Read the interview notice
Check the date, time, place or stated arrangements, selected language and access instructions. Report a language error, serious travel difficulty or vulnerability requiring adjustment promptly.
Keep the notice and evidence of every request made to OFPRA. Absence or a request to postpone should never be handled on an assumption.
Prepare a chronology, not a script
Review the form, statement and evidence already submitted. Identify the main reference points: places, periods, people, events, attempts to obtain protection, departure and fear on return.
An honest hesitation is better than an invented date. If a point was misunderstood, mistranslated or poorly expressed in the file, be ready to explain it in your own words.
Understand the interpreter’s role
The interpreter enables the discussion in the procedural language selected. If a question, word or translation is not understood, the applicant should say so rather than guess.
Names, places, dialects and sensitive terms may need clarification. After the interview, make an immediate note of any specific interpreting incident.
Evidence and vulnerabilities
Bring requested documents and notify OFPRA of new evidence under its procedures. A medical or psychological certificate should be connected to the point it helps explain without expecting it to tell the entire history.
Health, trauma, disability, age or violence can affect memory and communication. Describe the practical difficulty so that it can be considered in the conduct of the interview.
Attendance by counsel
A lawyer or representative of an authorised association may accompany the applicant under OFPRA’s rules. They are not interviewed in the applicant’s place and may make observations at the end.
Counsel prepares the file, identifies sensitive areas and, after the discussion, makes useful observations without replacing the applicant’s account with legal language.
Discuss your situation
You can send the firm the essential facts, relevant dates and any known deadline.
Frequently asked questions
What if I cannot understand the interpreter?
Say so immediately during the interview and ask for the problem to be clarified. Afterwards, record the passages concerned and the precise nature of the issue.
Will counsel answer for me?
No. The interview remains personal. Counsel accompanies the applicant and may make observations at the end under OFPRA’s framework.
Is the interview recorded?
Yes, the personal interview is recorded. Access to or use of the recording then follows the applicable procedure.