Difference between revisions of "Permanent Residence Application Process (18:V)"

Once a foreign national makes a claim for protection, an immigration officer will interview him or her and determine if the person is eligible to make a claim. There are several classes of ineligible people listed at s 101 of the IRPA. For example, if a foreign national has previously made a Convention refugee claim in Canada, and the claim was accepted, refused, withdrawn or abandoned, that person is “ineligible” to make another claim. If a foreign national is determined “ineligible,” the process stops. At  the  eligibility  interview,  the  interviewing  immigration  officer  will  obtain  the  detailed reasons why the foreign national fears persecution. A foreign national should be prepared to accurately  outline  the  details  of  his  or  her  account  of  events  leading  to  the  claim for protection. 3.Basis of Claim Form (BOC) Once  a foreign  national is  determined  to  be eligible  to  submit  a  Convention  refugee claim, the  foreign  national  will  be  given  a  Conditional  Departure  Order.  This  is  a  removal  order that only comes into effect if the person loses the claim for protection.  The foreign national is now a Convention refugee claimant. The claimant will have 15 days to file the BOC. This is  the  most  important  obligation  on  a  Convention  refugee  claimant,  with  the  exception  of attending  their  hearing.  Similarly,  refugee  claimants  in  the  new  system  will  file  the  shorter BOC forms.  Claimants will require help in preparing their BOC. In the BOC, a claimant must outline the precise  reason(s)  for  their  well-founded  fear  of  persecution.  This  includes  a  narrative outlining  the  dates,  incidents  of  persecution,  why  they  are  afraid,  etc.  The BOC  should include facts that support the claimant’s fear, and that address the requirements set out  in  the  IRPA.  For example,  the BOC  should  address  why  the claimant  has  no  internal flight alternative, how the state is involved or complicit in the persecution, etc. This account of events will form the basis of the request for protection at the hearing. 4.Refugee Hearing The Convention refugee claimant will be scheduled for an oral hearing to assess their  claim.  This  hearing  is  not  open  to  the  public.  The  Presiding  Member  and  Refugee  Protection Officer will question the claimant regarding the BOC. The Minister may also intervene in the hearing  and  question  the  claimant  if  they  allege  the  claimant  should  be  excluded  from refugee protection under IRPA s 98.Note  that  if  the  claimant  wishes  to  rely  on  documents, he  or  she  must  file  or  serve  those documents  not  less  than  20  days  before  the  hearing.  If  the  Minister  intervenes,  they  must also be served within the same time frame. If there are documents in other languages, they must be translated (Rule 28). Claimants  may  represent  themselves  at  the  hearing  or  be  represented  by  counsel. Representation  by  counsel  is  always  preferable.  Interpreters  are  provided  if  required. Claimants  may  request  that  a  family  member  or  friend  be  present  at  the  hearing  for emotional support.  NOTE:  Claimants (and their counsel) must be very familiar with the content of their BOC before the  hearing.  Claimants  must  be  prepared  to elaborate  on  the  details  outlined in  the  BOC.Inconsistencies with the facts as stated in the BOC may be interpreted by a decision-maker as weakening the claimant’ s credibility.  5.Refugee Appeal Division  The  Refugee  Appeal  Division  (RAD)  considers  appeals  against  decisions  of  the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) to allow or reject claims for refugee protection. In most cases, there