Canada to Revamp Asylum Application Process in 2026

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced on October 1, 2026, that a new online asylum claim process will be introduced on November 3, 2026. This change affects anyone with an unfinished refugee protection application in the IRCC Portal and follows the Royal Assent of the Strengthening Canada's Immigration System and Borders Act (Bill C-12) on March 26, 2026.

The redesigned asylum intake form will include additional questions, and while personal information from unfinished claims will carry over, claimants must revisit their prior responses to answer the new questions. Those who submit their claims by 11:59 p.m.

Eastern Time on November 2, 2026, will not need to provide extra information unless specifically requested by IRCC. Claims already referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) do not need to be resubmitted.

Claimants directed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) must link their claims to a portal account by the deadline to avoid re-entering their information.