The Strengthening Canada's Immigration System and Borders Act received royal assent on 26 March 2026. It bars referral to the Refugee Protection Division where a claim is made more than one year after first entry, applied retroactively to 24 June 2020, and where an irregular border entrant claims 14 or more days after entry. Around 30,000 people were notified they may be ineligible. Those barred may still be able to seek a pre-removal risk assessment.
What changed under Bill C-12?
Two new bars. A claim made more than one year after your first entry into Canada is not referred to the Refugee Protection Division, and that rule reaches back to 24 June 2020. Separately, someone who crosses irregularly from the United States and does not claim within 14 days is also barred.
The retroactive reach is what catches most people. A short visit in 2022 or 2023 can affect a claim made now, even if you left Canada in between.
What does an ineligibility letter mean?
It means the department has information suggesting you fall within one of the bars and is giving you a chance to respond before deciding. It is not a final decision. What you send back, and whether you send it in time, matters a great deal.
Response windows on these letters are short. Do not wait to see what happens.
What is left if the claim is barred?
People barred from a hearing may still be able to seek a pre-removal risk assessment. That is a written process decided by an officer rather than a hearing before the Board, and it carries fewer of the supports attached to a claim, including work permits and medical coverage.
That difference is precisely why the written submissions carry so much weight.
Common questions
What is the one year bar under Bill C-12?
A refugee claim made more than one year after your first entry into Canada is not referred to the Refugee Protection Division. The rule applies retroactively to entries from 24 June 2020, so an earlier visit can affect a claim made now.
I received a letter saying I may be ineligible for a refugee hearing. What should I do?
Treat it as urgent. It is not a final decision, the response window is short, and what you file in response shapes what happens next. Send the letter to a licensed representative the day you receive it.