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Please note: this website was created in 2003 and there have been several changes in relevant Australian legislation since that time (probably Canadian too). The website is kept online as an overview of the situation at that time but has not and will not be updated. | |
Canada - Applying |
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< Canadian Immigration Form
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After eligibility to apply is confirmed by Citizenship & Immigration Canada asylum seekers deal with the Immigration Refugee Board (IRB). The IRB is an independent administrative tribunal that decides refugee claims. Members are appointed by the Canadian government. Applicants have 28 days to complete and lodge the
Personal Information Form (PIF), which is the main application document.
In the PIF applicants detail why they fear returning home. As the PIF is a long and complicated document, most asylum seekers try to get some legal assistance in filling it out. Legal Aid is available to applicants in some provinces but not all parts of Canada, and applicants first have to apply for it. Some community organisations also provide legal assistance. After lodging their PIF applicants wait for notification of when their case will be heard in the IRB, which usually takes between three and six months. Additional documents can be submitted and amendments made to support their application (things like identification documents, media reports from their home country) right up to the date of the hearing. For more detailed information on the in Canada application process see the Canadian Section of asylumlaw.org and the FCJ Refugee Project's How to Make a Refugee Claim in Canada |
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<< back to the Canadian Arrival section | continue to the Canadian Housing section >> see also: Australian Tour |