Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB)
Statutory definition
Part 4 of the IRPA (ss 151–169) establishes the IRB, its four divisions, and the procedural framework for each. The RPD determines refugee protection claims; the RAD hears appeals from RPD decisions; the ID conducts admissibility hearings and detention reviews; and the IAD hears appeals of removal orders, refusals of family class sponsorship applications, and residency obligation determinations.
Explanation
The IRB is the largest independent administrative tribunal in Canada, deciding thousands of cases annually. Its decisions establish binding precedent (known as "Jurisprudential Guides") for member decisions within the Board. IRB decisions can be judicially reviewed in the Federal Court. The Board's independence from IRCC is a key feature of the refugee protection system — the government does not direct the Board's determinations on individual cases.