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:
- Create an invitation code to sign up for an account.
- Sign up for an account on the IRCC Portal.
- 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.