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The Adjudication Directorate is responsible for conducting formal inquiries and detention reviews of a quasi-judicial nature under sections 27 through 36 of the Immigration Act (1976) concerning persons in Canada who are believed to be in the country illegally by reason of their status, criminal or subversive activities, or violations of specified Immigration laws.

Adjudication inquiry proceedings are conducted, as far as possible, in the presence of the subject of the inquiry, and hence are usually performed by adjudicators stationed at EIC Regional offices, who report not to the Regional Office but directly to Adjudication Directorate headquarters in Ottawa. The Adjudicator assembles documentation, conducts the inquiry or review, and renders a formal decision. This decision may be appealed either to the Immigration Appeal Board (under s.72 of the Immigration Act) or to the Federal Court of Canada (which has jurisdiction to review decisions of all federal tribunals).

The records in this accession consist of cases adjudicated in 1980-81, including in some cases background documents of a slightly earlier date. The earlier case files in this series (cases decided up to 1981) usually contain: photocopies of major documents from the individual's regular Immigration case file (H.Q. and/or regional office version); the Direction for Inquiry (form IMM 1246) issued by the local CIC under section 27 (1-2); original notes made by the Adjudicator during the inquiry, and her or his formal Reasons for Decision; the Adjudicator's Report, a one-page form summarizing the action and its disposition; the original transcript of proceedings, in some cases with the court clerk's stenographic paper transcript tapes or shorthand notes; and miscellaneous routine correspondence on the scheduling of hearings and similar organizational matters. The earlier case files end with documents indicating disposition of the case, such as notice that an appeal is allowed, letters indicating issuance of a Minister's permit, or appeal records. The latter may include documents on appeals to the Immigration Appeal Board or the Federal Court, such as photocopies of the case documentation, the Adjudicator's formal Appeal Summary transmitting the documents to the IAB's Registrar, and various notices of hearings. Final decisions at the upper levels are usually not found here (but see accessions V85-86/479 and V85-86/480).

The later files in this accession (decisions rendered from c.1981 onwards) are "thin" files containing fewer original documents and a greater proportion of routine records; they usually end with the Adjudicator's Report and do not include material on appeals.

The files are all numbered in block 9530, with a secondary suffix or Vancouver (V) and a tertiary sequential number assigned to each case in chronological order.

For related records see accessions V85-86/479 to V85-86/482.