2. Have your eligibility interview

When you make your refugee claim at the , a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer interviews you to decide if you're eligible to make a claim.

The officer also checks:

your identity documents
if you have a criminal record and whether you might be a danger to Canada

The officer will ask you questions about yourself like:

who you are and what identity documents you have
if you made a refugee claim in another country
if you've ever been arrested or detained
If you have ever committed any crimes

The officer may also ask you some questions about your refugee claim like:

when you left your country
why you left your country
what happened to you
what you fear will happen if you return to your country
who you fear
the details of how you travelled to Canada
why you decided to come to Canada when you did

Answering questions

Answer truthfully and clearly. Tell the officer if you do not understand or do not know the answer.

The officer's interview notes can be used at your refugee hearing. Your claim might be refused if you give too few details or if information is:

not true
not consistent with other information in your case, like your immigration file, documents you submit, or what you say at your hearing

Interpreter

Ask the officer for an interpreter if you need one. Your ability to speak English or French is not important to your refugee claim. But you must understand the questions you're asked and the information in any forms you sign.

Tell the officer right away if you cannot understand the interpreter or have concerns.

Risk of detention

A CBSA officer might detain you if, for example, they:

need to confirm your identity
think you're a security threat to Canada
need to get travel documents to remove you
think you will not attend your removal

You have the right to:

know why you're detained
have a hearing within 48 hours
get help from a lawyer or other licensed representative