Operational instructions and guidelines
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Canada Border Services Agency employees consult operational bulletins (OBs) and manuals for guidance in the exercise of their functions and in applying the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Citizenship Act and their Regulations.
Program Delivery Instructions
Operational manuals
Operational manuals are divided into different categories. Each manual, in turn, is divided into specific chapters and assigned a chapter number.
Active manuals (PDF format)
| Manual | Chapter | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Citizenship Policy (CP) | CP 14 | Adoptions (PDF, 1.23 MB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 1 | Inadmissibility (PDF, 618.98 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 3 | Admissibility Hearings and Detention Reviews (PDF, 1,748 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 4 | Port of Entry Examinations (PDF, 1.62 MB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 5 | Writing 44(1) Reports (PDF, 421.72 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 6 | Review of reports under subsection A44(1) (PDF, 504.44 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 8 | Deposits and Guarantees (PDF, 509.74 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 9 | Manual decommissioned |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 10 | Removals (PDF, 869.84 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 12 | Search, Seizure, Fingerprinting and Photography (PDF, 0.97 MB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 15 | Obligations of transporters (PDF, 312.83 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 17 | Maritimes Procedures (PDF, 176.38 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 18 | Human or international rights violations (PDF, 748 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 19 | IAD Appeal Hearings (PDF, 321.46 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 20 | Detention (PDF, 842.85 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 21 | Recovering Missing, Abducted and Exploited Children (PDF, 279.75 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 22 | Persons Serving Sentences (PDF, 194.43 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 23 | Loss of Permanent Resident Status (PDF, 629.95 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 24 | Ministerial Interventions (PDF, 908.33 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 26 | Appeals at the Refugee Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (PDF, 883.22 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 28 | Ministerial opinions on danger to the public, nature and severity of the acts committed and danger to the security of Canada (PDF, 414.32 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 29 | Alternative Means of Examination Programs (PDF, 274.63 KB) |
| Enforcement (ENF) | ENF 34 | Alternatives to detention (PDF, 439 KB) |
| Immigration Legislation (IL) | IL 1 | Immigration and Refugee Protection Act |
| Immigration Legislation (IL) | IL 2 | Immigration Regulations |
| Immigration Legislation (IL) | IL 3 | Designation of Officers and Delegation of Authority |
| Immigration Legislation (IL) | IL 5 | Immigration Rules |
| Immigration Legislation (IL) | IL 9 | Official Languages Act |
| Information Sharing (IN) | IN 1 | Overview on Information-Sharing (PDF, 192.69 KB) |
| Information Sharing (IN) | IN 2 | Directives for Sharing Information pursuant to the 2003 Canada-U.S. SMU on Information Sharing (PDF, 374.21 KB) |
| Inland Processing (IP) | IP 1 | Temporary Resident Permits |
| Inland Processing (IP) | IP 2 | Processing Applications to Sponsor Members of the Family Class |
| Inland Processing (IP) | IP 3 | In Canada Processing of Convention Refugees Abroad and Members of the Humanitarian Protected Persons Abroad Classes: Part 1 (General) (PDF, 431.66 KB) |
| Inland Processing (IP) | IP 3 | In Canada Processing of Convention Refugees Abroad and Members of the Humanitarian Protected Persons Abroad Classes: Part 2 (Resettlement Assistance Program) |
| Inland Processing (IP) | IP 3 | In Canada Processing of Convention Refugees Abroad and Members of the Humanitarian Protected Persons Abroad Classes: Part 4 (Joint Assistance Sponsorship Program) (PDF, 235.29 KB) |
| Inland Processing (IP) | IP 3 | In Canada Processing of Convention Refugees Abroad and Members of the Humanitarian Protected Persons Abroad Classes: Appendices (PDF, 97.23 KB) |
| Inland Processing (IP) | IP 4 | Processing Live-in Caregivers in Canada (PDF, 366 KB) |
| Inland Processing (IP) | IP 7 | Entrepreneur Program (PDF, 164.76 KB) |
| Inland Processing (IP) | IP 10 | Refusal of National Security Cases / Processing of National Interest Requests (PDF, 75.79 KB) |
| Overseas Processing (OP) | OP 1 | Procedures Standard requirements for applicants: Service delivery:
Chapter 01 of the Procedures Manual (OP 01) has been updated and converted to program delivery instructions. Decommissioned date: 2022-xx-xx |
| Overseas Processing (OP) | OP 3 |
Chapter 03 of the Procedures Manual (OP 3) has been updated and converted to program delivery instructions. Decommissioned date: 2026-03-23 |
| Overseas Processing (OP) | OP 8 | Entrepreneur and Self-Employed (PDF, 488.13 KB) All applications in the self-employed persons class received on or before May 2, 2017, must be processed using the instructions from OP8 (PDF, 489 KB). Processing offices should give applicants the opportunity to update their application to meet the requirements of OP8. All applications in the self-employed persons class received after May 2, 2017, must be processed under the SE PDIs, and officers should no longer use OP8 for SE processing. |
| Overseas Processing (OP) | OP 9 | Investors (PDF, 206.88 KB) |
| Overseas Processing (OP) | OP 10 | Permanent Residency Status Determination (PDF, 650.3 KB) |
| Overseas Processing (OP) | OP 14 | Processing Applicants for the Live-in Caregiver Program (PDF, 463.58 KB) |
| Overseas Processing (OP) | OP 21 | Appeals (PDF, 146.42 KB) |
| Overseas Processing (OP) | OP 22 | Judicial Review (PDF, 185.6 KB) |
| Overseas Processing (OP) | OP 24 | Overseas Processing of Family Members of In-Canada Applicants for Permanent Residence Chapter 24 of the Overseas Processing Manual (OP 24) has been updated and converted to program delivery instructions. |
Operational bulletins
In exceptional circumstances, OBs may be issued for one-time-only instructions or to provide urgent instructions to staff for a brief period while the operational manuals are being updated.