What is a Basis of Claim form?
New IRCC online asylum application (eApp)
You must make your refugee claim using the new online application system if you:
- are inside Canada, and
- are eligible to make a claim
You might also have to send information through this portal if a border services officer tells you to use it.
If your legal representative is submitting the claim for you, they must create an account and both of you must sign a Declaration form.
If you are submitting your own claim, you must create the account.
If you don't have a legal representative, it's important to get legal help.
The Basis of Claim (BOC) form is an important document that every refugee claimant must complete. The Refugee Board uses your BOC to decide if your refugee claim should be accepted.
In the BOC, you tell your story about why you're claiming refugee protection in Canada. It's your chance to explain to the Refugee Board why you meet the definition of a Convention Refugee or a .
The BOC is a very complicated document. You must complete the BOC carefully and correctly. If any information is missing, not true, or different from other information, the Refugee Board could refuse your claim.
Timelines
If you make your refugee claim at a Port of Entry (POE), you must complete your BOC and submit it to the Refugee Board within 45 days of being found eligible to make a claim.
If you miss this deadline, there will be a special hearing to decide if your refugee claim is . If your refugee claim is considered abandoned, it will not be heard. Go to the special hearing with your completed BOC, explain why you missed the deadline, and ask for another refugee hearing. You should get legal help to do this.
If you plan to make a refugee claim from inside Canada, you must create an account to use the new online application system, also called the refugee portal. Follow the steps in this question.
Get legal help
It's a good idea to get legal help to complete your BOC.
If someone helps you to fill out your BOC, you have to fill out the counsel information section at page 9 of the BOC, even if the person will not be representing you at your hearing. If someone is representing you at your hearing for free, you also need to fill out a Notice of Representation Without a Fee form.
Follow these steps to open and save an IRCC form in PDF format, using Adobe Acrobat Reader for both PC and Mac users. You can't open the forms on your phone or tablet.
