If the Refugee Protection Division refused your claim and you have a right of appeal, you generally have 15 days from receiving the written reasons to file a Notice of Appeal with the Refugee Appeal Division, and a further period to file your appellant's record. The appeal is largely decided on paper. In 2025, 3,045 of 9,910 appeals decided on the merits were allowed.
When does the 15 days actually start?
It starts on the day the written reasons reach you, not the date printed at the top of the decision and not the day of your hearing. This single misunderstanding is the most common reason people lose days they cannot get back.
If you are not certain which date applies, send us the envelope, the covering letter and the decision. Confirming the date costs nothing.
Do I have a right to appeal at all?
Not every refused claimant does. Certain categories are excluded from the Refugee Appeal Division by statute, and the correct next step for those people is different. Establishing which situation you are in is the first thing we do, because an appeal filed in the wrong forum wastes the only time you have.
What decides an appeal?
The appellant's record. An appeal to the RAD is largely a paper case rather than a second hearing, so the written record is where it is won or lost. Most people expect to tell their story again to someone new. That is not usually what happens.
Our work is finding the error in the decision and building the record around it.
What are the real chances?
In 2025 the Board finalised 10,955 appeals. Of the 9,910 decided on the merits, 6,865 were dismissed and 3,045 were allowed, which is roughly 31%. We will tell you honestly where your file sits in that picture. No outcome is guaranteed and nobody can promise you one.
Common questions
How long do I have to appeal a refused refugee claim in Canada?
In most cases you have 15 days from receiving the written reasons to file a Notice of Appeal with the Refugee Appeal Division, and a further period to perfect the appeal by filing your appellant's record.
Is a RAD appeal a new hearing?
Usually not. The Refugee Appeal Division decides most appeals on the written record rather than by holding a new oral hearing, which is why the appellant's record matters more than anything else.
What happens if I miss the 15 day deadline?
A missed deadline does not always end the matter, but it changes what has to be argued and adds a step. Contact a licensed representative the same day you realise the date has passed.