Asylum System Reform Regulations

Summary#

This is a proposed set of changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations to put into effect reforms from the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act. If adopted, it would tighten timelines and simplify how people inside Canada make asylum (refugee) claims — for example a single online application with deadlines — and is estimated to cost the government about $14,031,338 (present value) over 10 years. The proposal was published on June 20, 2026 and the public has 30 days to comment.

What it does#

• Introduces a single online application for asylum claims and sets a deadline of 60 calendar days to submit required documents after making a claim, with a one-time 30 calendar day extension and further extensions for fairness.
• Requires Ministers (through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency) to finish certain integrity and security checks, called “Minister’s Due Diligence,” within 365 days before referring a claim to the Immigration and Refugee Board.
• Allows the IRB to decide that a claim is not abandoned and then set a time limit for a claimant to provide missing information or appear for an examination; it also sets rules for when the Minister can reinstate a withdrawn claim.
• Sets out when a designated representative must be appointed for people who are minors or cannot understand proceedings, what that representative must do, how they can be chosen from a ministerial list, and how they are paid.
• Makes the temporary practice of issuing work permits earlier permanent: eligible claimants can get a work permit once their claim is found eligible for referral and they have submitted required documents and completed medical checks.
• Creates two narrow exceptions to new ineligibility rules:
  • unaccompanied minors are exempt; and
  • people who submitted documents with a view to claiming within one year of first entry (after June 24, 2020) would not be barred by the one‑year rule.
• Clarifies how the Canada‑U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement and its Additional Protocol apply under the new steps (family‑member exception and the 14‑day timing rule).
• Moves authority to schedule IRB hearings to the Immigration and Refugee Board and removes several rigid regulatory time limits for scheduling hearings and decisions.
• Cleans up the rules by removing references to the now‑unused Designated Country of Origin regime.

Who's affected#

• People making asylum claims inside Canada, including:
  • adults and families,
  • people who entered irregularly from the U.S. and who might be subject to the 14‑day rule,
  • unaccompanied minors (explicitly protected by an exception).
• People who need help preparing claims: designated representatives, legal counsel, and community service groups.
• Federal agencies that run the system: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Canada Border Services Agency, and the Immigration and Refugee Board — the government estimates transition and ongoing implementation costs totaling about $14.0 million (present value) over 10 years.
• If finalized, the changes could also affect timelines for people subject to removal if their claims are rejected.

If it’s unclear who will be affected in any particular circumstance, the proposal notes operational details will be set in guidance and systems updates.

Why it matters#

• For asylum seekers: the process would be more standardized and digital, and eligible claimants could get work permits sooner — but claimants must meet set deadlines (for example 60 days), which may require faster document gathering or help from community groups.
• For system integrity and speed: giving Ministers a fixed period to complete security and integrity checks before IRB hearings aims to reduce postponed hearings, duplication, and late discoveries of problems that slow the system.
• For government services and costs: the changes require IT upgrades, training, and new procedures that carry a multi‑year price tag (about $14,031,338 PV over 10 years).
• For vulnerable people: the rules include protections such as a permanent exception for unaccompanied minors, guidance on designated representatives, and continued paper options for claimants with limited internet access — but tighter deadlines could still create challenges for some people without help.
• Procedural note: these are proposed regulations (not law yet). The government invited comments for 30 days after the posting (published June 20, 2026).