Immigration and Refugee Board Representation in Toront
Oracle Legal Services can help persons appearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board navigate a difficult and often frightening process with professionalism and sensitivity. A hearing before the IRB can decide whether you and your family stay in Canada. The process is unfamiliar, the deadlines are strict, and small mistakes are difficult to undo.
We offer a free 20-minute consultation. If your matter is urgent, please call us rather than waiting to see whether a deadline passes.
Matters we handle before the IRB
- Refugee protection claims before the Refugee Protection Division, including preparing your Basis of Claim and representing you at your hearing
- Refugee appeals to the Refugee Appeal Division after a negative decision
- Admissibility hearings before the Immigration Division
- Detention reviews, where a person is held in immigration detention
- Immigration appeals to the Immigration Appeal Division, including sponsorship refusals, removal orders, and residency obligation appeals
Who handles your file
Paralegals licensed by the Law Society of Ontario are authorized to represent clients before the Immigration and Refugee Board. Kamal M-Rezabeik, our licensed paralegal, handles IRB matters directly.
Legal services that are not related to an IRB hearing fall outside the paralegal scope of practice. For those, our firm works with Razieh Dinarvand, a licensed immigration consultant and member in good standing of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, who handles applications to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, including work permits, permanent residence, sponsorship, and pre-removal risk assessments.
That means you do not have to assemble a team yourself, or find out partway through your file that your representative cannot take the next step with you.
Refugee claims
A refugee claim turns on evidence and on your own account of what you fear. The Board will examine your story closely, and inconsistencies can affect the outcome, even ones that seem minor or that come from trauma or translation.
We help you prepare your Basis of Claim carefully and on time, gather country-condition and personal documents that support your case, prepare you for the questions you will be asked, and represent you at the hearing itself.
Immigration appeals
A refusal is not always the end. The Immigration Appeal Division hears several types of appeal:
- Appeals of family class sponsorship applications refused by IRCC
- Appeals of removal orders made against permanent residents, protected persons, and holders of a permanent resident visa
- Appeals by permanent residents found by an IRCC official outside Canada not to have fulfilled their residency obligation
- Appeals by the Minister of Public Safety where the Immigration Division found a person not inadmissible
If you are a sponsor, you have the right to appeal the refusal of a permanent resident visa application made by the person you sponsored, under section 63(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Your completed Notice of Appeal, together with a copy of the IRCC refusal letter, must reach the Immigration Appeal Division no later than 30 days after you received that refusal letter.
Appeal deadlines are short, often measured in days, so it is worth finding out quickly whether you have one.
If an application has already been refused and no appeal is available, the decision may still be challenged by judicial review in the Federal Court. If the Court finds the case was decided improperly, it can be sent back to a new decision maker. You do not need to be physically in Canada for this process.
Recent changes to refugee eligibility
Canada’s refugee rules changed significantly in 2026, and some claims are now barred from being referred to the IRB at all. If you have received a letter from IRCC about your eligibility, please do not ignore it, and do not assume it is the final word. Other options may remain open to you.
What to bring to your consultation
Any letters or notices you have received from IRCC, CBSA, or the IRB; your passport and any travel documents; a record of the dates you entered Canada; and any documents connected to the risk you fear. If you do not have all of these, come anyway. We can work out what is missing.
Frequently asked questions
Can a paralegal represent me at the Immigration and Refugee Board?
Yes. Paralegals licensed by the Law Society of Ontario are authorized representatives for IRB proceedings.
What happens at a refugee hearing?
A Board member hears your evidence and asks questions about your claim. Hearings are usually held by videoconference, and an interpreter is provided if you need one.
What if my claim is refused?
Many claimants have a right of appeal to the Refugee Appeal Division, but not all. Certain claims can only be challenged by judicial review at the Federal Court. And if your claim was found ineligible to be referred to the IRB, a different process applies altogether. The deadlines in every one of these routes are short, so speak to a representative immediately after receiving a decision.
Do you offer services in other languages?
Yes. We serve clients in English and Farsi.
Speak with us
Book a free 20-minute consultation, or call 647-872-3484
