Refugee Claim
Document Checklist
Generate a personalized document checklist for your refugee claim based on your specific situation.
Your Claim Information
What the rules say about documents
Copies, originals and missing documents
The IRB states that clear copies are sent to the RPD and that originals are not needed unless the RPD asks for them, but that both originals and copies should be at the hearing (RPD Rule 42). A claimant without acceptable identity documents must explain why and what steps were taken to obtain them (RPD Rule 11).
Timing
Documents for the hearing must be received no later than 10 days before the hearing date, or 5 days for a document that responds to another document (RPD Rule 34(3)). The IRB states that evidence sent early may allow the RPD to decide a claim sooner, or to accept it without a hearing.
Country conditions
The IRB's National Documentation Package for each country is already treated as evidence in every claim. Additional country evidence is accepted when it is not already in the NDP, up to 100 pages per country without an application.
Translation
Every document in a language other than English or French needs a translation and a signed translator's declaration (RPD Rule 32). The IRB states that translations produced by software, artificial intelligence or web services are not accepted.