Asylum claims: IRCC Portal changes from 3 November 2026

Sources checked October 16, 2026. The process change starts November 3, 2026.

What changes for an inland claim?

IRCC’s Start a claim online distinguishes a claim that has been submitted from one that has only been started. If it remains unfinished at the change, personal information is retained, but you must answer new questions and review earlier answers. Saving a draft is therefore different from submitting a claim.

Keep any submission confirmation. The table helps you read the transition notice; it does not decide eligibility.

Portal transition positions, checked 16 October 2026

Position	What the official notice says
Inland claim submitted by the stated cutoff	No new information for this transition unless IRCC requests it.
Inland claim started but unsubmitted	Personal information saved; answer new questions and review earlier answers.
Border claim linked and submitted by the stated cutoff	No new information for this transition unless requested.
Border claim linked but unsubmitted	Answer new questions and review earlier answers; personal information is saved.
Border claim not linked	English and French pages conflict about saved information. Clarification is required.

What if the claim began at the border?

If the Canada Border Services Agency told you to finish the claim online, IRCC’s If you are asked to complete your claim online (English) explains how to continue in the Portal. It asks for information from the acknowledgement of claim or refugee protection identity document. Keep those documents available when reviewing the linking step.

The Claiming asylum at the border when you enter Canada (English) says information collected by the border agency will be saved for claims not linked or submitted before the change. The IRCC border instructions (French-language source) distinguishes those situations and says information for an unlinked claim will not be saved. As checked on October 16, 2026, the published instructions conflict. Confirm the current instructions with IRCC before assuming that information for an unlinked claim will carry over or be lost.

How should you read the cutoff time?

The inland notice gives the cutoff as 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on November 2, 2026. Keep the exact deadline from the current official notice with any separate instructions for your claim. This article does not convert that deadline to another time zone.

Check the current official notice and your own instructions with the person reviewing the claim. Do not treat the transition date as permission to miss a separate deadline. Our protection-service overview is refugee protection and IRB services.

Does this notice close asylum claims?

The notice describes changes to submission through the Portal. It does not announce that asylum claims close on 3 November, or that every submitted claim must be filed again. It also does not establish that every legal issue in a claim is unaffected.

Keep any separate instructions from IRCC, the border agency or the Immigration and Refugee Board with the file. A Portal update should not be used to infer that a hearing, evidence requirement or individual deadline has disappeared. For dated summaries, see program status.

What records help establish your claim status?

Keep the Portal submission confirmation with any border documents and current request letters. Distinguish a linked claim from a submitted application when checking the transition notice. If the records do not establish the status clearly, identify that question before deciding which transition instructions apply.

Who can represent a protection matter?

The Chapter 1. Introduction to the Refugee Appeal Division explains the special RCIC-IRB licence required for consultant representation before the Board. A general RCIC designation alone does not establish that scope. Federal Court representation is a separate matter to refer to a lawyer; Federal Courts Rules, Representation of Parties also recognise self-representation, subject to the Rules.

Before a review, gather your Portal confirmation, border documents and every current instruction or deadline letter. IRCC, the border agency and the Board decide matters within their respective roles. For a review of your instructions and next step, contact Progressive Immigration.

This is general information, not advice on an individual claim or a guarantee of an outcome. Further representation requires a separate written retainer.

Questions people ask

Must I submit my asylum claim again because the Portal changes?

IRCC says a claim submitted by the stated cutoff does not need new information for this transition unless requested. Check any separate instructions for your file.

Will information for an unlinked border claim be saved?

As checked on October 16, 2026, the English and French border instructions disagree. Confirm the current instructions with IRCC before relying on either outcome.

Does 3 November mean asylum claims are closing?

The notice describes a Portal submission change. It does not announce a closure of asylum claims on that date.

Official sources checked on October 16, 2026

• Start a claim online · checked October 16, 2026 · page date 2026-10-01
• Claiming asylum at the border when you enter Canada (English) · checked October 16, 2026 · page date 2026-10-01
• If you are asked to complete your claim online (English) · checked October 16, 2026 · page date 2026-10-01
• IRCC border instructions (French-language source) · checked October 16, 2026 · page date 2026-10-01
• Chapter 1. Introduction to the Refugee Appeal Division · checked October 16, 2026 · page date 2026-01-09
• Federal Courts Rules, Representation of Parties · checked October 16, 2026 · page date 2026-08-20