Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do
Raison d’être
The mission of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), on behalf of Canadians, is to resolve immigration and refugee cases efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law.
Mandate and role
Refugee Protection Division (RPD)
- Decides claims for refugee protection
- Decides applications for vacation of refugee protection
- Decides applications for cessation of refugee protection
Refugee Appeal Division (RAD)
- Where the right of appeal is exercised, decides appeals against decisions of the RPD allowing or rejecting claims for refugee protection
Immigration Division (ID)
- Conducts admissibility hearings for foreign nationals or permanent residents who seek entry into Canada, or who are already in Canada and are alleged to be inadmissible
- Conducts detention reviews for foreign nationals or permanent residents who are detained for immigration reasons
Immigration Appeal Division (IAD)
- Decides appeals of family class sponsorship applications where Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) refuses to issue permanent resident visas
- Decides appeals from certain removal orders made against permanent residents, Convention refugees and other protected persons, and holders of permanent resident visas
- Decides appeals by permanent residents in which an IRCC officer outside Canada has decided that they have not fulfilled their residency obligation
- Decides appeals by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness of ID decisions at admissibility hearings