5. Give your evidence to the Refugee Protection Division

You must file copies of all your documents and a list of any witnesses to the closest (RPD) registry office at least 10 days before your hearing. Do not miss the deadline.

If you miss the time limit, get legal help right away. Sometimes a time limit can be extended.

Your lawyer or other licensed representative can file your documents for you and help you meet the RPD's formatting rules.

Sending your evidence

You can send documents to the RPD:   

electronically by email or the My Case portal depending on your situation
by mail, courier, or fax, or in-person in some cities

There are rules you must follow for each one. Read: How do I submit documents to the RPD or RAD? 

Originals and envelopes

Keep the originals of all your documents and have them accessible during the hearing. If you cannot get an original of any document, be prepared to explain why at the hearing.

If you receive documents in the mail, keep the envelopes to show who sent them and where they came from. If you received copies of documents by text, email, or by other electronic means, keep the texts, emails or other messages where you received documents. That way you can explain and show the Member where the document came from and when it was sent.

Late documents

Sometimes it's not possible to get all your documents before the 10-day deadline. If you receive a document after the deadline, you can still ask the RPD to accept it.

You need to complete and submit the RPD's form to ask the RPD to accept any late documents. You must explain:

why the document is relevant and important
what new or information the document brings to your case
why the document is late and what you did to try to get the document on time

If the document arrived after the deadline, include proof of when you received it. Send the form along with the evidence to the RPD.

Be prepared to talk about all of this at your hearing.

If the Minister is involved

After you submit your Basis of Claim (BOC) form, you might get a Notice of Intent to Intervene saying that the Minister will be involved in your refugee claim.

If that happens, you need to give copies of your evidence to the Minister's Counsel before you send it to the RPD. The Minister's Counsel is the person who represents the Minister.

And it's important to get legal help. Learn more about this in The Minister is involved in my refugee claim. What does this mean?