Refugee law

Legal Aid Ontario offers assistance with refugee and immigration matters. Find out more

The following categories outline what you will need to make a refugee claim, important deadlines you will need to keep in mind, and helpful resources to get you started:

• Timelines
  The timeline for your claim depends on where you started your claim and what country you are from.

• Starting your claim
  Learn about how you can start a refugee claim and what will happen when you begin a claim.

• Completing your BOC form
  The Basis of Claim (BOC) form explains who you are and why you need refugee protection in Canada.

• Documents to support your refugee claim
  Learn about the documents you might need for your refugee claim, and helpful resources for collecting and submitting them on time.

• Before your hearing
  Learn what to do if you need to change your contact information or BOC form, and how to ask for changes to your refugee hearing date.

• Appealing refugee decisions
  If your refugee claim is rejected, you might be able to appeal to the Refugee Appeal Division (RAD).

• Judicial review
  If your claim is rejected and you cannot appeal, or your appeal to the RAD is rejected, you can apply for a judicial review for your decision to be overturned.

• Admissibility hearings
  Admissibility hearings decide if you are allowed to come into or stay in Canada, if you are a permanent resident or foreign national, for example if you have criminal convictions.

• Links and resources
  A list of links and resources for finding more information and help on refugee law.

This section has been created as a public service by Legal Aid Ontario. Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the information presented is current and accurate. However, users of this section should verify the information before making decisions or acting upon it. This section contains general legal information. It is not intended to be used as legal advice for a specific legal problem.