1. Get documents to prove your identity
Question and answer
What evidence do I need for my refugee hearing?It's good to have documents from your country that prove who you are. Some examples of identity documents are:
- birth certificate
- national identity card
- passport
- driver's license
- political membership card or a letter confirming your political activity
- professional or religious membership card
- any other official document with your name and date of birth
If Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) or Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) took your passport or other identity documents when you made your refugee claim, they will give you a certified copy and also send a copy to the (RPD).
Other documents that can help prove who you are include:
- school certificates
- military documents
- marriage or divorce certificate
- baptism certificate
You can also try to get a letter or affidavit from someone who knows you and can confirm facts about you. Affidavits and are usually better support for your claim than letters.
For example, someone who knew you before you came to Canada might be able to that you are who you say you are. Or someone from a community organization could interview you and confirm in a letter or affidavit that you speak a dialect that is specific to the region and country you're from.
An affidavit is a document where a person makes statements about what they know. The person must sign and swear or affirm that the information is true in front of lawyer, paralegal, licensed notary, or other authorized person.
A notary is someone who's licensed to verify a person's signature on a document. Each province has its own rules about who can become a notary. A notary is also called a notary public.
If you do not have documents that prove who you are, make notes of what you did to try to get them. You can explain at your hearing what you did to try to get the documents and why you could not get them.