December 6, 2012

IRB Itinerant Locations to be established in Edmonton and Winnipeg

“After a careful examination of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada’s (IRB) workload across the prairies, the IRB has determined that new dedicated videoconferencing sites will be established in Edmonton and Winnipeg. The Board has also determined that hearings, other than for detainees, will no longer be held in Saskatchewan. The establishment of these two videoconferencing sites will help the IRB continue to provide timely service to those with proceedings before it. The location of these sites means that most individuals residing in the Prairie Provinces will be within a day’s travel of an IRB office or a dedicated IRB videoconference location.

The sites in Edmonton and Winnipeg will serve primarily as itinerant (i.e. stand alone) videoconference facilities. In-person hearings at these locations will only take place in exceptional circumstances. The current fiscal climate has required the IRB to continue to improve efficiency while maintaining both fairness and service to the public. The IRB has been conducting hearings successfully by videoconferencing for several years and the technology has proven itself to be reliable and cost-effective.

The IRB will provide more details on as additional information becomes available, including specific locations and the dates on which the sites will become operational.”

This announcement is paramount to Bellissimo Law Group,  as we represent clients throughout Canada at the IRB.

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