What is the BOC?

The Basis of Claim (BOC) form is the central narrative document for inland refugee claimants. Submitted to the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) of the IRB, it details:

• The claimant's personal information and family situation
• The specific events that led the claimant to flee their country
• The agents of persecution (state actors, non-state actors)
• The protection sought (Convention refugee under s.96, person in need of protection under s.97, or both)
• Any prior asylum claims in other countries
• The claimant's travel route and timeline to Canada

Why BOC matters

The BOC is the foundational document of every refugee claim. RPD members rely on the BOC + supporting documents + the claimant's testimony at the hearing to assess credibility. Inconsistencies between the BOC and the hearing testimony are the single most common reason for negative refugee determinations.

Format and length

• Free-form narrative + structured questions
• Length varies — well-documented claims typically run 5-20 pages of narrative
• Must be in English or French
• Translated supporting documents in original + certified English/French translation

Timing

• Port-of-entry claimants: BOC must be submitted within 15 days of the eligibility interview
• Inland claimants: BOC must be submitted within 15 days of receiving the eligibility decision

Late BOC = potential abandonment of claim. The 15-day window is strict.

What goes wrong on BOCs

Common BOC weaknesses we work to fix:

• Generic narrative — claimant's specific story is buried in country-conditions boilerplate
• Chronology gaps — dates don't line up with documents or passport stamps
• Missing key incidents — claimant later raises issues at the hearing not in the BOC
• Translation errors — nuance lost in translation; claimant's voice gets sanitized
• Insufficient detail on the agents of persecution — who, what role, what authority
• Missing internal flight alternative (IFA) reasoning — why couldn't you safely relocate within your country

Halani's note

Strong BOCs require substantial time from the claimant + counsel. We work in detail to extract the full personal narrative, organize it chronologically, identify the Convention grounds, and pre-empt common RPD weak points. Halani's RCIC-IRB licence authorizes BOC representation; legal-aid certificates are accepted in Ontario, BC, Quebec.