August 12, 2026

Federal Court Updates Practice Guidelines for Immigration and Refugee Proceedings

The Federal Court has updated its Consolidated Practice Guidelines for Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection Proceedings, with amendments to paragraph 1 and Annex C taking effect August 12, 2026.

Clarifying Anonymity and Confidentiality

The amendments to paragraph 1 provide greater clarity on the distinction between anonymity requests and confidentiality motions. An anonymity order under Rule 8.1 of the Federal Courts Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection Rules affects how a party is identified in Court-prepared public records, such as the online docket and decisions. It does not, on its own, prevent public access to documents filed in the court record. A party seeking to restrict public access to all or part of the record must instead bring a motion for confidentiality under Rule 151 of the Federal Courts Rules.

Applicant’s Records and Further Extensions

Annex C has also been updated in response to the continuing backlog in immigration-related applications for leave and judicial review. The Special Order provides applicants with an additional 90 days to perfect an application for leave, while encouraging applicants to file well before the resulting deadline so that any Registry deficiencies can be addressed in time.

Importantly, any further extension beyond the time provided by the Special Order requires a formal motion—even where the opposing party consents—and will only be granted where extraordinary or unforeseeable circumstances can be demonstrated.

Practitioners and litigants should review the amended Guidelines in full and ensure they are familiar with these procedural requirements.

The updated Guidelines are available through the Home and Notices pages of the Federal Court website: Home – Federal Court    Notices – Federal Court

This summary is for general information only and is not intended to be legal advice. Every case is fact-specific and requires an individualized assessment. Please book a consultation to speak with us directly about your specific situation.