Program delivery update: COVID-19 – New remote videoconference hearings for pre-removal risk assessments (PRRAs)
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
December 2, 2020
In response to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, IRCC has developed an option for the remote delivery of pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) hearings using videoconference technology.
PRRA applicants and their counsel will now have the option to participate in a videoconference hearing remotely using their own devices to connect to MS Teams from their home, their counsel’s office, or another private location of their choosing instead of in person at an IRCC office. This measure builds on IRCC’s existing experience conducting PRRA hearings by videoconference, but responds to the need for more flexibility in light of office closures and other measures taken in support of public safety.
The remote hearings option may continue as an option after the COVID-19 pandemic.