On March 26, 2026, Bill C-12 received royal assent and has become law, strengthening Canada's immigration and asylum systems in 4 key areas:
- New eligibility requirements for asylum claims
- A modernized asylum process
- Domestic information sharing
- Immigration document and application authorities
Canada's asylum system protects people who can demonstrate they face a real risk of persecution or serious harm. Two new eligibility requirements are now in effect and will apply to all claims made on or after June 3, 2025:
- Asylum claims made more than one year after someone's first entry into Canada after June 24, 2020, won't be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), regardless of whether the person has since left and returned.
- Asylum claims from people who enter Canada between ports of entry along the Canada-US land border and who make a claim after 14 days won't be referred to the IRB.
These new eligibility requirements will reduce pressure on the asylum system, protect it against sudden increases in claims, close loopholes and deter people from claiming asylum as a shortcut to regular immigration pathways.
Guidance will be provided to officers to consider the individual circumstances of unaccompanied minors, given their lack of legal guardianship. People who are affected by these new rules will still have access to a pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) to prevent them from being sent back to a country where they face risks like persecution, torture or other harm.
There is no change to the application of the Safe Third Country Agreement: people who make a claim at a port of entry along the Canada-US land border or within 14 days of irregular entry continue to be returned to the US, unless they qualify for an exception or exemption.
