What does it mean to make a refugee claim?
If you are afraid to return to your home country, you could think about applying to be a refugee in Canada.
This is also called “making a refugee claim.”
This means that you will ask Canada to protect you by letting you stay here.
Should I make a refugee claim?
How do I make a refugee claim?
What should I do if I already made a refugee claim when I arrived to Canada?
If you already made a refugee claim at an airport or a land border, you might still have some papers to fill out.
This could include some papers called the “Basis of Claim” form, which is where you explain why you are afraid to go back to your country.
What happens after I make a refugee claim?
After the Canadian government receives your refugee application, you will wait for them to schedule a “hearing” for you.
That hearing is when Canada will decide if you can stay here as a refugee.
Important things to know:
The refugee process can take a long time. It can take anywhere between 6 months and 2 years (or sometimes longer) for your refugee claim to be decided.
If you get a positive decision on your refugee claim, it can take about another 2 years for you to become a Permanent Resident. And then it can take another 2 years after that to become a Canadian Citizen.
You cannot leave Canada while your refugee claim is in process. The Canadian government will take all of your identity and travel documents when you make your claim.
If you get a positive decision on your refugee claim, you cannot travel back to your home country until you become a Canadian Citizen.
Click the yellow button below to learn more about the next steps on your refugee claim