Operational Bulletin 679 – April 5, 2024

Manual update required for the Refugee Protection Claimant Document validity from 4 to 6 years

Summary

A procedure is being implemented for all offices (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency) processing in-Canada refugee claims to manually change the system default validity period of the refugee protection claimant document (RPCD) from the current 4 years to 6 years. This procedure will be in place until the necessary permanent change to the system is implemented (date TBD).

All claimants who are issued an RPCD (that is, persons whose claims are eligible for referral to the Immigration and Refugee Board [IRB], or whose claims are ineligible, in the case of persons who may be entitled to apply for pre-removal risk assessment [PRRA]) will receive an RPCD with a 6-year validity period.

Issue

Lengthening the RPCD's validity period is part of our ongoing commitment to improve client service by helping to reduce administrative burdens on claimants and to further streamline IRCC operations.

Background

The RPCD is a document that identifies the holder as a client of Canada’s refugee protection system. An RPCD is issued to persons whose claims are eligible for referral to the IRB, or whose claims are ineligible, in the case of persons who appear entitled to apply for a PRRA. If applicable, the RPCD indicates that the person is eligible for coverage under the Interim Federal Health Program. The RPCD is also used by clients to support applications for certain provincial benefits.