Bill C-12 received Royal Assent on March 26, 2026. Its new claim-ineligibility rules apply to claims made on or after June 3, 2025, including the one-year rule measured from the claimant's first qualifying entry after June 24, 2020. Separately, proposed regulations would establish a 60-day period to complete an asylum application, a possible one-time 30-day extension and other procedural reforms; those proposed regulations are not yet confirmed as final.
Why it matters: Applying the proposed 60-day framework as current law—or overlooking the already-enacted entry-based restrictions—could produce incorrect advice.
Affected: Refugee claimants, particularly people with older or repeated Canadian entries.
Practice implications: Obtain the complete Canadian entry history before advising that a claim will be referred to the IRB. Record the first qualifying entry, departures, re-entries and any irregular U.S. border crossing. Continue preparing claims promptly, but identify proposed procedural deadlines as proposed until final regulations are published.