The online process changes on November 3
IRCC says changes to the asylum application take effect in the IRCC Portal on November 3, 2026. The change applies both to people starting a claim from inside Canada and to people who made a claim to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and were told to complete it online.
This is a change to the portal and the application process. IRCC has not described it as a new eligibility rule, and it does not make an ineligible claim eligible.
Unfinished inland claims
A person who starts an inland claim but has not submitted it by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 2 will need to answer new questions and review earlier answers after the change. IRCC says the claimant's personal information will be saved.
If the claim is submitted through the IRCC Portal by that cutoff, the claimant does not need to provide the new information unless IRCC asks for it.
Claims started with CBSA at the border
The outcome depends on what the claimant has done by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 2:
| Status at the cutoff | What happens |
|---|---|
| Linked to an IRCC Portal account and submitted | No new information is needed unless IRCC asks for it. |
| Linked to a portal account but not submitted | The claimant answers new questions and reviews earlier answers. Personal information is saved. |
| Not linked to a portal account | The information CBSA collected is not saved in the portal. The claimant must link the claim and enter their own details and those of accompanying family members again. |
What claimants should do now
- Check whether the claim is only started, linked or fully submitted. These are different statuses.
- If you plan to submit before the transition, allow time to complete the questions, upload the documents and confirm the submission before 11:59 p.m. ET on November 2.
- Keep copies of every answer and uploaded document, and the portal submission confirmation.
- Follow the instructions for your route: an inland claim started directly with IRCC, or a border claim first made to CBSA.
- For technical problems, use IRCC's web form and include screenshots showing the page, the fields and any error messages.
Documents and deadlines still matter
IRCC's instructions for inland claims continue to require a Basis of Claim form for each person making a claim, a copy of a passport, travel document or other identity document, and a Use of a Representative form when someone is formally helping with the claim.
The November 2 portal cutoff does not extend any other legal or procedural deadline. A claimant who has received case-specific instructions from IRCC, CBSA or the Immigration and Refugee Board should follow them, and should seek legal advice if deadlines conflict or the claim is urgent.