Published
Pardeep S. Grewal is a lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation, called to the BC bar in 2024, and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia.
Updated November 13, 2026: the amended Refugee Protection Division Rules (in force November 3, 2026) and the RPD Practice Notice on Procedural Issues checked that day.
New deadline: changes must reach the RPD no later than 5 days after you receive the notice to appear (RPD Rules r. 7(2)).
Older claims: referred on or before November 2, 2026 and notice to appear received by January 3, 2027: 10 days before the hearing.
How: in writing, describing each change, with a signed declaration. Why a lawyer
Our immigration lawyers
Sundeep S. GrewalBarrister and Solicitor
Prabhpreet Kaur SanghaBarrister and Solicitor
Pardeep S. GrewalBarrister and SolicitorAbout our lawyers
Sundeep S. Grewal founded Lawgical Law Corporation and argues immigration cases at the Immigration and Refugee Board and the Federal Court of Canada.
Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha focuses on refugee claims, immigration appeals, inadmissibility, detention reviews and Federal Court cases, and has presented at Continuing Legal Education seminars and the National Immigration Conference.
Pardeep S. Grewal is an immigration and estates lawyer known for clear communication and practical strategy.
If something in your Basis of Claim is wrong or missing, you can change it, but the rules changed on November 3, 2026. For most claims, changes must now reach the Refugee Protection Division within 5 days after you receive your notice to appear, not 10 days before the hearing. The member will compare the old and new versions, so how and when you make the change matters as much as what it says.
Lawgical Law Corporation, an immigration law firm in Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver, BC, prepares Basis of Claim amendments and represents refugee claimants at the Refugee Protection Division; this guide is by Pardeep S. Grewal.
Update, November 13, 2026: for claims referred on or after November 3, 2026, Basis of Claim changes are due 5 days after the notice to appear. Read the news update.
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Which deadline applies to you
| Your claim | Deadline for changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Referred on or after November 3, 2026 | 5 days after you receive the notice to appear | RPD Rules r. 7(2) |
| Referred on or before November 2, 2026, notice to appear received on or before January 3, 2027 | 10 days before the hearing | Practice Notice s. 2.3 |
| Referred on or before November 2, 2026, notice to appear received on or after January 4, 2027 | 5 days after you receive the notice to appear | Practice Notice s. 2.3 |
Personal documents have their own deadlines: for new claims, 30 days after referral (60 days for claims referred November 3, 2026 to January 3, 2027). Country condition evidence is due 10 days before the hearing.
Corrections vs new facts
- Corrections: a wrong date, a misspelled name, a translation error. Explain how it happened.
- New facts: an event you left out, or something that happened after you filed. Explain why it wasn’t there before, or when it happened.
How the member treats changes
Changes made on time, with a clear explanation, are part of a normal claim. Changes that add central events late, or that appear for the first time in testimony, are where members most often find credibility problems. The earlier and clearer the change, the better.
How to file the change
- Use the RPD’s change form, identifying each change;
- Describe how the new information differs from the original;
- Sign the declaration;
- Send it to the RPD and keep proof of delivery;
- File supporting documents within their own deadlines.
Missed the deadline? You can ask the RPD to accept the change late, explaining why. The member decides.
Why this needs a lawyer
One lawyer, one file, every step:
- checking which deadline applies to your claim;
- drafting the change and the explanation;
- matching the evidence to the new version;
- representing you at the hearing.
The new 5-day deadline is easy to miss, and a late or unexplained change can damage an otherwise strong claim.
Immigration lawyers are members of a provincial law society (in our case, the Law Society of British Columbia), and only a lawyer can represent you in the Federal Court if a refusal has to be challenged there. An immigration consultant cannot appear in that court for you.
Mistakes I have seen
- Waiting until just before the hearing under the old 10-day habit.
- Raising a new event for the first time in testimony.
- Changing the story without explaining why.
- Forgetting that document deadlines are separate from the change deadline.
Frequently asked questions
What is the deadline to change a Basis of Claim?
For claims referred on or after November 3, 2026, 5 days after you receive the notice to appear.
Is the 10-day rule gone?
For older claims it still applies if the notice to appear was received on or before January 3, 2027.
Can I change it after the deadline?
Only with the RPD’s permission, and you’ll need to explain the delay.
Will changes hurt my credibility?
Not if they’re made on time with a clear reason. Late changes to central facts are the risk.
What should I do right now?
Check the date you received your notice to appear today, and get the change filed before the 5 days run out.
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Sources (official)
- Rules Amending the Refugee Protection Division Rules, SOR/2026-219 (in force November 3, 2026), rules 6–8, 34 and 65
- IRB: Refugee Protection Division Practice Notice on Procedural Issues (modified November 3, 2026)
- IRB: Important changes for refugee claimants: new RPD Rules (November 3, 2026)
This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its own facts.