If your claim is ineligible
If an immigration or border services officer tells you that your asylum claim is ineligible, it won’t be sent to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) for a hearing.
Instead, your file will be sent to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for next steps.
On this page
- After your eligibility interview
- Keep your information up to date
- Leaving Canada on your own
- Permits and health care with an ineligible claim
After your eligibility interview
If you’re ineligible because of the Safe Third Country Agreement, the CBSA will send you back to the US immediately.
For other ineligible claims, the officer will give you these documents:
- a decision letter indicating that your claim is ineligible to be sent to the IRB and that the CBSA will contact you about your case
- a conditional removal order
- certified copies of any seized documents
- a Refugee Protection Identity Document (RPID) that confirms your identity and asylum claim, and lets you access temporary health care coverage
- instructions for your immigration medical exam
- a package with important information on the next steps
Removal orders
Your conditional removal order becomes enforceable after 7 days unless there is a stay (pause).
Once your removal order is enforceable, you can either
- leave Canada voluntarily
- wait for the CBSA to contact you about your removal interview
At your removal interview, they will tell you if you’re eligible to apply for a pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) (opens in a new tab)
Keep your information up to date
You must update your address or contact information immediately as part of your conditions while in Canada.
Update your information online
Leaving Canada
You can choose to leave Canada on your own (voluntarily).
You must call the CBSA removals line to confirm your departure at:
1-833-995-0002 (Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time)
They can give you more information and answer specific questions about your case.
After you leave, you may need to get an Authorization to Return to Canada and pay a processing fee if you want to return to Canada.
If you don’t choose to leave Canada on your own, the CBSA will schedule your removal interview.
Replace your RPID
If you’re still in Canada and your RPID is expired, lost, stolen or damaged, you can apply to replace it.
Permits and health care
If you have an ineligible claim, you may still have limited temporary access to health care.
Getting temporary health care
If you get an RPID at your eligibility interview, you can get temporary health care through the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP).
Working
If you have a valid work permit
Your valid work permit will stay valid until it expires due to a temporary public policy.
If you want to keep working, you need to submit a new work permit application and pay the non-refundable fees before your current work permit expires.
If you don’t have a valid work permit
If you don’t have a valid work permit but have an RPID, you can apply for a work permit and pay the non-refundable fees.
Getting a work permit doesn’t mean you can stay in Canada longer and doesn’t give you any status. It’s only a legal document that lets you temporarily work in Canada.
Studying
Once your removal order becomes enforceable, any study permit you have is automatically cancelled.
If the CBSA tells you you’re eligible for a PRRA during your removal interview and you apply within 15 days, you can apply for a new study permit and pay the non-refundable fees.