Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) has introduced new rules restricting the use of artificial intelligence in immigration and refugee proceedings.
As of September 7, 2026, applicants and their representatives are no longer allowed to use AI to create or substantially rewrite personal evidence. This includes refugee claim narratives, affidavits, witness statements, photographs, videos, screenshots and other supporting documents.
The restrictions go beyond preventing fake evidence. For example, refugee claimants cannot simply provide their personal experiences to an AI tool and ask it to rewrite or significantly improve their story for submission.
However, basic assistance such as spelling corrections, grammar checks and formatting is still permitted, provided the original meaning and content remain unchanged.
AI may also be used for certain other documents, including legal submissions, but its use must be disclosed if it generates or substantially changes the content. Applicants and representatives remain responsible for verifying the accuracy of everything they submit.
What remains unclear is how the IRB will determine whether a personal statement was written or substantially rewritten using AI. The published rules do not specify a particular detection method or explain how officials will distinguish AI-assisted writing from an applicant’s original work.
Violating the rules could have serious consequences. The IRB may reject submitted documents, question the credibility of the evidence or take action against representatives who fail to comply.
Does This Affect All Canadian Immigration Applications?
No. The restrictions apply specifically to proceedings before the Immigration and Refugee Board, including refugee claims, refugee appeals and certain immigration hearings.
They do not introduce a general AI ban for applications submitted directly to IRCC, such as Express Entry, visitor visas, study permits, work permits, citizenship or most permanent residence applications.
The new policy draws a distinction between using AI for basic technical assistance and allowing it to create or substantially change the personal evidence presented in an immigration or refugee case.
