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Français LAO Client Portal
Français LAO Client Portal
  • Services
    • Temporary service changes due to COVID-19
    • COVID-19 and the courts: Answers to frequently asked questions
    • Our services
    • Criminal legal issues
    • Domestic Violence
    • Family legal issues
    • Mental health legal issues
    • Refugee and immigration legal issues
    • Legal clinics
    • How to apply
    • Find a lawyer
      • Finding the right legal aid lawyer
    • What do you think about our services?
  • For legal professionals
    • COVID-19: Ongoing list of supports for lawyers
    • LASA 2020 process updates for lawyers
    • Changes to policies and certificate coverage
    • Roster resources
      • Audit & Compliance
      • Billing
      • Case management
      • Forms library
      • Legal Aid Services Act, 2020 policies
      • Legal Aid Online
      • LAO LAW
      • More resources
    • Do legal aid work
    • Mentoring
    • Test case funding
    • News for lawyers
    • B3 Newsletters
    • Contacts for lawyers
  • Corporate
    • About
    • Rules and policies
    • By-laws
    • Board of Directors
    • Executive Team
    • Board Advisory Committees
    • Our clients
    • Sidney B. Linden Award
    • French Language Services
    • Consultations
    • Open Government
    • Reports
    • Publications
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    • Contact Us
  • FAQ

For refugee and immigration lawyers

This page includes information and links for refugee lawyers.

Table of contents

  1. LAO’s refugee roster standards
  2. Practice directions
  3. Basis of claim
  4. Refugee Protection Division hearings
  5. Refugee Protection Division expedites
  6. Concurrent refugee/immigration service coverage
  7. Refugee Appeal Division and Federal Court judicial reviews
  8. Certificate eligibility for H&C applications, stay motions or deferrals
  9. Immigration Detention Representation Program
  10. Ongoing consultations
  11. Resources for refugee panel lawyers
  12. Help for clients
  13. Questions

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.

The standards for LAO’s refugee roster provide the experience and professional development requirements that refugee lawyers must meet. They include:

  • Minimum experience requirements for refugee and immigration general services
    For lawyers conducting first instance Refugee Protection Division (RPD) and immigration work.
  • Minimum experience requirements for refugee and immigration appellate services
    For lawyers who litigate at the Refugee Appeal Division and Federal Court.

Learn more about the refugee roster.

Practice directions

LAO’s practice directions clarify practices and establish expectations for certain aspects of LAO‑funded refugee and immigration services.

Basis of Claim

LAO subject matter experts will assess merit for hearing coverage by reviewing your Basis of Claim (BOC). To request hearing coverage, please upload a copy of your client’s BOC as soon as it is filed, along with a copy of any Notice to Appear and/or Confirmation of Referral form.

Refugee Protection Division hearings

LAO subject matter experts will assess merit for hearing coverage, only in cases where a hearing has been scheduled. Where merit is established, a new certificate will be issued for coverage for services leading up to the RPD hearing, including whether the lawyer’s account is eligible for more hours to cover the cost of preparing for each subsequent sitting at the RPD and/or the preparation of written submissions. Learn more.

Refugee Protection Division expedites

Effective immediately, claimants who apply for Refugee Protection Division (RPD) coverage will be issued a 3 hour expedite legal aid certificate. Learn more.

Concurrent refugee/immigration service coverage

LAO will fund, where there is merit, multiple refugee and/or immigration services at the same time, based on the recommendation of LAO staff.

Refugee Appeal Division and Federal Court judicial reviews

Only members of LAO’s refugee and immigration appellate panel 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.

Certificate eligibility for H&C applications, stay motions, or deferrals

Clients can make a Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) application, stay motion, or a request to defer removal from Canada.


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
  • Bi-annual meetings with LAO Board’s Immigration and Refugee Law Advisory Committee.
  • Quarterly meetings with the LAO/Immigration and Refugee Board/Department of Justice /Canada Border Services Agency/Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada committee.

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


Resources for refugee panel lawyers

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

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. – 5:00 p.m., or visit the refugee and immigration law and services for refugee claimants section of this website.


Questions

Email: refugeestandards@lao.on.ca.

  • This form is feedback only.

Further Reading Pages

Immigration Detention Representation Program

Pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) applications and coverage

Resources

Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) applications

Stays, cessation, vacation

Habeas Corpus

Deferral requests

Judicial review

Refugee Appeal Division (RAD)

Concurrent refugee/immigration service coverage

Refugee Protection Division Hearings

Expedited refugee protection

Sending LAO your refugee and immigration documents

Practice directions

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