3. Prepare for your hearing
An Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) officer will review your Pre‑Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) form and your documents to decide which facts will be discussed at your oral hearing. Your hearing is also called an interview.
The officer will send you a notice of hearing telling you:
- the date, time, and place of your interview,
- to bring your identity documents, and
- a statement about the facts that will be raised at your hearing. For example, the notice of hearing might include questions about whether you asked the police for protection, or why you didn’t leave your country right away.
Before your hearing, you should review your notice of hearing, PRRA form, and all of the you submitted to check for information that is missing, not true, or different. It’s very important to get legal help to do this. Your lawyer or legal representative can write to the officer to ask them to explain anything that is not clear in the notice.
If you gave information that is not true on your PRRA form or at your eligibility interview, or if there is a problem with your identity documents or with other evidence you submit, your legal representative can help you explain this. It’s better to give an explanation ahead of time than to wait until your hearing.
If you completed your PRRA on your own, your legal representative can still review it and your evidence before your hearing.
Your legal representative can also help you get ready for the hearing by asking you questions that are similar to those the officer might ask you. The questions are based on the facts included in your notice of hearing.
Updating your PRRA
You can make changes to your PRRA form and affidavit before your hearing. These changes and any other documents you want to rely on for your hearing should be sent to IRCC 5 days before your hearing. But officers are also supposed to accept any evidence you bring to your hearing. They must also accept any evidence that you give after your hearing as long as they receive it before they make a decision.
Ask for an interpreter
You have the right to an interpreter at your hearing. Your ability to speak English or French isn’t important for your PRRA hearing. But it’s very important that you understand the questions that you are asked so you can answer accurately. If you need an interpreter, IRCC will provide one at no cost to you.
Ask for accommodation
If you have a disability or are a vulnerable person, you can write to the officer to ask for accommodations during your hearing.
