Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that a redesigned online asylum claim portal will go live on November 3, 2026, replacing the existing intake form with a version aligned to new legislative requirements.
Lena Metlege Diab is Canada's Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. Photo: IRCC.
Source: Twitter
The update follows the Royal Assent to the Strengthening Canada's Immigration System and Borders Act, known as Bill C-12, on March 26, 2026.
Official guidance published on Canada.ca on October 1 outlines what the transition means for claimants who have not yet completed their applications.
What the portal change involves
The revised portal will introduce additional questions that do not currently appear in the existing form. Claimants who miss the November 2 deadline and submit on or after November 3 will be required to answer those new questions and verify all previously saved information within the updated format.
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IRCC has confirmed that personal data already entered into an unfinished claim will carry over automatically when the new system launches.
However, claimants will still need to revisit every prior response alongside the newly added questions before submitting.
Those who complete and submit their applications through the IRCC Portal by 11:59 p.m. ET on November 2 will not be asked to provide additional information solely because of the portal transition, unless IRCC raises a specific request.
Claims already referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) are not classified as unfinished portal applications and do not require resubmission due to this change.
What Canada asylum claimants should prepare
IRCC's guidance identifies several things claimants with pending applications should have ready before the cutoff.
These include access to their IRCC Portal account, their saved draft and any reference details needed to locate the application, all personal information previously entered, and any supporting documents intended for upload.
Claimants should also confirm whether their case has already been referred to the IRB, as those applications fall outside the scope of the portal update.
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Bill C-12 background
The portal rollout is a procedural element of Bill C-12's broader asylum modernisation framework. Separate provisions within the legislation, which have attracted significant public debate, introduced new eligibility restrictions for refugee claims.
These include a one-year ineligibility period for claims filed more than one year after first entering Canada after June 24, 2020, and a 14-day ineligibility for claims made after crossing the Canada-US land border between official ports of entry. Both restrictions apply to claims lodged on or after June 3, 2025.
IRCC's core message to claimants with incomplete portal applications is straightforward: submit before the November 2 deadline to be processed under the existing form, or face additional requirements when the updated process begins on November 3.
How many Kenyans remained in Canada after World Cup?
At least 175 foreign visitors sought asylum in Canada after travelling on visas linked to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including at least 15 Kenyans.
The claims came from a small fraction of the 26,111 people with FIFA-related visa approvals, but Canadian officials warned the number could rise as more visitors overstay their visas.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
