A refugee refusal is not always the end. But the window to appeal is measured in days, and the record you file decides the appeal. Here is how it works.
If the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) has rejected your claim, many claimants can appeal to the Refugee Appeal Division (RAD). The RAD is a genuine second look, but it runs on short, strict deadlines, and it usually decides on paper. That makes the next few weeks decisive.
15 days to file the notice of appeal. The notice of appeal is generally due within 15 days of the day you receive the RPD’s written reasons. Miss it, and you must apply for an extension, which is not guaranteed.
45 days to perfect the appeal. Perfecting means filing your complete appellant’s record, your memorandum of argument and any new evidence, within 45 days of receiving the written reasons. An appeal that is started but not perfected on time can be dismissed.
In most cases the RAD does not hold a hearing. It decides on the written record. This is the single most important thing to understand: the memorandum and record you file are, in practice, your entire appeal. A strong, well-argued record is not a formality; it is the case.
You cannot simply re-argue the claim with better documents. New evidence is admissible only in narrow circumstances, broadly, evidence that arose after the RPD’s decision, or that was not reasonably available or expected to be presented at the hearing. Knowing what qualifies, and how to present it, is where experienced counsel matters.
The RAD can confirm the RPD’s decision, substitute its own decision, or refer the matter back to the RPD for a new hearing. If the RAD also refuses, you may seek leave for judicial review at the Federal Court, generally within 15 days of the decision, a proceeding only a lawyer can conduct.
This article is general legal information, current as of 24 October 2026, and is not legal advice. For your own situation, please book a consultation.
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Book a Consultation难民被拒，未必就是终点。但上诉的窗口以"天"计算，而你递交的案卷将决定这场上诉。本文讲清其中的运作。
如果难民保护处(RPD)拒绝了你的申请，许多申请人可以向难民上诉处(RAD)上诉。RAD是一次真正的"再审视"，但它以很短、很严格的时限运作，而且通常书面裁决。这使得接下来的几周具有决定性。
15天递交上诉通知书。上诉通知书一般须在你收到RPD书面理由之日起15天内递交。一旦错过，你就必须申请延期，而延期并无保证。
45天完善上诉。"完善(perfect)"是指在收到书面理由后45天内，递交完整的上诉人案卷，包括你的论证意见书(memorandum)与任何新证据。只递交了上诉、却未按时完善的，可能被驳回。
大多数情况下，RAD不开庭听证，而是基于书面案卷作出裁决。这是最需要理解的一点：你递交的意见书与案卷，实际上就是你上诉的全部。一份有力、论证充分的案卷不是形式，它本身就是案件。
你不能仅凭更好的材料把申请重新论证一遍。新证据只有在很窄的情形下才可采纳，大体上是：在RPD决定之后才出现的证据，或在听证时无法合理获得、也不能被合理期待提交的证据。哪些符合条件、以及如何呈现，正是经验丰富的律师价值所在。
RAD可以维持RPD的决定、以自己的决定取而代之，或将案件发回RPD重新听证。若RAD亦拒绝，你可在一般15天内向联邦法院申请司法复议许可，而这是只有律师才能进行的程序。
本文为一般法律信息，内容截至2026年10月24日，不构成法律意见。针对您的具体情况，请预约咨询。