Claiming asylum in Canada

If you are reading this because going home is not safe for you or your family, please know that Canada has a process built for exactly this, and you have rights within it. The steps can feel heavy, and some deadlines are strict, so this guide goes slowly and plainly. The process changed on November 3, 2026, so older advice you may find online about the Basis of Claim form or the refugee protection claimant document no longer applies to new claims.

Who can claim, and what the Board looks at

You can claim asylum if you are in Canada, including at an airport or a border crossing, and it is unsafe for you to return to your home country. At your hearing, the Board decides whether you are a Convention refugee, meaning you fear persecution because of your race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group, or a person in need of protection, meaning you face a danger of torture, a risk to your life, or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment. You also need to show that your country’s authorities cannot or will not protect you, and you may be asked why you could not live safely in another part of your country.

When a claim cannot go ahead

Some claims are found ineligible before a hearing. It is important to know these rules early, because two of them are about time:

• You claim more than one year after you first entered Canada after June 24, 2020, even if you left and came back since. This applies to claims made on or after June 3, 2025.
• You claim more than 14 days after entering Canada between official border crossings along the Canada and United States land border.
• You arrived from the United States at a land border crossing, unless an exception under the Safe Third Country Agreement applies (for example, a family member in Canada, being an unaccompanied minor, or certain documents).
• You already made a claim in Canada that was refused, found ineligible, withdrawn or abandoned, or you made a claim in a country that shares immigration information with Canada.
• You already have protection in Canada, or in another country you can return to, or you are inadmissible for serious reasons such as security or serious crime.

Making your claim, step by step

1. 01

   Start your claim

   Inside Canada, you send your information and ID through the IRCC Portal. At an airport or border crossing, you tell a border officer you want to claim asylum. If you cannot use the portal for accessibility reasons, you can ask IRCC for a paper application.

2. 02

   Go to your eligibility interview

   IRCC invites you to an in-person interview where you officially make your claim. Officers keep your original travel documents and take fingerprints and photos. If you miss it, the file is closed and you would need to start again.

3. 03

   Receive your documents

   If your claim is eligible, you receive a Refugee Protection Identity Document, a Notice of Application Due Date, instructions for your medical exam, and a conditional removal order that only takes effect if your claim ends without protection.

4. 04

   Complete your claim within 60 days

   Finish your claim in the IRCC Portal, including your story and reasons, within 60 days. You can get one 30-day extension if you ask before the due date. This replaces the old Basis of Claim form.

5. 05

   Prepare for your hearing

   Your claim goes to the Immigration and Refugee Board. Send your personal evidence on time, and your country evidence at least 10 days before the hearing, where a member decides your claim.

Deadlines for your evidence

Evidence about conditions in your country is due 10 days before your hearing in every case, and translations need a declaration from the person who translated them.

While you wait

• Work: ask for a work permit inside your claim form. There is no fee, and it is issued once your claim is complete and you have passed the medical exam.
• Health care: the Interim Federal Health Program covers basic care for free from the day you receive your claim document until provincial coverage starts. Prescriptions have a $4 co-payment each.
• Study: children can attend school from kindergarten to grade 12 without a permit. Adults need a study permit for courses longer than 6 months.
• Keep your Refugee Protection Identity Document valid: expired claimant documents have not been accepted since April 1, 2025.

After the decision

If the Board accepts your claim, you become a protected person and can apply for permanent residence, and your health coverage continues for 90 days while provincial coverage begins. If your claim is refused, you may be able to appeal to the Refugee Appeal Division: the notice of appeal is due within 15 days of receiving the decision, and your full appeal record within 45 days. You can also ask the Federal Court to review a decision within 15 days. Some decisions cannot be appealed, so read your decision letter closely and get legal advice quickly.