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Formats:
Live Online
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Duration:
39 hours
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Registration Fee:
$995
Start Date
Overview
The Certificate in Refugee Class Immigration Law (CIRC) is intended for Immigration Practitioners and those working with refugees at various non-profit organizations, who are seeking in-depth knowledge of this area of Immigration Law. It is designed to bridge theory and knowledge with practical experience and case studies. Practice before both the Refugee Protection Division and the Refugee Appeal Division will be covered in detail. Faculty are chosen for their in-depth knowledge of this specialized area of Immigration Law.
Upon completion of this Certificate program, students will be familiar with the requirements which must be established for a person to be found to be a Convention Refugee and a Protected Person under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). Students will understand the process and procedure of preparing a refugee claim, appearing before the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) and appealing decisions to the Refugee Appeal Division (RAD). Both the RPD and the RAD are divisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). The IRB is Canada’s largest independent administrative tribunal. It is responsible for making decisions on immigration and refugee matters. The RPD decides claims for refugee protection made in Canada. The Refugee Appeal Division decides appeals from the RPD.
The program examines the common reasons why refugee applications fail and it deals with important strategies that can be used to address those potential shortcomings. Students are guided through the entire process from the initial claim to designated protected status or removal. Those attending the program will be given ample opportunity to practice how to make assessments of claims based on interview questions and document analysis. In addition, the relevant sections of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) will be carefully studied. Case studies, scenario-based discussions and simulations are used throughout the program ensuring that by the time students graduate, they have both the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to practice within this specialized area of Immigration Law.
Topics Covered
- Overview of the Law and Procedure
- Convention Refugees and Protected Persons
- Admissibility and exclusion issues
- Identity and Credibility
- State Protection and internal flight alternatives
- Preparing for the RPD Hearing
- Appealing to the RAD
- Pre-removal risk assessments
- Humanitarian/Compassionate applications
- Assessing a client’s needs
- Client interviewing
- Case Studies
Instructors*
Daniel McLeod
Daniel K. McLeod is a Vancouver refugee lawyer with degrees from SFU and UBC. He was an Instructor on refugee law for the UBC Certificate in Immigration: Laws, Policies & Procedures (CILPP) from inception in 2001 to conclusion in 2020. He represents sponsored refugees, refugee sponsoring groups, and Sponsorship Agreement Holders authorized by the Minister to sponsor refugees, at Canadian Migration Offices around the world and the Federal Court of Canada. He also represents refugee claimants at the Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration & Refugee Board. He has been the lawyer for refugee clients from more than 25 countries including Afghanistan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Honduras, Iran, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tibet and Turkey.
Hannah Lindy
Hannah Lindy, BA, JD, is an immigration and refugee lawyer at Larlee Rosenberg in Vancouver. Prior to joining Larlee Rosenberg, Hannah practiced immigration and refugee law in Toronto for several years as an associate lawyer at Waldman & Associates, where she also completed her articles.
Hannah provides services in all areas of immigration, refugee, and citizenship law and regularly represents clients before the Federal Court and the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Hannah graduated from the University of British Columbia’s Peter A. Allard School of Law and has been called to the bar in Ontario and British Columbia. She is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia, the Law Society of Ontario, the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, the Refugee Lawyers Association of Ontario, and the Canadian Bar Association.
*Subject to change without notice
Continuing Professional Development
- For British Columbia lawyers, consider including this course as a CPD learning activity in your annual Continuing Professional Development Plan as it has been approved by the Law Society of British Columbia
- The Law Society of Alberta is recommending that Alberta lawyers consider including this course as a CPD learning activity in their annual Continuing Professional Development Plan.
- The Law Society of Saskatchewan has pre-approved this Certificate course for 39 CPD credits
- The Law Society of New Brunswick has approved this Certificate course for 39 CPD hours
- For Nova Scotia lawyers, consider including this course as a CPD learning activity in your mandatory annual Continuing Professional Development Plan as required by the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society
- For Newfoundland and Labrador lawyers, consider including this course as a CPD learning activity in your mandatory annual Continuing Professional Development Plan as required by the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador
- The Law Society of Yukon has added this Certificate to their CPD listing for members for on-line CPD Events offered across Canada
- Law Society of Ontario: This course contains 3 hours of Professionalism content
Who Will Benefit From The Course
- Lawyers and paralegals who are members in good standing with a Canadian provincial or territorial law society
- Notaries who are members in good standing with the Chambre des Notaires du Québec
- Citizenship or Immigration Consultants who are members in good standing with the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council
- Members of a non-profit society who provide services to refugees
Dates
Live Online
Part Time:
- June 17, 2021 – September 22, 2021
- Students must devote at least 3 hours per week to attend live webinars
- Webinars will be held on Wednesday and Thursday from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm PST
- Outside of live instructional periods, students will be expected to take part in various independent and/or group activities
Fees
The registration fee for this course is $995.
Technical Requirements
Live Online Students
Ashton College uses web conferencing tools to help instructors and students connect and collaborate live online. For the online classes, students need to have a fully functional computer system with a webcam, speakers and microphone or headset and headphones, along with a reliable high-speed internet connection. Though the classes can be accessed using smartphones and tablets, we recommend using a laptop or desktop computer for a better learning experience.
This course does not require approval by the Private Training Institutions Branch of the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training. As such, it was not reviewed.
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