5. Give your form to the Board
Question & Answer
How do I fill out my Basis of Claim form?If you made your refugee claim at a Port of Entry (POE), you must file your Basis of Claim (BOC) form within 45 days of being found eligible to make a claim. You must take the original completed BOC and one additional copy to the closest registry office.
You can deliver your BOC in person or send it by courier. If there are fewer than 20 pages in total, you can fax it but you must bring the originals to your refugee hearing. If you have a lawyer or legal representative, they can submit your BOC online.
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.
Keep a copy of the BOC for yourself and a copy of all documents and translations you submitted with it.
Supporting documents
It can take some time to get all the documents you need to prove your claim. But you can send documents to the Refugee Board even after you have submitted your BOC or uploaded it to the online portal. All documents must be received at least 10 days before the hearing. If your documents are not in English or French, you must include a translation and a translator's declaration.
It's very important that all your supporting documents are consistent with your BOC and information in your immigration file. So, it's very important that your lawyer or legal representative review all supporting documents before you submit anything to the Refugee Board.
Use this tip sheet to learn which documents support your BOC.
Filing an incomplete BOC
If you need more time to complete your BOC, you can ask for an extension of time, but there is no guarantee you will get one. It's important to get legal help if your BOC is incomplete.
If you can't complete your BOC in time and you don't get an extension of time, you can give your incomplete BOC to the Refugee Board with as much information as possible. In a letter, you can explain why you were not able to complete your BOC. Say that you will provide a more detailed BOC as soon as possible.
You must submit your updated BOC at least 10 days before your refugee hearing. 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 the Refugee Board decides your hearing should go ahead, be prepared for the hearing to take place that same day.
Making changes to your BOC
If anything changes after you submit your BOC, or if you notice anything that is not true, tell your lawyer or legal representative right away. It's very important to update your BOC before your hearing so that the Refugee Board has a complete and accurate account of what you fear. And, if any information is missing, not true, or different from other information, the Refugee Board could refuse your claim.
Any changes must be filed at least 10 days before your refugee hearing.
Use this tip sheet to learn how to make changes to your BOC after you've submitted it.
