In an extraordinary sitting on December 23, 2025, the House of Commons adopted Bill C-12 – officially the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act – after only six weeks of committee study. The 326-page omnibus bill now moves to the Senate, where the government hopes to secure Royal Assent before Parliament rises in February.
Bill C-12 represents the biggest rewrite of Canada’s refugee determination system since the early 2000s. The legislation would bar most people from making a refugee claim if they wait more than 12 months after arriving in Canada, and would disqualify claims made at a land port of entry more than 14 days after a person’s first arrival in the United States. Those shut out would be redirected to a curtailed “pre-removal risk assessment” process that historically rejects roughly 80 percent of applications, effectively fast-tracking removals.
Beyond asylum, the bill grants the immigration minister power to “pause, limit or cancel” any visa category for up to two years during an “emergency” – a provision critics say could be used to freeze international student or work-permit streams with little notice. It also authorises the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to collect and share more biometric and travel-history data with U.S. authorities and provincial police, raising privacy alarms.
![House of Commons rushes Bill C-12, tightening asylum rules and expanding border powers]()
For travellers and employers seeking clarity while these sweeping changes unfold, VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers real-time policy alerts, tailored document checklists and expedited application support for every Canadian visa category—helping clients stay compliant even if sudden “pauses” or new biometric rules are announced.
The government argues the reforms are needed to relieve pressure on the Immigration and Refugee Board and to deter “forum shopping” at Canada–U.S. crossings. Business groups worry, however, that broad ministerial powers could create regulatory uncertainty for employers that rely on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and global skills transfers. Human-rights organisations, meanwhile, warn that the Safe Third Country Agreement with Washington already limits access to protection and that Bill C-12 risks breaching Canada’s obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention.
If the bill becomes law, companies should expect more compliance inspections at ports of entry, faster removals for rejected claimants, and the possibility that specific work-permit categories could be frozen with minimal consultation. Mobility managers are advised to track the Senate debate in January and prepare contingency plans for cross-border transferees whose status could be affected by a sudden policy “pause.”
Bill C-12 represents the biggest rewrite of Canada’s refugee determination system since the early 2000s. The legislation would bar most people from making a refugee claim if they wait more than 12 months after arriving in Canada, and would disqualify claims made at a land port of entry more than 14 days after a person’s first arrival in the United States. Those shut out would be redirected to a curtailed “pre-removal risk assessment” process that historically rejects roughly 80 percent of applications, effectively fast-tracking removals.
Beyond asylum, the bill grants the immigration minister power to “pause, limit or cancel” any visa category for up to two years during an “emergency” – a provision critics say could be used to freeze international student or work-permit streams with little notice. It also authorises the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to collect and share more biometric and travel-history data with U.S. authorities and provincial police, raising privacy alarms.
For travellers and employers seeking clarity while these sweeping changes unfold, VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers real-time policy alerts, tailored document checklists and expedited application support for every Canadian visa category—helping clients stay compliant even if sudden “pauses” or new biometric rules are announced.
The government argues the reforms are needed to relieve pressure on the Immigration and Refugee Board and to deter “forum shopping” at Canada–U.S. crossings. Business groups worry, however, that broad ministerial powers could create regulatory uncertainty for employers that rely on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and global skills transfers. Human-rights organisations, meanwhile, warn that the Safe Third Country Agreement with Washington already limits access to protection and that Bill C-12 risks breaching Canada’s obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention.
If the bill becomes law, companies should expect more compliance inspections at ports of entry, faster removals for rejected claimants, and the possibility that specific work-permit categories could be frozen with minimal consultation. Mobility managers are advised to track the Senate debate in January and prepare contingency plans for cross-border transferees whose status could be affected by a sudden policy “pause.”
