Bill C-12 Is Now Law: Key Changes to Canada’s Immigration and Asylum System
On March 26, 2026, Bill C-12, the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, received royal assent and officially became law. The legislation introduces major changes aimed at strengthening Canada’s immigration and asylum framework in four main areas: asylum eligibility, asylum processing, domestic information sharing, and immigration document and application powers.
New asylum eligibility rules
Canada’s asylum system is intended to protect individuals who can show that they face a genuine risk of persecution or serious harm. Under the new law, two additional eligibility rules now apply to claims made on or after June 3, 2025.
First, an asylum claim will not be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) if it is made more than one year after the person’s first entry into Canada on or after June 24, 2020, even if that person later left and re-entered the country. Second, people who enter Canada between official ports of entry along the Canada–US land border and wait more than 14 days before making a claim will also not have their claim referred to the IRB.
According to the government, these measures are intended to reduce pressure on the asylum system, prevent sudden surges in claims, close existing loopholes, and discourage the use of asylum claims as an alternative route to regular immigration programs.
Special consideration is expected for unaccompanied minors because of their lack of legal guardianship. Individuals affected by these eligibility changes may still be able to seek protection through a pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA), which is designed to prevent removal to a country where they could face persecution, torture, or other serious harm.
The Safe Third Country Agreement remains unchanged. As a result, individuals who make a claim at a port of entry along the Canada–US land border, or within 14 days of entering irregularly, may still be returned to the United States unless they meet an exception or exemption.
A more modernized asylum process
Over the coming months, Canada plans to update the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations to improve how asylum claims are received, processed, and decided. The goal is to make the system more efficient and easier to manage.
These changes are expected to streamline the online application process, reduce duplicate questions and paperwork, and ensure that only complete claims that are ready to be scheduled are referred to the IRB. The new rules will also require claimants to be physically present in Canada while their claim is being decided. If a claimant voluntarily returns to their country of alleged persecution before a decision is made, the claim may be treated as abandoned.
Other changes include removing inactive claims from the system, speeding up voluntary departures by making removal orders effective on the same day a claim is withdrawn, and providing support for vulnerable individuals, such as minors or people who do not fully understand the process, by appointing a representative during certain proceedings with IRCC or the Canada Border Services Agency.
Domestic information sharing
Bill C-12 also gives IRCC clearer legal authority to share certain personal information internally and with domestic government partners. The government says this is intended to improve consistency, service delivery, and cooperation between federal, provincial, and territorial programs.
Under the new framework, IRCC may share identity information, immigration status, and IRCC-issued documents with authorized partners through formal written agreements. The changes also make it easier for IRCC to use information across its own programs, such as using permanent residence application data in citizenship processing, and allow regulations to be developed for broader information sharing across federal institutions for cooperation purposes.
The legislation includes privacy safeguards. Information may only be shared with government partners that are legally permitted to collect it for specific purposes and that have proper written agreements in place. Provinces and territories are not allowed to disclose this information to foreign governments unless IRCC provides written authorization and the disclosure complies with Canada’s international obligations. In addition, any new internal use of personal information within IRCC must be supported by a privacy impact assessment.
New powers over immigration documents and applications
The new law also gives the Government of Canada broader powers to manage immigration documents, including visas, electronic travel authorizations, work permits, and study permits, as well as the applications connected to them.
Where it is considered to be in the public interest, the government may now cancel, suspend, or change groups of immigration documents, pause the intake of new applications, or suspend or cancel the processing of applications. Public interest reasons may include fraud, administrative error, or concerns related to public health, public safety, or national security.
These powers are not exercised by a single minister alone. Each decision requires approval by the Governor in Council through an order in council recommended by Cabinet. Such decisions must also be published in the Canada Gazette and reported to Parliament.
The law also allows regulations to be created so that officers can take similar actions on a case-by-case basis in certain prescribed situations, such as reviewing whether document holders outside Canada remain admissible or eligible.
Importantly, these powers do not apply to refugee protection claims and do not allow the government to grant, change, or revoke immigration status itself, such as permanent resident or temporary resident status.
