Canada centralizes asylum applications through a digital platform

Canada put new rules for processing asylum applications into effect on November 3, 2026. The change organizes the procedure through a digital platform and establishes a 60-day deadline for completing certain files. The provisions also allow applicants to request an extension and provide access to work permits. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada confirmed that the regulations are now in force.

Online management is the core of the new system: instead of separate procedures, processing is brought together on one digital platform. The Canadian government said the unified system is intended to reduce delays and simplify the process. That aim describes the announced purpose of the measure, while the deadline and scope of the rules define the changes people seeking protection must consider.

The 60-day limit applies to specified files that must be completed, and the new provisions allow additional time to be requested. The changes also cover people who seek protection from within Canada and those who submit a claim upon arriving at an airport or border crossing. The scope therefore includes both proceedings started inside the country and applications submitted at ports of entry.

The rules bring those procedures and deadlines into Canada's asylum application process. For applicants required to complete an eligible file, the established period is a central part of the procedure; an extension provides an additional option under the rules. The digital platform, meanwhile, concentrates management of the claims under the system described in the new provisions.

The system also provides asylum applicants with access to work permits. That element is part of the changes associated with the new process, together with digital management, the 60-day period for certain files and the option to request an extension. The rules cover applications made within the country and at airports or borders, and they took effect on November 3, 2026.