One online process for every claim
Claims made at an airport, at a land border or from inside Canada now follow the same online process. After your in-person appointment and eligibility decision, you have 60 days to submit your complete application, including your Basis of Claim account and supporting documents. You can request one 30-day extension. Eligible claimants can apply for a work permit once the claim is complete.
IRCC and the CBSA now complete their security, criminality and credibility checks before the claim is referred to the IRB. The aim is that claims arrive at the Board “ready to schedule”.
Personal documents are now due much earlier
Under the amended RPD Rules, personal documents must be filed no later than 30 days after your claim is referred to the RPD. Previously they were due 10 days before the hearing. Personal documents include identity documents, police and medical reports, letters, photographs and anything else about you or your claim.
| Date your claim was referred | Personal documents due |
|---|---|
| On or before November 2, 2026 | No later than 10 days before the hearing (the old rule) |
| November 3, 2026 to January 3, 2027 | No later than 60 days after referral (transitional period) |
| On or after January 4, 2027 | Within 30 days after referral |
Country condition evidence, such as human rights reports and news articles about your country in general, can still be filed up to 10 days before the hearing.
Changing your Basis of Claim
Changes or additions to the BOC must now be made on a mandatory form that explains each change and how it differs from what you said before. For claims referred on or before November 2, 2026, the deadline depends on when you receive your notice to appear. If you receive it on or before January 3, 2027, changes are due 10 days before the hearing. If you receive it on or after January 4, 2027, changes are due within five days of receiving the notice.
Filing through My Case
Claimants with counsel file documents through the IRB’s My Case portal. Files are increasingly handled electronically between the IRB, IRCC and the CBSA.
What this means in practice
- Start collecting documents the day you claim. Thirty days goes quickly, especially when documents must come from abroad and be translated.
- Get the BOC right the first time. Every later change must be explained, and inconsistencies are a common reason for negative credibility findings.
- Keep your contact information current with IRCC and the IRB, so you do not miss a notice.
These rules are new, and the IRB has issued transitional measures that may continue to evolve. We confirm the exact deadlines for every client from the notices in their own file.
Last reviewed November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Immigration law and IRB procedure change often; we confirm the current rules for your file at your consultation.