Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to inform you that the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) will be launching phase 2 of its My Case pilot on October 26, 2020. Importantly, the online self-service portal’s new functionalities will include the secure exchange of documents.
While the creation of My Case predates the pandemic, the launch of phase 2 speaks to the IRB’s response to COVID-19 and our resulting accelerated transformation into a digital organization.
It would be an understatement to say that the last few months have been difficult. The pandemic has been a true disruptor, altering our societal structures and norms. However, it has also provided exciting opportunities to introduce new ways of working and reimagine our organization. We thank you for your collaboration in helping us seize these opportunities.
Our expanded use of technology has been pivotal in adapting the way we work and has been of central importance in allowing us to continue to offer meaningful access to justice in a way that protects all parties’ health and safety. Significantly, our digitalization efforts have included the spearheading of remote hearings through the implementation of a secure technological platform.
We have also worked rapidly to modernize our communications channels. As you are aware, all Divisions have expanded their use of email to include the exchange of documents. As an interim measure, we also broadened our use of epost Connect.
But what we have always been working towards, in terms of digital communications, is our My Case portal. When we launched phase 1 of the portal in November 2019, we acknowledged that functionalities were limited. But it was a first step in our digital journey and an important building block towards expanded capabilities.
With the launch of Phase 2 on October 26, 2020, counsel community will have access to an exciting and more dynamic way of interacting with the IRB. Registered counsel will be able to exchange documents securely with the Board, view case information and upcoming hearing dates on any active case(s). To support this launch, a practice notice has been issued.
We also recognize that a key requirement to support a full adoption of My Case is to enable you to delegate your access to others—a key requirement that you have raised to us during Phase 1. Over the coming months, we will be exploring this, and other functionalities such as expanding usage to claimants and appellants, and hope to further discuss these at the upcoming Digital Advisory Committee scheduled for late October.
Registration to My Case will be open to all counsel not already subscribed. Over the coming weeks, invitations to register an account will be sent directly to counsel. Invitations will be sent by email, fax and mail. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of this new tool. For counsels who share our enthusiasm for the portal and would like to onboard early, please contact the My Case designated employees of your IRB regional office:
As we prepare to take this next step towards our expanded digitalization, I want to offer my sincere thanks for your support and advice on the introduction of our new processes and technologies. With the guidance you provide, we are well-positioned to ensure that these innovations respond to the short-term challenges posed by the pandemic and improve our operations and efficiency long-term.
Richard Wex
Chairperson