5476 (Use of a Representative) for the applications on file
- Any notice of representation already filed with the tribunal
- The retainer or scope-of-services agreement for your matter
New content, written from public IRCC requirements — marked for RCIC review before launch. Requirements change; verify anything critical with IRCC or with us.
Why a checklist matters
Incomplete or inconsistent documents are the most common reason applications stall or get refused. We review your package against this list and help you explain any gaps honestly before anything is submitted.
Book a consultationThe irb representation process, step by step
A realistic map of what happens and when. Timelines vary with IRCC volumes and individual circumstances — we set expectations from published processing times, not promises.
- 1
Urgent case assessment
IRB matters run on strict clocks — some deadlines are measured in days. The first step is a focused assessment of your division, deadlines, and options.
- 2
Retainer & file build
Once engaged, we collect the full record: IRB correspondence, prior applications, identity documents, and all supporting evidence.
- 3
Disclosure & submissions
We prepare and file what the division requires — for example, Basis of Claim forms and evidence packages for RPD matters, or appeal records and written arguments for RAD and IAD matters.
- 4
Hearing preparation
We rehearse the hearing with you: the questions to expect, the evidence in play, and how your testimony and documents fit together.
- 5
Hearing & advocacy
We represent you at the hearing, examine and cross-examine witnesses where the rules allow, and advocate on your behalf before the division.
- 6
Decision & next steps
We explain the decision and its consequences, and — where the rules allow — pursue confirmation, reversal, reconsideration, or further appeal options.
New content, written from public IRCC requirements — marked for RCIC review before launch.
Scope limitations — read this part
Clear limits protect you from anyone implying authority they do not have.
- An IRB-licensed representative does not issue visas or make immigration application decisions — those powers belong exclusively to IRCC.
- An IRB-licensed representative has no CBSA enforcement powers — no removals and no law-enforcement investigations.
- Authorized IRB practitioners are lawyers (provincially regulated) and RCIC-IRB Class L3 consultants, who may practice without restriction across all four IRB divisions.
Questions clients ask before an IRB matter
Procedural answers, drawn from publicly documented IRB practice. Nothing here is advice about your specific case — that is what the consultation is for.
Lawyers (regulated by their provincial law society) and RCIC-IRB Class L3 consultants licensed for unrestricted practice across all four IRB divisions. You may represent yourself, or be assisted by a designated representative in limited circumstances, but only lawyers and RCIC-IRB Class L3 consultants may act as your paid representative at a hearing.
The Immigration Division reviews the reasons for your detention on a fixed schedule: within 48 hours of the initial detention, again at seven days, and then every 30 days while detention continues. A representative can present evidence about your identity, your ties to the community, and alternatives to detention, and can advocate for release with conditions.
In many cases yes - the Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) can review an RPD decision on the record, and it may hold an oral hearing in exceptional circumstances. Appeal windows are short and strictly enforced, so the practical step is to contact a representative as soon as you receive the decision rather than waiting to see whether an appeal is worthwhile.
Book your irb representation consultation
Choose a time that works for you. Your booking is confirmed after our team reviews it — and your consultation fee is shown before you pay anything.
We pick the time together — person to person
Tell us what you want to cover and when you are free. Call or email and our team will come back with a few times that fit your schedule, then hold the slot for you once you confirm. No time zones to guess, no forms to fight with.