If your sponsorship case, residency obligation, or removal matter can be appealed, the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) may be the proper forum. We help clients understand whether an appeal exists, what deadlines apply, and how to prepare a persuasive file.
If an immigration application, sponsorship, residency obligation, or removal-related matter has gone wrong, you may feel uncertain about what can be done next. The right response depends on the type of decision, the deadline, the reasons given, and the evidence available.
This service is for people who need help understanding appeal or review options before taking the next step.
If your sponsorship case, residency obligation, or removal matter can be appealed, the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) may be the proper forum. We help clients understand whether an appeal exists, what deadlines apply, and how to prepare a persuasive file.
Even when there are no strict legal grounds for appeal, the IAD may consider humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) factors, including:
Appeals are deadline-driven. For example, some removal order appeals must be received by the IAD within 30 days of receiving the removal order. Timing, evidence disclosure, and hearing preparation all matter.
Appeal-related files require careful review of the decision, deadlines, evidence, and available procedures. RA Migration understands that the wrong next step can waste time or weaken a future response.
We help review refusal reasons, organize supporting documents, identify missing evidence, and explain possible options in plain language. Where representation is appropriate, we help prepare the file with accuracy and attention to detail.
If you are dealing with a refusal or appeal issue, RA Migration can help you understand your options before you act.
It’s almost never over, but the clock is ticking, and the right move depends entirely on what you were refused for and which program. Your options may include:
Reapplying with a stronger file (often the fastest route if the refusal was about missing evidence or a weak explanation).
An appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD), available for certain family sponsorship refusals, removal orders, and residency obligation cases.
Judicial review at the Federal Court, a legal challenge arguing the officer made an unreasonable decision or breached procedural fairness. Strict 15 or 60 day deadline.
A humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) application if there are exceptional circumstances.
The first thing to do after a refusal is get the officer’s notes (the GCMS notes). They reveal why the file was actually refused. Don’t reapply blindly.
In most cases, yes. If the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) of the Immigration and Refugee Board denies your claim, you generally have the right to appeal to the Refugee Appeal Division (RAD). The appeal must be filed within 15 days of receiving written reasons for the RPD decision, and a full appeal record including written submissions is generally due within 30 days of the notice of appeal. These deadlines are strict, and missing them is often fatal to the appeal.
Not everyone has RAD access. Designated Foreign Nationals, claims found to be manifestly unfounded or with no credible basis, and claims from certain safe country agreements may be barred. If you’re barred from RAD, your only option is judicial review at the Federal Court. Our lead consultant is authorized to represent clients before the IRB.
A Pre‑Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) is often the last chance to stop a removal. It’s an application to IRCC asking them to assess whether returning you to your country would expose you to persecution, torture, risk to life, or cruel and unusual treatment. You cannot simply choose to apply. CBSA will notify you of your eligibility when removal proceedings begin and provide you with the application kit.
There is generally a 12‑month bar. If your refugee claim or a previous PRRA was refused, abandoned, or withdrawn, you typically cannot apply again for 12 months. IRCC maintains a list of country‑specific exemptions that change over time.
Deadlines are extremely tight, usually 15 days if you received the kit in person, or up to 22 to 30 days by mail. PRRAs are almost always decided on paper, not at a hearing, so the quality of written submissions and supporting evidence is everything. Approval rates are historically lower than RPD hearings. If you’ve received a PRRA notification or are facing imminent removal, do not wait.
Misrepresentation is one of the most serious findings in Canadian immigration law. It results in a 5‑year ban on entering Canada or applying for any status, and it stays on your record. A finding can come from something as seemingly small as inconsistent answers on different forms, an undisclosed past refusal from another country, or an employer or school providing false documents on your behalf (you can be found inadmissible even if the misrepresentation was done by someone else).
What you can do:
Judicial review at the Federal Court, challenging the finding itself if the officer’s analysis was unreasonable or procedurally unfair. Tight deadlines apply.
Wait out the 5‑year ban, then reapply with a strong, complete file that explicitly acknowledges the prior finding and addresses it head‑on. Hiding it will make things worse.
Apply for a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) if you have a compelling reason to enter Canada.
Apply for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) grounds if exceptional circumstances justify overriding inadmissibility.
Yes, potentially, and this is one of the most urgent developments in Canadian refugee law. Bill C‑12, the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, received royal assent on March 26, 2026. It creates two new eligibility bars that stop certain claims from being referred to the Refugee Protection Division (RPD):
The one‑year rule: A claim made more than one year after your first entry into Canada after June 24, 2020 is ineligible for the RPD, regardless of whether you left and returned.
The 14‑day rule: A claim made by someone who entered between ports of entry along the Canada to US land border and filed more than 14 days later is ineligible for the RPD.
The critical part for your question: these bars apply retroactively to claims made on or after June 3, 2025, INCLUDING claims already referred to the RPD. IRCC has already started issuing procedural fairness letters to affected claimants, some received them within days of the bill becoming law. If you fall into one of these categories, your RPD claim can be terminated even though it was already in progress.
People affected by the new bars are redirected to the Pre‑Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) process instead of a full RPD hearing. PRRA approval rates are historically much lower than RPD approval rates, and decisions are almost always made on paper. Constitutional challenges to Bill C‑12 are underway, but outcomes will take time.
If you’ve made a refugee claim and either rule could apply to you, contact us immediately, especially if you’ve received any procedural fairness letter from IRCC. The sooner we respond, the more options you have.
