1. Complete your BOC and online portal
Question and answer
How do I make a refugee claim from inside Canada?Refugee claims made inside Canada can be started online through the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) portal. In the portal, you must:
- answer questions about yourself and your claim
- upload travel and identity documents
- upload your completed Basis of Claim (BOC) form
All information in the BOC and portal must be complete, true, and correct. At a refugee hearing, all the will be reviewed. Mistakes or inconsistent information can harm your refugee claim and ability to stay in Canada.
Have a lawyer or other licensed representative help you complete your forms and review everything before it's submitted. They can submit your claim using their portal account.
If you're submitting your claim yourself, create your own portal account. Use only one email address to communicate with IRCC and check that email, including your junk folder, daily.
Fill out the portal
You must enter information in the portal, including details about your:
- identity and family
- travel documents
- address and job history
- travel to Canada
The portal also asks questions:
- about your fear of returning to your country, and
- to make sure you're allowed to enter Canada.
You must upload copies of your travel documents and identification into the portal. If you do not have any, include a statement that explains why.
Work permits
To apply for a permit to work while your claim is being decided, check the box requesting a work permit in the portal. Once you get the permit by mail, you can get a Social Insurance Number (SIN) and then work in Canada.
Interpreters
The portal has a question about interpreters. Ask for one if you need one.
Basis of Claim (BOC) form
Your BOC is a very important part of your claim. Get legal help to complete your BOC. Make a copy of before uploading it.
For more information about the BOC, read What is a BOC? and How do I fill out my BOC?
To learn about filling out the BOC, use these tip sheets.
