A refugee claim asks Canada for protection because returning to your own country would put you at risk. The law recognises two grounds: a well-founded fear of persecution under the Refugee Convention, and a personal risk of torture, death or cruel treatment.
A claim can be made at a port of entry or inside Canada. It is then referred to the Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board, and the timelines that follow are short. The Basis of Claim form, which sets out what happened to you and why you fear returning, is due within weeks, and the hearing is usually scheduled within months.
These cases turn on credibility and on evidence about conditions in your country. Inconsistencies between the form, the port of entry notes and your testimony are the most common reason claims fail, which is why the preparation matters as much as the hearing.
What we help with
- Making a claim at a port of entry or inside Canada
- Basis of Claim forms and supporting statements
- Country condition evidence, medical reports and witness statements
- Preparing for and attending the hearing
- Appeals to the Refugee Appeal Division after a refusal
- Pre-removal risk assessments and humanitarian applications where a claim is not available
How it usually works
- 01
Meet the deadlines
The Basis of Claim form and disclosure deadlines come quickly. We work to them from the first meeting.
- 02
Build the record
Your account is set out carefully and supported with documents, country evidence and, where they exist, witnesses.
- 03
Hearing and after
We prepare you for questioning and represent you at the hearing. If the claim is refused, we advise on an appeal or judicial review straight away.
Related services
- Appeals & RefusalsChallenging a refusal through the Immigration Appeal Division, the Federal Court or a fresh application.
- Judicial ReviewChallenging an immigration decision in the Federal Court when the officer got it wrong.
- Permanent Residence & Express EntryRoutes to permanent residence, including Express Entry, the BC Provincial Nominee Program and humanitarian applications.