Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that a redesigned online asylum claim portal will go live on November 3, 2026. The new portal will replace the existing intake form with a version aligned to new legislative requirements under Bill C-12, which received Royal Assent on March 26, 2026. This update aims to modernize Canada's asylum system and borders.
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. However, personal data already entered into an unfinished claim will carry over automatically when the new system launches.
Claimants with pending applications must submit by 11:59 p.m. ET on November 2 to avoid new requirements under the updated form. Those who complete and submit their applications through the IRCC Portal by the deadline 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.
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.
The portal rollout is a procedural element of Bill C-12's broader asylum modernisation framework. Separate provisions within the legislation introduced new eligibility restrictions for refugee claims, including 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.
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.
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. Official guidance published on Canada.ca on October 1 outlines what the transition means for claimants who have not yet completed their applications.
Key points
- Claimants must submit unfinished asylum applications by November 2 to avoid new requirements.
- The updated portal will introduce additional questions for asylum claimants.
- Bill C-12 introduced sweeping asylum system changes, including new eligibility restrictions for refugee claims.
