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For refugee and immigration lawyers

This page includes information and links for refugee lawyers.

Table of contents

  1. LAO’s refugee roster standards
  2. Basis of claim
  3. Refugee Protection Division hearings
  4. Refugee Appeal Division and Federal Court judicial reviews
  5. Immigration Detention Representation Program
  6. Ongoing consultations
  7. Resources for refugee roster lawyers
  8. Help for clients

LAO’s refugee roster standards

All lawyers who represent legal aid clients must belong to the roster(s) for the type(s) of law they practice. Roster standards help ensure that legal aid clients receive high‑quality services.

Learn more about the refugee roster.

Basis of Claim

LAO requires roster members to submit completed (signed and dated) Basis of Claim (BOC) forms and narratives to LAO within 30 days of completing the BOC. This requirement applies to all BOC certificates, whether an RPD hearing authorization is or will be requested.

Learn more.

Refugee Protection Division hearings

Basis of Claim certificates can be amended to include coverage for RPD hearings.

Learn more.

Refugee Appeal Division and Federal Court judicial reviews

Only members of LAO’s refugee and immigration appellate roster can acknowledge Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) and judicial review certificates and represent LAO clients at the RAD and Federal Court.

  • Learn about coverage for RAD appeals.
  • Learn about judicial review merit assessment opinion certificates.

Other immigration services

  • Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) application
  • Pre-Removal Risk Assessment application
  • Detention review hearing
  • Request to defer removal from Canada
  • Stay motions
  • Cessation or vacation application
  • IAD removal order appeal and residency obligation appeal
  • IAD sponsorship appeal
  • Admissibility hearing
  • Interviews with or submissions to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) or the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)
  • Habeas corpus application

Immigration Detention Representation Program

LAO invites lawyers on the general immigration and refugee law roster to participate in the Immigration Detention Representation Program (IDRP).


Ongoing consultations

LAO consults regularly with its key stakeholders, including:

  • Quarterly meetings with the Refugee Lawyers Association and the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers
  • Regular meetings with LAO’s Immigration and Refugee Law Advisory Committee
  • Quarterly meetings with the Ontario Coalition of Service Providers for Refugee Claimants

We also consult directly with the refugee bar. Go to our consultation page.


Resources for refugee roster lawyers

  • Refugee lawyer practice manual
  • Refugee case law toolkit: A starting place for practitioners
  • Training modules and materials for LAO roster members. Log in to LAO LAW, select Learning Opportunities from the main menu.

Help for clients

A refugee claimant or immigrant legal aid applicant without a lawyer can choose one of three service providers, based on their needs and location.

  • Private bar lawyer (use LAO’s Find‑a‑lawyer tool)
  • LAO staff office
  • A community legal aid clinic

Clients can contact Legal Aid Ontario for more information.

Call us at 1‑800‑668‑8258 (toll‑free), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., or visit the refugee and immigration law and services for refugee claimants section of this website.

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Further Reading Pages

Immigration Detention Representation Program

Pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) applications and coverage

Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) applications

Habeas Corpus

Deferral requests

Judicial review

Refugee Appeal Division (RAD)

Refugee Protection Division Hearings

Sending LAO your refugee and immigration documents

Practice directions

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