Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
Last verified: June 2026 · Source: justice.gc.ca
186 Nothing in sections 176 to 185 affects any right or power of the Governor in Council in relation to the removal of a member from office for cause.
Justice Laws is the authoritative version. If this copy and it ever differ, Justice Laws wins.
Each of these is its own section of the Act, numbered after section 186.
What that means
This is what lets immigration work be done online. The Minister can run and enforce this law by electronic means. Officers can use the systems the Minister provides, and a decision can be made by an electronic system, including an automated one. None of this covers duties that belong to the Employment and Social Development Minister.
The law says
(1)The Minister may administer this Act using electronic means, including as it relates to its enforcement.
Exception
(2)This Part does not apply to the Minister of Employment and Social Development in respect of any activity the administration of which is the responsibility of that Minister under this Act.
Officer
(3)For greater certainty, any person or class of persons who are designated as officers by the Minister to carry out any purpose of this Act may, in the exercise of their powers or the performance of their duties and functions, use the electronic means that are made available or specified by the Minister.
Delegation
(4)For greater certainty, a person who has been authorized by the Minister to do anything that may be done by the Minister under this Act, may do so using the electronic means that are made available or specified by the Minister.
Decision, determination or examination by automated system
(5)For greater certainty, an electronic system, including an automated system, may be used by the Minister to make a decision or determination under this Act, or by an officer to make a decision or determination or to proceed with an examination under this Act, if the system is made available to the officer by the Minister.
What that means
An electronic version counts as the real thing. That goes for signatures, applications and decisions. It also goes for notices, documents and even originals. The electronic version must go through the system the Minister provides, and it must meet any other rules in the regulations.
The law says
186.2 A requirement under this Act to provide a signature, or to make an application, request, claim, decision or determination, or to submit or issue any document, or to give notice or provide information, or to submit a document in its original form, is satisfied by its electronic version, if
What that means
The regulations set the technical side of going digital. They say which formats and standards apply, and how an electronic signature is made and checked. They also decide when and where an electronic document counts as sent or received. Some applications can be required to be filed online, with room for exceptions.
The law says
(1)The regulations may provide for any matter respecting the application of section 186.1 and paragraph 186.2(b), and may include provisions respecting
Requirement to use electronic means
(2)The regulations may require a foreign national or another individual who, or entity that, makes an application, request or claim, submits any document or provides information under this Act to do so using electronic means, including an electronic system. The regulations may also include provisions respecting those means, including that system, respecting the circumstances in which that application, request or claim may be made, the document may be submitted or the information may be provided by other means and respecting those other means.
Minister’s power
(3)The regulations may prescribe the circumstances in which the Minister may require a foreign national or another individual who, or an entity that, makes an application, request or claim, submits any document or provides information under this Act to do so using any means that are specified by the Minister.
Electronic payments
(4)The regulations may
Incorporation by reference
(5)The regulations may incorporate by reference the standards or specifications of any government, person or organization, either as they exist on a specified date or as amended from time to time.
What that means
Going digital does not cancel the paper. Some provisions of this law let an officer require a visa, a document or information in a particular form. The officer can still require exactly that.
The law says
186.4 If any provision of this Act or the regulations authorizes an officer or another individual to require a foreign national or another individual or an entity to submit a visa or other document or to provide information, the officer or individual is not precluded by this Part from requiring the foreign national, other individual or entity to submit the visa or other document or to provide the information, as the case may be, in accordance with that provision.