Start Your Refugee Claim

If you arrive in Canada at an official port of entry, you may start a refugee claim with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). 

A port of entry is:

• An international airport
• An official land border crossing
• A seaport

Tell the CBSA officer you meet that you want to make a refugee claim. They will start the process with you.

Detention

CBSA may detain you (hold you in custody) when you arrive at a Canadian port of entry to make a refugee claim. This may be because CBSA:

• is not sure who you are
• does not believe you will return later for more questions
• does not believe you can make a refugee claim and wants to remove you from the country
• believes you are dangerous
• knows you have a criminal record

If you are detained, contact a legal representative to find out if you can be released. You may qualify for a free or low-cost lawyer through legal aid. Find out more about detention here.

The first thing CBSA does is to take your fingerprints and photos. These are your “biometrics.” The CBSA officer will take:

• fingerprints of you and your family members (14 years of age or older)
• photographs of all family members (14 years of age or older)
• all passports and travel documents (and maybe other identity documents such as birth certificates and driver licenses) and give you certified copies of them. You will get your documents back when you become a permanent resident or prepare to leave Canada.

Eligibility interview

The CBSA officer will then ask you questions to decide if you can make a claim in Canada. This is called an eligibility interview. This interview is not your refugee claim hearing, but your answers may be used later at your hearing to decide if you are a refugee.

They will ask you questions like these:

• Why did you come to Canada?
• Who or what are you afraid of in your country?
• What will happen to you if you go back to your country?
• Have you ever been arrested or detained? (for any reason)
• Have you made a refugee claim in another country?
• In what countries do you have legal status or citizenship?
• How did you travel to Canada?
• Who helped you come to Canada?
• Do you have relatives in Canada?

Usually, when you make a claim at a port of entry, you will then fill in some application forms with your information. You might be allowed to enter Canada without completing the forms and told to do them later. If this happens, you get an Acknowledgement of Claim letter. You must then complete your application online from inside Canada. (See Inland Claim for information about using the online portal.)

The information on the application forms includes:

• Name, place of birth, date of birth
• Jobs and other activities for the last ten years (or since you turned 18)
• Addresses for the last ten years (or since you turned 18). Include places you moved to or hid in.
• Education history
• Marriage history
• Any criminal history you (or your relatives) have 
• Travel and immigration history
• Information about your parents
• Details about government, military, and other organizations you were involved with
• Details of any times you were detained, even for just a few hours

You must give this information for each family member in your claim.

It is important to be honest with your answers. Do your best to make sure the information you give is correct. Ask if you do not understand something. If you do not know an exact date, say that to the officer and on the form. You may have to explain your answers at your refugee hearing.

If the CBSA officer cannot finish the interview, they may detain you or ask you to return for an interview. If you can leave, you get an Acknowledgement of Claim letter. This shows you have started your refugee claim. The letter also has the date of the next interview. It is very important to go to the interview!

If you cannot make a claim

The CBSA officer may decide you cannot make a refugee claim in Canada if:

• You are a convention refugee in another country that you can go to
• You made a refugee claim in United States, United Kingdom, Australia, or New Zealand
• Canada already told you that you cannot make a refugee claim
• You made a refugee claim in Canada that was rejected, abandoned, or withdrawn
• You are dangerous, a criminal, or you have abused human rights
• Canada already made you a protected person 
• Canada has already ordered you to leave in a removal order 
• At a United States-Canada land border, you were told you could not enter because of the STCA

If CBSA says you cannot make a refugee claim, they may give you a removal order to leave Canada. They may detain you. They may let you go but tell you to come back for a meeting. At the meeting, CBSA may offer you a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA).

If you are allowed to make a refugee claim

If you can make a refugee claim, you will get a:

• Refugee Protection Claimant Document (RPCD). 
  Proves who you are and that you are a refugee claimant. With an RPCD, you can get medical services through the Interim Federal Health Program and other services and benefits in Canada. This form has your Unique Client Identifier (UCI).

• Confirmation of Referral letter. 
  Shows that the CBSA has sent your file to the IRB-RPD. IRB-RPD decides if you can get protection in Canada.

• Medical Report form. 
  Tells you about the Immigration Medical Exam (IME) you must have (within 30 days).

• Claimant’s Kit. This has:
  • certified copies of the identity and travel documents that CBSA took from you,
  • Claimant’s Guide, 
  • copies of the forms you completed (if any),
  • instructions to complete the application forms if you did not fill them out in person, and 
  • information from your interview. CBSA also sends these notes to the IRB-RPD.
• Basis of Claim Form (BOC) (one for each family member).
  You must fill in and send your BOC Form to the IRB within 45 days. (The form might say 15 days but this is no longer true.) Check with the IRB or a legal representative that 45 days is the correct amount of time.

• Removal order in case your claim is not accepted (only enforced after your hearing if your claim is refused).

All refugee claimants must have a free Immigration Medical Exam (IME). Each family member has their own exam. It must be done by a doctor who is approved by IRCC. Do not delay: you must have this exam before you can get a work permit.

What to take to your medical exam

When you go to your medical exam, take:

• Your Acknowledgement of Claim letter if you have one
• The Medical Report Form
• An identity document, if you have one
• Your eyeglasses or contact lenses, if you wear them
• Proof of Covid-19 vaccination, if you have one
• Any medical reports or test results about medical conditions (including from the past). You must get these translated into English or French (with a declaration signed by the translator).

Medical history and exam

The doctor will ask questions about your medical history. Then the doctor:

• weighs you and measures your height
• checks your hearing and vision
• takes your blood pressure and feels your pulse
• listens to your heart and lungs
• feels your abdomen
• checks how your arms and legs move
• looks at your skin

If the doctor needs to examine your breasts, they will explain how and why. You may also need to have chest x-rays and laboratory tests.

You can ask to have someone with you during the exam.

The doctor will send the results to IRCC directly. Your medical exam will not affect whether your claim is accepted or not.

The Basis of Claim (BOC) Form is the most important document in your refugee claim. In it, you give details about who you are and the reasons why you want protection in Canada.

To decide if you are a Convention Refugee or Person in Need of Protection, a Member of the IRB-RPD:

• reads your BOC Form, 
• looks at your evidence, and
• listens to what you say at your hearing.

They ask you questions about your BOC Form at your refugee hearing. The information should match what you put on the other forms you completed at the port of entry or after. 

If you can, get a lawyer or legal representative to help you prepare the BOC Form and the other documents you send in.

Complete the Basis of Claim Form

You can fill out the paper form, or fill it out online and then print it out:

Electronic version of the BOC Form

When you do your BOC Form: 

• Read the instructions and the Claimant’s Guide.
• The BOC Form must be in English or French. If you do not have strong English or French skills, find a good interpreter to help you.  
• Understand each question before answering it. Your answers must be true, correct, and complete.
• Answer all questions on the BOC Form. Do not leave any blanks. 
• Write “N/A” (Not Applicable) if a question does not apply to you.
• If you are not sure about something, say this in your BOC Form.
• You may choose to give longer answers to the BOC questions. To do this, you can attach a separate piece of paper with more information, called your narrative. 
• The information on the BOC Form should match:
  • what you have said in any interview,
  • the information you put on other forms, and 
  • your narrative or documents that you attach to your BOC Form.
• Be sure to keep a copy of your BOC Form, and every other document or form that you send in.
• You must do a BOC Form for each family member applying with you:
  • For a child 6 years old or younger making a claim with a parent: Fill in only the “WHO YOU ARE” section of the BOC Form. A parent or the Designated Representative must sign the form.
  • For a child 7 to 17 years old making a claim with a parent: Fill in all the BOC Form. A parent or the Designated Representative must sign it.
  • A child of any age under 18 who does not have an adult with them:  A Designated Representative must fill in all the BOC Form and sign it.
  • Children 18 years and older must sign their own BOC Form.

Your narrative is your chance to give more details about your refugee claim. You do not have to do one, but it is a good idea. You may not have the chance to say everything you want to at your refugee hearing.

Start your narrative

Before you begin:

• Look over:
  • the record of your interview from CBSA, including any notes,
  • the BOC Form questions to help plan your narrative, 
  • any other forms and applications you gave to the Canadian government (including from outside Canada).  

Most of these should be in your Claimant’s Kit. 

• Tell the truth. Your narrative must be honest and correct. IRB-RPD is likely to reject your claim if they do not believe what you have said. If anything in your narrative does not match what you already said or wrote, explain why. 
• Write about the important issues only. You do not need to repeat the basic facts (about your identity, family, education, jobs, and travel) that you put in your BOC and other forms, unless these details are important to show the risk you face in your country. 
• Keep your narrative well organized so it is easy to read for the busy IRB-RPD Member who decides your claim.
• Remember that you need to explain the danger you would face in the future in your country and why you cannot go back, not only the events that happened in the past.
• Describe how the past events changed the physical and mental health of you and your family.

Legal issues

The IRB-RPD member is looking for the following information:

• What danger would you face if you go back to your country? Who might hurt you? What threats or bad treatment have you faced? Name the people or the groups. Have other people like you had the same problems? Does everyone in your country face the same danger, or just you and a certain group of people?
• Why do they want to hurt you? Is it because of your
  • race,
  • religion,
  • nationality, 
  • political opinion, or
  • because you belong to a certain social group of people? (For example, women.)
• If you belong to an organization or any group of people in danger, describe the group. If it is helpful, give details about what you did in the group.
• How would the people who want to hurt you find you if you return? Do they have a way to find you no matter where you go in the country? How will they know you are back? 
• Did you ask the police or other authorities for help? What happened? If you did not ask, why not? Do you know other people like you who asked for help? What happened?
• Can you live safely in another part of your country? Why not? Do not just say that you do not have friends or family to live with.
• Why did you choose to leave the country when you did? Did you leave right away? If not, why not?
• If you went back after you left, explain why. Did you take steps to protect yourself?
• If you went through a safe country first, explain why you did not make a refugee claim there. If you did make a refugee claim in another country, what happened?
• Are there other reasons why you cannot return to your country? Medical reasons? Is it hard to find housing or jobs?

See Prepare for Your Hearing for more information.

Complete your narrative

When you have finished, go over your narrative with your legal representative carefully. Make any changes. If you do not have a legal representative, ask someone you trust to read it over for you.  

Write your name and UCI number on the top right of each page of your narrative. 

Once you are happy with your narrative, you must get it translated into English or French. Ask the translator to read it back to you and listen carefully to make sure it is right. The translator will need to do a translator’s declaration. 

Attach your narrative to your BOC when you send it to the IRB-RPD. You can send your narrative later, but they should get it at least ten days before your refugee hearing. Follow the IRB-RPD instructions for sending evidence.

Send in your BOC Form

Send your BOC Form to the IRB-RPD office in your region:

If you forgot something or made a mistake

There are two ways to make changes:

Make the change on your copy of the BOC Form or narrative and underline it. Then sign your name and date each page where you have made a change.

OR

Write a letter explaining what the changes are, where they are in the document, and why you made these changes. Write, “These changes are complete, true, and correct, and I understand that the declaration is of the same force and effect as if made under oath.” Sign and date your letter.

Send in your changes

Send one copy of each original page and its changed page (and your letter if you have one) to the IRB-RPD at least 10 days before your hearing. Keep copies for your own records. If the Minister’s Counsel will be at your hearing, send them a copy of these changes also.

Withdrawing your refugee claim

If you decide to withdraw your claim, CBSA may remove you from Canada.  You cannot change your mind or make another refugee claim later. Speak to a legal representative before you withdraw your claim.

If you are in Canada, you start your refugee claim using a website called the IRCC Portal. You will answer questions and send in your BOC Form and documents through the portal. IRCC uses the information to decide if you can make a refugee claim. They also use this same information at your hearing to decide if you can get protection.

Once you start on the portal, you have 90 days to give your answers and send everything in. It is a good idea to prepare your documents first, to make sure you have enough time. (If you do not finish in 90 days, you must start over.)

Documents

Before you use the portal, these are the important documents to have ready:

• a complete Basis of Claim (BOC) Form
• your passport or travel document
• Use of a Representative form (if you have a representative)
• Declaration – Authorization for representative to submit refugee claim through the IRCC Portal (if your representative is doing the claim for you)

The Basis of Claim (BOC) Form is the most important document in your refugee claim. In it, you give details about who you are and the reasons why you want protection in Canada. 

To decide if you are a Convention Refugee or Person in Need of Protection, a Member of the (IRB-RPD):

• reads your BOC Form, 
• looks at your evidence, and 
• listens to what you say at your hearing.

They will ask you questions about your BOC Form at your refugee hearing.

Your BOC Form

When you do your BOC Form:

• Download the BOC Form here.
• Read the instructions and the Claimant’s Guide.

• The BOC Form must be in English or French. If you do not have strong English or French skills, find a good interpreter to help you.  
• Understand each question before answering it. Your answers must be true, correct, and complete.
• Answer all questions on the BOC Form. Do not leave any blanks.
• Write “N/A” (Not Applicable) if a question does not apply to you.
• If you are not sure about something, say this in your BOC Form.
• You may choose to give longer answers to the BOC questions. To do this, you can attach a separate piece of paper with more information, called your narrative.
• The information on the BOC Form should match:
  • what you have said in any interview,
  • the information you give on the portal, and 
  • your narrative or documents that you attach to your BOC Form.
• Be sure to keep a copy of your BOC Form, and every other document or form that you send in.
• You must do a BOC Form for each family member applying with you:
  • For a child 6 years old or younger making a claim with a parent: Fill in only the “WHO YOU ARE” section of the BOC Form. A parent or the Designated Representative must sign the form.
  • For a child 7 to 17 years old making a claim with a parent: Fill in all the BOC Form. A parent or the Designated Representative must sign it.
  • A child of any age under 18 who does not have an adult with them:  A Designated Representative must fill in all the BOC Form and sign it.
  • Children 18 years and older must sign their own BOC Form.

Your narrative is your chance to give more details about your refugee claim. You do not have to do one, but it is a good idea. You may not have the chance to say everything you want to at your refugee hearing.

Start your narrative

Before you begin:

• Look over:
  • your BOC Form, 
  • any other forms and applications you gave to the Canadian government (including from outside Canada).  
• Tell the truth. Your narrative must be honest and correct. IRB-RPD is likely to reject your claim if they don’t believe what you have said. If anything in your narrative does not match something you already wrote on another form, explain why.
• Write about the important issues only. You do not need to repeat the basic facts (about your identity, family, education, jobs, and travel) that you put in your BOC and other forms, unless these details are important to show the risk you face in your country.
• Keep your narrative well organized so it is easy to read for the busy IRB-RPD Member who decides your claim.
• Remember that you need to explain the danger you would face in the future in your country and why you cannot go back, not only the events that happened in the past.
• Describe how the past events changed the physical and mental health of you and your family.

Legal issues

The IRB-RPD member is looking for the following information:

• What danger would you face if you go back to your country? Who might hurt you? What threats or bad treatment have you faced? Name the people or the groups. Have other people like you had the same problems? Does everyone in your country face the same danger, or just you and a certain group of people?
• Why do they want to hurt you? Is it because of your
  • race,
  • religion,
  • nationality, 
  • political opinion, or
  • because you belong to a certain social group of people? (For example, women.)
• If you belong to an organization or any group of people in danger, describe the group. If it is helpful, give details about what you did in the group.
• How would the people who want to hurt you find you if you return? Do they have a way to find you no matter where you go in the country? How will they know you are back?
• Did you ask the police or other authorities for help? What happened? If you did not ask, why not? Do you know other people like you who asked for help? What happened?
• Can you live safely in another part of your country? Why not? Do not just say that you do not have friends or family to live with.
• Why did you choose to leave the country when you did? Did you leave right away? If not, why not?
• If you went back after you left, explain why. Did you take steps to protect yourself?
• If it took you a long time to make a refugee claim in Canada, explain why.
• If you went through a safe country first, explain why you did not make a refugee claim there. If you did make a refugee claim in another country, what happened?
• Are there other reasons why you cannot return to your country? Medical reasons? Is it hard to find housing or jobs?

See Prepare for Your Hearing for more information.

Complete your narrative

When you have finished, go over your narrative with your legal representative carefully. Make any changes. If you do not have a legal representative, ask someone you trust to read it over for you.  

Write your name and Unique Client Identifier (UCI) (if you have one) at the top right of each page of your narrative.

Once you are happy with your narrative, you must get it translated into English or French. Ask the translator to read it back to you and listen carefully to make sure it is right. The translator will need to do a translator’s declaration.

Combine your narrative and your BOC Form into one PDF file to send to the IRB-RPD. (You can send your narrative later, but they should get it at least ten days before your refugee hearing.) Follow the IRB-RPD instructions for sending evidence.

Once you have your documents ready, you can go to the IRCC Portal to create an account to make your claim. If you have a representative, they use their own account.

How to start

Take the following steps:

1. Create an invitation code to sign up for an account.
2. Sign up for an account on the IRCC Portal.
3. Once you have signed into your account, click “Make a refugee claim” under “Start an application.”

Make your claim

Once you are in your account, you must begin to answer all the questions on the portal. It is best to only move forward in the portal or you may lose answers.

You make just one claim for yourself, your spouse, and children, but each of you will have your own profile in the portal.

In the portal, you will be asked about:

• your legal representative
• personal information
• contact information
• family 
• travel history
• address history, including places you moved to or hid in
• education, work, and other activities
• security issues
• medical history
• details about your claim

Documents

Required

You need to send in PDF format:

• a complete BOC Form
• your passport or travel document
• Use of a Representative form (if applicable)
• Declaration – Authorization for representative to submit refugee claim through the IRCC Portal (if your representative is sending in the claim for you)

Optional

You can upload other documents for your claim at this time. But if you do not have a legal representative, it is a good idea to wait and do this later with your representative. Try to get legal help with your evidence. You have up until ten days before your hearing to send in evidence.

Tips for using the IRCC Portal

• Get a lawyer or other legal representative to help you if you can.

• Your answers must be in English or French. Stay in control of your answers if you have an interpreter. Ask them to read all the questions and answers back to you in your language.
• Do not guess or make up dates. If you do not know the exact day for a Day/Month/Year date, just put the first day of the month. Write a letter to explain that you did this.
• You can also send a letter to explain if you had trouble using the portal and could not fill in some part of it properly.

Your final step – Send in your claim

Once you answer all the questions and upload your documents, you can send in your claim. Be careful! After you click “Submit Application,” you cannot change or add information. Do not press “Submit your Application” until you have checked that all the information and forms are correct and complete. If possible, have a lawyer or your legal representative look over everything.

IRCC will send you an email to say they got your claim.

After you send in your claim online, IRCC reviews it to make sure it is complete. 

If it is complete, IRCC will:

• Send you an Acknowledgement of Claim letter, which will help you get services and programs.
• Send you a Medical Report form (IMM 1017E) and instructions for getting a medical exam.
• Send you a letter about your next appointment.

If your claim is incomplete, IRCC will tell you what is missing.

You will get an email if IRCC updates your account or puts in a document for you. Make sure you check your email regularly. Sign in to your account to see updates on your claim.

All refugee claimants must have a free Immigration Medical Exam (IME). Each family member has their own exam. It must be done by a doctor who is approved by IRCC. Have the exam as soon as you can: you need it for your work permit.

What to take to your medical exam

When you go to your medical exam, take:

• Your Acknowledgement of Claim letter if you have one
• The Medical Report Form
• An identity document, if you have one
• Your eyeglasses or contact lenses, if you wear them
• Proof of Covid-19 vaccination, if you have one
• Any medical reports or test results about medical conditions (including from the past). You must get them translated into English or French (with a declaration signed by the translator).

Medical history and exam

The doctor will ask questions about your medical history. Then the doctor:

• weighs you and measures your height
• checks your hearing and vision
• takes your blood pressure and feels your pulse
• listens to your heart and lungs
• feels your abdomen
• checks how your arms and legs move
• looks at your skin

If the doctor needs to examine your breasts, they will explain how and why. You may also need to have chest x-rays and laboratory tests.

You can ask to have someone with you during the exam.

The doctor will send the results to IRCC directly. Your medical exam does not affect whether your claim is accepted or not.

After you make your claim, IRCC sends you a date for an appointment to take your fingerprints and photos (14 years of age and older). These are your “biometrics.” The names of the family members who need to go will be on the notice. Be sure to take:

• Your passport and travel documents (and maybe other identity documents such as birth certificates and driver licenses). IRCC will likely take your original documents. They will give you certified copies of them at your eligibility interview. IRCC will return your original documents to you when you become a permanent resident or prepare to leave Canada.
• Your Acknowledgement of Claim letter.
• The appointment notice.
• Two passport-size photos for any children under 14 years of age.

At your eligibility interview, IRCC asks you questions to decide if you can make a claim in Canada. This interview is not your refugee hearing.

What happens during the interview

An IRCC officer will:

• Look at your application (BOC Form and all the information from the IRCC Portal) and ask you questions about the information you gave.
• Check the names, dates, places of birth, and contact information of your family members.
• Ask questions to decide if you can make a claim. You will get a free interpreter if you need one.

They will ask you questions like these:

• Why did you come to Canada?
• Who or what are you afraid of in your country?
• What will happen to you if you go back to your country?
• Have you ever been arrested or detained? (for any reason) 
• Have you made a refugee claim in another country?
• In what countries do you have legal status or citizenship?
• How did you travel to Canada?
• Who helped you come to Canada?
• Do you have relatives in Canada?

If you are allowed to make a refugee claim

If you can make a refugee claim, the officer will:

• Give you a Confirmation of Referral letter and send your claim to the IRB-RPD. The IRB-RPD will give you a hearing date once they review your file. 
• Give you a Refugee Protection Claimant Document (RPCD). This document proves who you are and that you are a refugee claimant. With an RPCD, you can get medical services through the Interim Federal Health Program and other services and benefits in Canada. The form has your Unique Client Identifier (UCI) number.
• Give you a removal order in case your claim is not accepted (only enforced if your claim is refused, withdrawn, or abandoned).
• Explain the next steps in the claim process. It is very important to update IRCC, CBSA, and the IRB-RPD with your current address, email address, and phone number.
• Give you a Claimant’s Kit. It has:
  • the certified copies of the identity and travel documents that IRCC took from you,
  • a Claimant’s Guide, and
  • information from your interview. IRCC also sends these notes to the IRB-RPD.

After a successful interview, you will wait for your refugee hearing with the IRB-RPD. Start thinking about what evidence you can get to support your claim.

If you are not allowed to make a refugee claim

IRCC may decide you cannot make a refugee claim in Canada if:

• You are a convention refugee in another country that you can go to
• You made a refugee claim in United States, United Kingdom, Australia, or New Zealand
• Canada already told you that you cannot make a refugee claim
• You made a refugee claim in Canada that was rejected, abandoned, or withdrawn
• You are dangerous, a criminal, or you have abused human rights
• Canada already made you a protected person 
• Canada has already ordered you to leave in a removal order 
• At a United States-Canada land border, you were told you could not enter because of the STCA, but later did so without permission

If IRCC does not allow you to make a refugee claim, they will give you a removal order. Speak to a legal representative as soon as possible. CBSA may detain you (hold you in custody). You may be offered a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA).

Withdrawing your refugee claim

If you decide to withdraw your claim, CBSA may remove you from Canada. You cannot change your mind or make another refugee claim later. Speak to a legal representative before you withdraw your claim.