Deadline warning: This calculator assumes the deadline runs from the date you were notified. If you were notified by mail, by a representative, or through an unusual channel, the actual date the clock started may differ. When in doubt, treat the earliest plausible date as your deadline and get advice immediately.
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Application for Leave and Judicial Review
Your deadline will appear here once you enter a notification date.
How this deadline works
Under section 72 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, an application for leave and for judicial review must be filed and served within 15 days (for a matter arising in Canada) or 60 days (for a matter arising outside Canada) after the applicant is notified of, or becomes aware of, the decision. Judicial review proceeds in two stages: first the Court decides whether to grant "leave" (permission) on the written record; only if leave is granted does the matter proceed to a hearing on the merits.
These are strict, jurisdictional deadlines — the Federal Court has discretion to extend time only "for special reasons," and an extension request must be made within the leave application itself. Waiting to see if a decision "gets better on reflection" is one of the most common ways a valid case is lost before it is ever heard.
Questions people ask
15 days if the decision was made inside Canada, 60 days if it was made outside Canada — for example, a visa office refusal abroad. Both periods run from the day you were notified of, or became aware of, the decision.
It runs from notification, not the decision date itself — the day you were notified of, or otherwise became aware of, the matter to be reviewed. If those dates differ, use the notification date.
An extension of time can be requested for special reasons, but it is discretionary and not guaranteed. Speak with a lawyer immediately rather than assuming the option is closed.
Not automatically in most cases. A judicial review application does not by itself stay removal — a separate stay motion is generally required if removal is imminent.
No. Only lawyers and self-represented litigants may appear before the Federal Court. Given the short, strict deadlines, retaining counsel promptly matters.
Official sources
Rules and government guidance may change. Review the current source and obtain advice for a live matter.
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 72
- Federal Court — How to File an Application for Leave (Immigration)
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