Additional information about the Strong Borders Act

Ottawa, June 17, 2025— Further information is being provided to clarify the immigration‑related items in the Government of Canada’s announcement on strengthening border security. Canada’s immigration system has long been a source of pride and a key driver of economic growth. As stated in the Speech from the Throne, the Government is committed to rebuilding Canadians’ trust in the immigration system by prioritizing balance. We’re improving security at the Canada–United States (US) border and making our immigration and asylum systems more resilient and more responsive to new and developing pressures. The measures announced in the Strong Borders Act are about protecting the integrity of our system while building a safer and more equitable Canada.

1. Strengthen control over immigration documents for the public interest

The Strong Borders Act would allow the Government of Canada to cancel, suspend or change immigration documents, and to suspend, cancel or stop accepting new applications when it’s determined to be in the public interest. These measures would improve our ability to respond to crises and unexpected events by updating how we manage immigration documents. The law does not list specific situations in advance.

Public interest can include, but is not limited to

• risks to immigration or program fairness
• safety, security and health risks to Canada or Canadians
• misuse of government-funded programs
• large-scale emergencies and other unpredictable scenarios

The new legislation does not grant the Government of Canada the authority to cancel asylum claims. The expanded authorities would apply only to immigration documents and applications for documents—such as visas, electronic travel authorizations, and work and study permits—not asylum claims.

Each use of these authorities would be decided by the Governor in Council (the Governor General) after considering all relevant factors, including the potential impact on vulnerable people. If an order is made to pause, cancel or change immigration documents, it would not immediately take away someone’s status as a permanent or temporary resident in Canada. We already have laws and processes in place related to loss of status for permanent and temporary residents.

2. Improve domestic immigration information sharing

The Strong Borders Act proposes legislative changes to improve and expand information sharing within the Government of Canada and with provincial and territorial partners only. They do not concern our information-sharing activities with the US.

It’s important to note that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) already shares applicant information with its domestic partners in limited circumstances and, in most cases, needs to complete case-by-case assessments to share this information. The proposed legislation would create clear and direct legal authorities to allow information sharing to be systematic and reduce administrative burdens.

These proposed changes would close gaps in how we share client information, saving time and money. Federal, provincial and territorial partners would get faster access to this information, which they may use to

• confirm the identity of people who arrived in Canada through the immigration system, which is needed to deliver, and give people access to, a variety of public services and to support their successful integration into Canada
• detect people defrauding benefit programs and other services by using different identities
• carry out law- and border-enforcement activities and investigations

Any new use or disclosure of personal information under these new authorities would follow existing privacy laws, policies and best practices. We would disclose personal information only to partners who are legally allowed to collect it. These disclosures would require IRCC to sign information-sharing agreements or arrangements that outline the personal information to be shared, its purpose, and the limits on further use or transfer to additional parties.

The legislation prohibits provincial and territorial governments from sharing IRCC’s client information with foreign entities, except

• with the consent of IRCC and
• if the disclosure complies with Canada’s international obligations concerning “mistreatment,” as defined in the Avoiding Complicity in Mistreatment by Foreign Entities Act

3. Improve how asylum claims are received, processed and decided

The Strong Borders Act would also improve how we receive, process and decide on asylum claims to make the system faster and easier to navigate. These changes would

• simplify the online application process and make the process the same whether someone claims asylum at a port of entry or at an inland IRCC office
• refer complete claims to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) to speed up decisions
• ensure that claims are only decided by the IRB while the claimant is physically present in Canada
• remove inactive cases from the system
• speed up voluntary departures by making removal orders effective the same day a claim is withdrawn
• help vulnerable claimants, like minors or those who don’t understand the process, by assigning representatives to support them during IRCC and Canada Border Services Agency proceedings

These measures are designed to make the asylum process faster so that claims are processed more effectively while Canada’s commitment to helping those in need of protection continues to be upheld.

4. Protect the integrity of the asylum system by introducing new ineligibilities

In addition, two proposed ineligibility measures in the Strong Borders Act would protect the asylum system against sudden increases in claims, alleviate current burdens on the system, and deter people from using the asylum system to bypass regular immigration rules (including the Safe Third Country Agreement) or to extend their temporary stay in Canada.

• Asylum claims made by people more than one year after they first arrived in Canada after June 24, 2020, would not be referred to the IRB. This would apply to anyone, including students and temporary residents, regardless of whether they left the country and returned.
• Asylum claims from people who enter Canada from the US along the land border between ports of entry (irregularly) and who make a claim after 14 days would also not be referred to the IRB.

Once the legislation comes into force, the proposed rules would apply to claims made on or after Tuesday, June 3, 2025.

These new ineligibility provisions are not a ban on claiming asylum but would prevent these claims from being referred to the IRB. This will help avoid bottlenecks and allow the IRB to continue to address new claims as well as the significant inventory of pending claims.

People who are affected by the proposed ineligibility provisions may still apply for a pre‑removal risk assessment (PRRA). Like an IRB review, the PRRA process will still take into account each claimant’s situation and may still result in refugee protection being granted. This process prevents people from being sent back to a country where they face risks like persecution, torture or other harm.