Bill C-12, the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, became law on March 26, 2026. It created two new eligibility bars that stop some claims from reaching the Immigration and Refugee Board at all.

A claim is not referred to the IRB if it was made more than one year after your first entry into Canada, counting entries after June 24, 2020 — and leaving Canada and returning does not restart the clock. A claim is also not referred if you entered between ports of entry along the Canada–US land border and claimed more than 14 days later.

Both bars apply to claims made on or after June 3, 2025, so they reach claims filed long before the law passed, including claims already before the RPD. People caught by either bar are directed to a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment instead of a hearing. 

Whether a bar applies to you turns on specific dates and entry records. Speak to our refugee lawyer through a consultation.

You can still make a claim, but if you first entered Canada after June 24, 2020 and more than a year has passed, it will not be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board. You would instead be directed to a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment.

That is a materially different process. A PRRA is decided on paper by an IRCC officer rather than at a hearing before the Board, and there is no appeal to the Refugee Appeal Division from it. The date used is your first entry after June 24, 2020, not your most recent entry, therefore, people who have left and returned are often surprised by how the count runs.

A temporary public policy exempting unaccompanied minors from the one-year bar was introduced in May 2026. 

Treat it as urgent and get advice before responding. We can help with determining your options. If the letter are related to the change in law (C-12) these letters have gone out to a large number of people whose claims were already filed or pending, because the new bars apply retroactively to claims made on or after June 3, 2025.

There may be grounds to seek leave and judicial review at the Federal Court. 

Yes. Association are coordinating constitutional challenges arguing that the new bars breach sections 7 and 15 of the Charter. 

These challenges are at an early stage and no outcome should be assumed. They also do not pause anything on their own if you are affected, your own deadlines continue to run while the litigation proceeds. We can assist with determining your options.

Yes. Auxilium Law PC accepts Legal Aid Ontario certificates for refugee claims, refugee appeals and related matters. We retain discretion over which matters we take on, based on our capacity at the time and our Legal Aid quotas. If we have capacity, clients holding a certificate receive a free consultation of up to 30 minutes so they can decide whether to retain the firm. If you do not have a certificate, call 1-800-668-8258.

For clients without a Legal Aid certificate, the consultation fee is $300 for 30 minutes and $400 for one hour. The consultation covers a review of your situation, an explanation of the available options, and next steps. Consultations are available in person at our Toronto office, by telephone or by video.

Our office serves clients in English, French, Spanish and Farsi. For other languages we work with interpreters, and interpretation is provided at Immigration and Refugee Board hearings at no cost to the claimant.

Most refused claimants have a right of appeal to the Refugee Appeal Division or a right of judicial review at the Federal Court, depending on the circumstances. The deadlines are short — generally a notice of appeal within 15 days of receiving the written reasons and a completed appellant’s record within 30 days. Some claimants have no right of appeal and must instead seek leave and judicial review at the Federal Court. Get advice immediately, because missing these deadlines is difficult to fix and extensions of time are not always granted.

In some cases, yes. Where a removal date has been set, counsel can request a deferral of removal from CBSA and, if refused, bring an urgent motion at the Federal Court for a stay of removal. The Court applies a three-part test: a serious issue to be tried, irreparable harm, and the balance of convenience. These motions are time-sensitive, so contact a lawyer as soon as you receive a removal direction to determine what your options are.

A Pre-Removal Risk Assessment lets a person facing removal present evidence that they would be at risk if returned. Access is restricted by statutory bars, including a bar that generally applies for a period after a negative refugee decision, and the time limits for responding to a PRRA notice are short. A lawyer can confirm whether you are eligible and prepare the submissions and country-condition evidence.

Auxilium Law PC is at 40 Holly Street, Suite 402, Toronto, Ontario M4S 3C3, near Yonge and Eglinton and a short walk from Davisville and Eglinton subway stations. We act for clients across the Greater Toronto Area and elsewhere in Canada, with remote consultations available.