If a family member was just detained by the CBSA, or you have a removal order, a refugee hearing, or a work-permit problem you don't understand, the clocks in Canadian immigration law are short and unforgiving. Immigration is federal law under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), and it moves fast: a detained person must be brought before the Immigration Division within 48 hours, a removal-order appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division is due in 30 days, and after the March 2026 changes under Bill C-12 a late refugee claim can be barred from a hearing altogether. You can call our free line now, day or night, to get clear legal information about IRPA, the Immigration and Refugee Board, and your first move - ask as many questions as you like. This is free legal information, not legal advice. Legal Hotline is not a law firm.
Free legal information. Not legal advice. Available 24/7 across Ontario.
If someone was just detained by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), your first job is to locate them and make sure no one signs anything without understanding it. CBSA must bring a detained person before the Immigration Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) within 48 hours for a detention review; if detention continues, the next review is within 7 days, then every 30 days after that. Anyone in immigration detention in Ontario may qualify for a free lawyer at that hearing through Legal Aid Ontario's Immigration Detention Representation Program. Write down the person's full name, date of birth, and country of birth, and any Client ID or document numbers from CBSA paperwork. Do not let anyone agree to leave Canada or sign a removal-related form without first understanding the consequences, because some choices give up appeal rights and trigger long bars on returning.
Two things ruin Ontario immigration cases before they properly start. First, since 26 March 2026, Bill C-12 can bar a refugee claim from ever reaching a hearing: file more than one year after your first entry to Canada (on or after 24 June 2020), or more than 14 days after crossing the Canada-US land border between ports of entry, and your claim may be ineligible for the Refugee Protection Division. These bars reach back to claims made on or after 3 June 2025. If you are anywhere near either limit, the timing is the emergency, not the paperwork; people barred this way still get a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment, but that is a narrower process. Second, if a loved one is detained by the CBSA, the law gives them a detention review before the Immigration Division within 48 hours, then within 7 days, then every 30 days, and Legal Aid Ontario's Immigration Detention Representation Program can provide a free lawyer for that hearing. Missing the first review window, or letting someone sign away their rights in detention, can be very hard to undo. This is information, not legal advice. A free call to our line will tell you which clock is ticking on your case.
Ontario has a strong network of free and low-cost immigration and refugee help, much of it concentrated in the Toronto area where most IRB hearings for the province are held. These are verified, currently-live starting points. A free call to our line will help you work out which one fits your situation.
CBSA just detained my family member in Ontario. How does a detention review work?
Immigration detention has no fixed term and is not a criminal sentence. The CBSA must bring the detained person before the Immigration Division of the IRB within 48 hours for a review of the reasons for detention; if detention continues, the next review is within 7 days, then every 30 days after that. Anyone detained in immigration custody in Ontario may qualify for a free lawyer at that hearing through Legal Aid Ontario's Immigration Detention Representation Program (1-800-668-8258). Our free line is available now to give information on what the first 48 hours look like.
How long do I have to make a refugee claim in Canada after the 2026 changes?
Since Bill C-12 received royal assent on 26 March 2026, two new bars apply. A claim can be ineligible for a Refugee Protection Division hearing if it is made more than one year after your first entry into Canada on or after 24 June 2020, or more than 14 days after crossing the Canada-US land border between official ports of entry. These bars apply retroactively to claims made on or after 3 June 2025. People barred this way still get a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment, and unaccompanied minors are exempt. If you are near either limit, the timing is urgent. A free call to our line will help you understand where you stand.
Which court handles my deportation case in Ontario - the Superior Court?
No. Immigration is federal, so removal, refugee, and detention matters are decided by the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), not Ontario's courts. Refugee claims go to the Refugee Protection Division, most refugee appeals to the Refugee Appeal Division, detention and admissibility to the Immigration Division, and certain removal and sponsorship appeals to the Immigration Appeal Division. The only further step is an application for leave and judicial review in the Federal Court of Canada. Ontario's Superior Court and Ontario Court of Justice do not decide immigration status.
I got a removal order. Can I appeal it, and how long do I have?
It depends on the type of order and your status. Many removal orders and refused family sponsorships can be appealed to the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD), and that appeal must reach the Division within 30 days of receiving the decision. If the IAD route is not available, or after it, the next step is an application for leave and judicial review in the Federal Court under IRPA section 72, due in 15 days for a decision made in Canada or 60 days for one made outside Canada. These deadlines are strict. A free call to our line will help you understand which path applies.
What is the difference between a departure order, an exclusion order, and a deportation order?
All three are removal orders under IRPA, but the consequences differ. A departure order requires you to leave and confirm your departure (usually within 30 days); done correctly, returning later is easier, but if you don't comply it can become a deportation order. An exclusion order usually bars you from returning for one year, or five years if it was for misrepresentation. A deportation order bars return permanently unless you obtain written Authorization to Return to Canada. Knowing which one you have changes everything about your options.
Is there free immigration and refugee legal help in Ontario?
Yes. Legal Aid Ontario funds refugee hearings, detention reviews, RAD appeals, Pre-Removal Risk Assessments, and Federal Court work for people who are financially eligible and whose matter has merit; its specialist Refugee Law Office is in Toronto, and you can apply at 1-800-668-8258. Steps to Justice (CLEO) offers free plain-language information, and the FCJ Refugee Centre offers free support to refugee claimants. For a lawyer of your own, the Law Society Referral Service gives a free consultation and JusticeNet offers reduced sliding-scale fees.
My work permit is expiring. What should I do?
Work permits are issued by IRCC under IRPA, and the safest move is to apply to extend or change your status before the current permit expires. If you apply to extend before expiry, you generally keep "maintained status" (formerly implied status) and can usually keep working under the same conditions while IRCC processes the application. Letting a permit lapse without applying can cost your authorization to work and complicate your status. Steps to Justice has a guided tool for drafting some in-Canada work permit applications, and a free call to our line will help you understand your options.
Can the Safe Third Country Agreement stop my claim at the border?
Often, yes. Under the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement, most people who try to claim refugee protection at the Canada-US land border after coming from the United States are turned back to make their claim there, with limited exceptions (such as certain family members in Canada or unaccompanied minors). Bill C-12's new 14-day land-border bar adds a further limit for those who do enter. These border rules are technical, and a small detail can decide eligibility. A free call to our line will help you understand whether an exception might apply.
What happens if I miss my refugee hearing or a deadline?
It can be serious. Missing a Refugee Protection Division hearing can lead to your claim being declared abandoned, and missing other steps can lead to a removal order. Late appeals are usually rejected: the Immigration Appeal Division generally needs your appeal within 30 days, and the Federal Court needs a leave application within 15 days (in-Canada decision) or 60 days (outside Canada). In limited cases you can ask to reopen a matter or for an extension of time for special reasons, but it is far better not to miss the deadline. Keep your address current with IRCC and the IRB so you actually receive notices.
Will a criminal charge in Ontario affect my immigration status?
It can. A criminal conviction in an Ontario court can make a permanent resident or foreign national inadmissible to Canada under IRPA for "criminality" or "serious criminality," which can lead to a removal order and, for serious cases, loss of the right to appeal. The criminal case is decided in Ontario's courts, but the immigration consequences are federal and separate. If you are not a citizen and face criminal charges, the immigration angle matters from the very first appearance. A free call to our line will help you understand the overlap.
I think an officer made a mistake on my application. Can I challenge it?
Possibly. Many IRCC and IRB decisions can be challenged by an application for leave and judicial review in the Federal Court of Canada under IRPA section 72. You first need the Court's permission ("leave") before a full hearing, and the deadline is strict: 15 days for a decision made inside Canada and 60 days for a decision made outside Canada from when you were notified. The Court reviews whether the decision was reasonable and fair, not whether it would decide differently. Because the window is short, act quickly. A free call to our line will help you understand the process.
We're building a network of licensed Ontario practitioners ahead of launching a paid lawyer-consultation service - one that will connect anxious, time-pressured callers across Ontario, from Toronto and Ottawa to Windsor, London, and the north, with lawyers who can take refugee claims, detention reviews, removal and sponsorship appeals, Federal Court judicial reviews, work and study permit problems, and humanitarian and compassionate applications. If you are an Ontario-licensed immigration or refugee lawyer (or a regulated paralegal practising within scope), especially one who works in additional languages or accepts Legal Aid Ontario certificates, we'd like to add you to the network we're building ahead of launching paid consultations in Canada. Express your interest and we'll be in touch.
General legal information, not legal advice. We research every page from primary sources — legislation, the courts, and government legal-aid bodies — and check it for accuracy against current Canadian federal and provincial law. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at [email protected].
Whether a family member was just detained by the CBSA, a refugee deadline is closing in under the new Bill C-12 rules, or you have a removal order or work-permit problem you don't understand, Canadian immigration law is federal, fast, and unforgiving of missed deadlines. Call our free line now to get free, plain-English information about IRPA, the Immigration and Refugee Board, and your first move - day or night, with no income test, and ask as many questions as you like. Legal Aid Ontario (1-800-668-8258) also funds free help for eligible refugee and immigration cases. This is free legal information, not legal advice, and creates no lawyer-client relationship. Legal Hotline is not a law firm. Just real help, the moment you need it.
Free legal information. Not legal advice.