A pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) hearing is a short, focused interview with an IRCC officer, usually held by Microsoft Teams, about the specific factual issues listed in your notice of hearing. It is not a refugee tribunal hearing. Your lawyer may attend, but IRCC’s guidance limits counsel to supporting you rather than leading the questioning. Other witnesses give evidence in writing, and IRCC does not record the hearing, so the officer’s notes become the main record of what you said. Preparation, and a careful note of everything that happens, matter more than in almost any other immigration interview.
This article combines IRCC’s current page on PRRA hearings with the hearing rules in sections 168 and 169 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) and practice points from the PRRA materials presented by refugee counsel Arghavan Gerami and Maureen Silcoff at the October 2026 CILA conference.
Key Takeaways
- The notice of hearing lists the issues of fact. The hearing is generally limited to those issues (IRPR s. 168(a)-(b)).
- IRCC holds PRRA hearings remotely by default. You can ask for an on-site virtual hearing without giving reasons, or for an in-person hearing if you explain why you need one.
- You must answer the officer’s questions. Your lawyer may assist you for that purpose (IRPR s. 168(c)), but IRCC’s guidance says counsel supports you and does not intervene on your behalf.
- Evidence from anyone other than you must be in writing; the officer may question that person to verify it (IRPR s. 168(d)).
- Nobody may record the hearing, including you and your lawyer. Take notes, and ask your lawyer to keep a detailed record.
- Missing two hearings leads to abandonment of the PRRA and removal (IRPR s. 169(a)).
Before the hearing: the notice and what it tells you
If the officer decides a hearing is needed, IRCC sends a “notification of hearing” letter through Connect or by mail. Under IRPR s. 168(a), the notice must state the time and place and the issues of fact that will be raised. Read that list closely. It tells you which parts of your account the officer is not prepared to accept on paper, and it defines the scope of the hearing: s. 168(b) restricts the hearing to those issues unless your own answers raise new ones.
For each listed issue, go back to your declaration, your Basis of Claim or narrative if you have one, your port-of-entry notes, your online portal answers and any earlier applications. Identify every place where your account could look inconsistent and be ready to explain it in your own words. Do not memorize a script; officers notice.
If you have not already seen your earlier statements, ask for them. The CILA materials recommended requesting disclosure of border and departmental notes and any adverse evidence the officer plans to rely on, and asking for time to respond to anything new.
Format: virtual by default
IRCC’s page says all PRRA hearings are held remotely, using Microsoft Teams. If remote participation is not workable, for example because you lack equipment or a private space, you can ask for an on-site virtual hearing at an IRCC office, and IRCC says you do not need to give reasons. An in-person hearing is available as an accommodation where needed for fairness and natural justice, for your health, safety or security, or for other vulnerabilities, but you must explain why. The instructions for both requests are in the notice letter.
Other accommodations should be raised before the hearing. The speakers listed trauma, gender-based violence, disability, mental health or cognitive barriers, interpretation, sexual orientation and gender identity considerations, privacy and safety as examples. Explain what you need and why it affects your ability to present your case.
Interpreters and observers
If you need an interpreter, complete the interpreter and observer request form sent with your notice; IRCC says the officer must then arrange one. You may also ask for observers, such as a family member or support person, and IRCC will tell you whether the request is approved.
The role of your lawyer
You have the right to a representative at the hearing. An unpaid representative can be a trusted friend or community member. According to IRCC’s page, a paid representative must be a registered immigration consultant, a lawyer in good standing, or in Quebec a notary in good standing.
What the representative can do is narrower than at the Refugee Protection Division. IRPR s. 168(c) says the applicant must respond to the officer’s questions and may be assisted “for that purpose” by counsel. The speaker noted that IRCC’s current PRRA guide goes further and says the representative may only support the applicant and cannot intervene on their behalf. Maureen Silcoff’s slides pointed to the practical gaps this creates: no established way for counsel to raise issues and get a response, and limited opportunity for clarifying questions.
Where the case calls for it, the CILA materials suggested asking in advance, in writing, for permission to:
- ask follow-up questions after the officer;
- clarify points that come up during questioning;
- respond to concerns the officer raises at the hearing; and
- make brief oral submissions.
Tie each request to your facts, such as trauma, interpretation difficulties, a complex chronology or a disputed earlier statement. The officer may refuse, but the request and the response become part of the record.
Witnesses give evidence in writing
IRCC’s page is blunt: you cannot bring witnesses unless the officer needs to hear from someone to confirm evidence. This reflects IRPR s. 168(d), which requires evidence from anyone other than the applicant to be in writing, while allowing the officer to question that person to verify it.
The practical lesson from the CILA paper is to prepare every witness statement on the assumption that the witness will never testify. A useful statement identifies the witness, their relationship to you, how they know what they say, what they saw personally, dates and places, how they learned anything they did not see, and any later events relevant to your risk. If live evidence from a particular witness is important, request it specifically and explain why the written statement alone is not enough.
No recording: why your notes matter
IRCC states that it does not record audio or video of PRRA hearings. The officer takes detailed notes. Nobody taking part may record the hearing, including you, your representative and any observer or support person. You may take notes.
Because the officer’s notes are not a verbatim transcript, the speaker recommended two steps:
- Ask for an official recording where credibility is central and this is your first oral protection hearing. If refused, ask that the request and the reasons be noted on the file.
- Keep a contemporaneous record. Your lawyer should note the questions asked, the substance of your answers, any interpretation problems, documents referred to, concerns the officer raised, attempts to clarify, requests made, rulings and breaks.
After a decision, IRPR s. 174 entitles you on request to a copy of the officer’s file notes recording the justification for the decision. Comparing those notes with your own record is often the first step in assessing a judicial review.
On the day
IRCC’s instructions are practical and worth following exactly:
- Join 15 minutes early through the link in the invitation email. You will wait in a virtual lobby; if you join too early you may be removed after 15 minutes and can reconnect.
- Use headphones with a microphone and keep your device plugged in.
- The officer will ask everyone to introduce themselves on the record, appear on camera and confirm they are alone, and will remind everyone that the hearing is confidential.
- Speak instead of nodding, mute when not speaking, give the interpreter time, and do not use your phone unless it is the device you are connected on.
- If you are disconnected, use the chat or raise your hand if you can, contact your representative, reconnect through the link or by phone. The officer will pause the hearing, and it can be rescheduled if the problem cannot be fixed.
If you do not show up
If you do not connect within 30 minutes of the start time, IRCC cancels the hearing and sends notice of a new one. Under IRPR s. 169(a), failing to appear at that second hearing results in the PRRA being declared abandoned, and IRCC warns that you will then be removed from Canada. If something prevents you from attending, tell IRCC immediately.
After the hearing
If the PRRA is refused, you have 15 days to file an application for leave and judicial review in the Federal Court (IRPA s. 72(2)(b)). The speaker noted that the regulatory stay of removal that applies while a PRRA is pending ends when the application is rejected, and filing for judicial review does not create an automatic stay, so removal must be addressed separately. See our guide to the Federal Court stay of removal test.
If you are still at the stage of deciding whether to ask for a hearing, our article on the IRPR s. 167 test for a PRRA oral hearing explains how to frame the request. For the PRRA process overall, see our PRRA guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my lawyer speak for me at a PRRA hearing?
Only in a limited way. You must answer the officer’s questions yourself. IRPR s. 168(c) lets counsel assist you for that purpose, and IRCC’s guidance says counsel supports you but does not intervene. You can ask in advance for permission for counsel to ask follow-up questions or make submissions.
Can I bring a witness?
Not as of right. Witness evidence must be in writing, and the officer may question a witness only to verify that evidence. Prepare detailed written statements and, if live evidence is essential, request it with reasons.
Will the hearing be recorded?
No. IRCC does not record PRRA hearings, and nobody attending may record them. The officer takes notes, and you can request a copy of the file notes after the decision under IRPR s. 174.
Can I ask for an in-person hearing?
Yes, as an accommodation. IRCC considers requests based on fairness and natural justice, health, safety or security, or other vulnerabilities, and you must explain why you need it. An on-site virtual hearing at an IRCC office can be requested without reasons.
What happens if I miss my hearing?
IRCC will cancel it and schedule another if you do not connect within 30 minutes. Missing the second hearing leads to the PRRA being declared abandoned.
Ask us about your matter
Tell us where your file stands and we will reply within two business days. Please do not send documents or identification numbers in this first message.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Immigration law and IRCC/ESDC policy change frequently, and every case turns on its own facts. Reading this article does not create a lawyer–client relationship. Obtain advice tailored to your situation before you act.
Talk to a Canadian immigration lawyer. BridgePoint Law advises individuals and businesses across Canada — and on Canada–US–China cross-border matters — on pre-removal risk assessments and refugee protection. Book a consultation with our team in Toronto and Kingston. We work in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.