| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Country affected | Uganda (nationals and former habitual residents) |
| IRCC update date | June 19, 2026 |
| Exempt decision window | June 20, 2025 to June 19, 2026 (inclusive) |
| Bar that applies otherwise | 12-month bar on applying for a PRRA |
| Who decides the exemption | Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (under subsection A112(2.1) of IRPA) |
| Decisions after June 19, 2026 | Subject to the standard 12-month bar |
Canada has granted Ugandan nationals and former habitual residents a time-limited exemption from the 12-month bar on applying for a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA). IRCC published the update on June 19, 2026. Anyone from Uganda whose IRB, Federal Court, or previous PRRA decision was issued between June 20, 2025 and June 19, 2026 can now apply for a PRRA without waiting out the usual 12-month waiting period.
This matters because the PRRA bar normally locks out unsuccessful refugee claimants for a full year after a negative decision. For people facing removal, that gap can be dangerous. The Uganda exemption removes that barrier for a specific group, reflecting IRCC's assessment that country conditions in Uganda have changed enough to warrant a fresh look at individual risk.
If your decision came after June 19, 2026, the exemption does not apply to you. You remain subject to the standard 12-month bar from the date of that decision.
What the PRRA Bar Is and Why It Exists
A Pre-Removal Risk Assessment is a process that lets people facing removal from Canada argue they would be at risk if sent back to their home country. The risks assessed include persecution under section A96 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), and risks of torture or cruel and unusual treatment or punishment under section A97.
The 12-month bar was introduced to prevent the PRRA system from being used repeatedly to delay removals without new evidence. Under subsection A112(2) of IRPA, certain unsuccessful refugee claimants are not eligible to apply for a PRRA for 12 months after a negative decision. The bar applies after a rejection, withdrawal, or abandonment from the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), after a refusal on a previous PRRA application, and after the Federal Court refuses leave or dismisses a judicial review of a refugee or PRRA decision.
The bar calculation starts from the date of the most recent Refugee Protection Division (RPD), Refugee Appeal Division (RAD), or PRRA decision. It also starts from the date a Federal Court denies leave or dismisses the judicial review. The last day of the bar is the day before the 12-month anniversary of that decision date.
There is one important nuance in how Federal Court decisions trigger the bar. If the Federal Court dismisses an application without examining the merits of the original decision, that dismissal does not start the bar clock. For example, if an applicant fails to perfect their Federal Court application and it gets dismissed on that procedural basis, the 12-month bar is not triggered. Similarly, an abandoned or withdrawn Federal Court application does not count, because no decision on the merits was rendered.
How the Uganda Exemption Works Under IRPA
The legal basis for country-specific PRRA bar exemptions is subsection A112(2.1) of IRPA. This provision gives the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration the authority to exempt nationals or former habitual residents of a country from the 12-month bar when conditions in that country have changed enough that people could face risks under sections A96 or A97.
Uganda is now one of 38 countries on the exemptions table maintained by IRCC. Each entry on that table has an effective date and a specific window during which a person's most recent negative decision must have been made. For Uganda, the effective date of the exemption is June 19, 2026, and the qualifying decision window runs from June 20, 2025 to June 19, 2026, inclusive.
Other countries on the exemptions list include Afghanistan (effective October 18, 2021, covering decisions from October 19, 2020 to October 18, 2021), Belarus (effective February 19, 2021, covering decisions from February 20, 2020 to February 19, 2021), Chad (effective March 30, 2023, covering decisions from March 30, 2022 to March 29, 2023), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (effective July 4, 2025, covering decisions from July 5, 2024 to July 4, 2025). Uganda joins this list as the most recent addition as of today, June 19, 2026.
It is worth noting that Bill C-97 received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019, which amended IRPA and introduced specific provisions about the bars to PRRA, including how Federal Court decisions interact with the bar. The current Uganda exemption operates within that amended legal framework.
Who This Affects: A Concrete Scenario
Consider a Ugandan national whose IRB refugee claim was rejected in September 2025. Under the normal 12-month bar, they would not be eligible to apply for a PRRA until September 2026. But because their decision falls within the June 20, 2025 to June 19, 2026 window, the new exemption removes that barrier. They can now apply for a PRRA without waiting for the bar to expire, assuming they have received notification from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) of their eligibility to apply.
The exemption covers both nationals of Uganda and former habitual residents. A former habitual resident is a person who lived in Uganda long-term but may not hold Ugandan citizenship. This matters for stateless individuals or people who resided in Uganda before coming to Canada.
People whose decisions were issued before June 20, 2025 are not covered by this exemption window. Their bar period would already have expired naturally by June 2026, so the exemption is irrelevant for them in practical terms. People whose decisions come after June 19, 2026 are subject to the full 12-month bar from that date onward.
You do not apply for the exemption separately. The CBSA officer checks your eligibility before issuing a PRRA notification. If you believe you qualify under the Uganda exemption but have not received a notification, speak with a qualified immigration legal aid service about your options.
The PRRA Application Process: What to Expect
Once you are eligible, the PRRA process follows a defined sequence. Here is how it works from the moment CBSA determines you can apply.
- Receive your notification from CBSA: A CBSA officer notifies you in person or by mail that you are entitled to apply for a PRRA. This is done under section 160 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR). The notification includes the PRRA application kit and instructions on where to submit.
- Submit your application within 15 days: You have 15 days from notification to submit your PRRA application. If notified by mail, the notification is considered received 7 days after it was sent by CBSA. Missing the 15-day window means your removal order is no longer automatically stayed.
- Provide written submissions within 15 more days: After submitting your application, you have an additional 15 days to provide written submissions in support of it. Use this time to document risks you would face upon return to Uganda.
- Stay of removal takes effect: If you applied within the 15-day window and were notified in person or by mail, a regulatory stay of removal under section R232 of IRPR automatically applies. Removal cannot proceed until a decision is made on your PRRA.
- Await the PRRA officer's decision: A PRRA decision maker reviews your application and submissions. For subsequent PRRA applications, you can only submit new evidence that arose after your previous rejection or was not reasonably available at that time, as set out in paragraph A113(a) of IRPA.
Subsequent PRRA applicants do not receive an automatic regulatory stay of removal. This is a critical difference from first-time PRRA applicants. If you are filing a subsequent PRRA, removal can potentially continue even while your application is under review, unless you obtain a separate deferral or court order.
Who Cannot Apply for a PRRA Regardless of the Exemption
Even with the Uganda exemption in place, certain categories of people remain ineligible for a PRRA. The exemption only addresses the 12-month bar. It does not override other eligibility restrictions under IRPA.
People who already hold protected person status or who are recognized as Convention refugees by another country are not entitled to apply for a PRRA under subsection A112(1). Their situation is assessed under section A115 instead, which covers non-refoulement obligations.
People subject to an authority to proceed (ATP) under section 15 of the Extradition Act cannot apply for a PRRA once the ATP is issued. The Department of Justice issues the ATP, and IRCC is notified through the Global Case Management System (GCMS) via an Extradition info-alert.
People whose refugee claims were found ineligible because they came directly or indirectly from a safe third country under paragraph A112(2)(b) are also barred. Currently, only the United States has been designated a safe third country under the Safe Third Country Agreement.
Certain applicants with serious criminality, exclusions under Article 1F of the Refugee Convention, involvement in international crimes, or who pose a security risk fall under subsection A112(3). They are eligible for a restricted PRRA only, assessed under section A97 alone, and a positive decision results in a reviewable stay of removal rather than protected person status. The Uganda exemption does not change how restricted PRRAs are processed.
You can review the IRCC processing times page for current timelines, and find more detail on the PRRA framework through the IRCC official website. For general questions about your specific case, the IRCC Help Centre is a useful starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources: Government of Canada (canada.ca), IRCC Help Centre. Last verified: June 19, 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice. Consult IRCC or a qualified legal aid service for guidance on your specific situation.
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