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Canada enacts new immigration and asylum measures under the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act (B

🇨🇦 CanadaBills1 recorded versionLast change 27 Mar 2026
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Current rules

Bill C-12, also known as the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, has officially become law. This legislation brings in several changes to Canada’s immigration and asylum systems, which include: new requirements for asylum claims; a modernised asylum process; clarified authorities for sharing information within the department and with government partners; and new tools for the Government of Canada to manage immigration documents and applications when it is in the public interest.

Overview

On 26 March 2026, Bill C-12, the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, received royal assent and became law. This legislation introduces new eligibility rules for asylum claims, including time limits for claims made after entry and for those entering irregularly via the Canada-US land border. It also streamlines the asylum process and provides new authorities for IRCC to share information domestically and manage groups of immigration documents in specific public interest scenarios.

Who is affected by the latest change

  • Individuals making asylum claims in Canada
  • IRCC operations and information sharing
  • Management of immigration documents (visas, ETAs, work/study permits) and applications

What changed in the latest version

Before

Before Bill C-12, asylum claims did not have the new specific rules about the one-year limit after entry. They also did not have the 14-day limit for people who entered unofficially across the Canada-United States land border. The process for claiming asylum was also different. This included how applications were made, how they were sent to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), and how inactive cases were handled. There were fewer clear rules for sharing information. There were also no specific tools to manage groups of immigration documents in situations that were in the public interest.

After

Bill C-12, also known as the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, is now officially law. This law brings several changes to Canada’s immigration and asylum systems. These changes include: - New rules for asylum claims. - A more modern asylum process. - Clearer powers for sharing information within Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and with other government partners. - New tools for the Government of Canada to manage immigration documents and applications when it is in the public interest.

The new rules for who can claim asylum aim to reduce pressure on the asylum system. They also aim to close legal loopholes. They seek to stop people from using asylum claims as a quick way to get immigration status. This might make it harder for some people to have the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) hear their claims. The modernised asylum process aims to make things more efficient. It does this by making applications simpler, speeding up decisions, and removing cases that are no longer active. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's (IRCC) greater power to share information aims to improve how services are delivered. It also aims to improve working with other government bodies. New powers to manage immigration documents give the government tools to act on public interest issues. These could be fraud or emergencies, for example. But these decisions need approval from the Governor in Council. They also need reports to Parliament.

Explained simply

Canada has passed a new law, Bill C-12, that changes how people can ask for asylum (a safe place to live) and how the government handles immigration paperwork. If you come to Canada and want to ask for asylum, you now have to do it within a year of arriving, or within 14 days if you entered secretly from the US by land. If you leave Canada before your asylum claim is decided, your claim might be cancelled. The government also has new powers to share your immigration information with other parts of the government to make things run smoother, and in special cases like lots of fraud, they can even cancel or pause many visas or permits at once. But don't worry, they still protect kids who are alone and won't send people back to dangerous places without checking first.

Frequently asked

Version history

  1. v1Effective 26 Mar 2025EffectiveCritical impact
    Canada enacts new immigration and asylum measures under the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act (Bill C-12)

    Canada's Bill C-12, called the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, became law on 26 March 2026. New rules for who can claim asylum started on 3 June 2025. These rules include: - Asylum claims made more than one year after first entering Canada will not be sent to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). This applies if you first entered Canada after 24 June 2020. - Asylum claims made more than 14 days after entering Canada between official border crossings along the Canada-United States land border will not be sent to the IRB. The law also makes the asylum process more modern. It gives Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) more power to share information inside Canada. It also gives new powers to manage immigration documents and applications when it is in the public interest. These changes affect people claiming asylum and how IRCC handles its work.

Timeline

  1. Announced

    27 Mar 2026

    On 26 March 2026, Bill C-12, the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, received royal assent and became law. This legislation introduces new eligibility rules for asylum claims, including time limits for claims made after entry and for those entering irregularly via the Canada-US land border. It also streamlines the asylum process and provides new authorities for IRCC to shar

  2. Takes effect

    3 Jun 2025

    Bill C-12 has become law, introducing new eligibility requirements for asylum claims, modernising the asylum process, clarifying domestic information sharing authorities for IRCC, and providing the Government of Canada with new tools to manage immigration documents and applications in the public interest.

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