September 23, 2022

New Online Portal for Refugee Claims Made Inside Canada

On 13 September 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a new online portal for eligible individuals making refugee claims from inside Canada. Following the previously released Canadian Refugee Protection Portal, IRCC has released this new online portal to improve client services and the efficiency and capacity of the asylum system.  

Effective 13 September 2022, individuals inside Canada who wish to make a refugee claim can do so by using the new eApp.3 The new portal replaces the Canadian Refugee Protection Portal released in 2021, which was acknowledged to be in need of updates. This new portal will be the primary way to apply for those looking to make a refugee claim from inside Canada. 

Some features of the online portal include: 

• A secure platform to make a refugee claim; 
• Ability to submit documents; 
• Communication between claimants and/or their representative and IRCC Officers; and  
• The ability to track the status of the application.  

Individuals will have 90 days to submit their claim once it has been opened, and any incomplete claims will be deleted if not submitted within 90 days.  

IRCC notes that individuals who started a claim using the Canadian Refugee Protection Portal on or before 12 September 2022 but have not submitted their claim will have until 31 December 2022 to do so.  

If an individual requires special accommodations, they may still make a paper-based claim; however, their request for accommodation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. 

Making a refugee claim should not create more stress on the individual applying, so we are thrilled to see improvements being made to the asylum system.