Canadian Passport Application times

[bcwife76]

On 9/3/2023 at 9:43 PM, dawnvip said:

A few things to report of my recent passport renewal:

 

-zero appointments available at any office in BC in the next 30 days, so I'm prepared to wait.

 

- spent 2.5 hours in line-up at passport office in Surrey to be told I would not be given a number because they could not process any more that day before closing at 4 PM (I reached the front of line at 10:50 AM)

 

- next morning I went to a smaller (hoping to be quieter) Service Canada office at 8 AM (half hour before opening) to find a line-up outside of about 50 people. Took 2 hours to get to front of line, get a "number" and another 2 hours to actually see the agent for renewal. I clocked the time with an agent at about 15 min per person to renew passport (so I had a good idea how long it would take for my number to be called!)

 

- the "check the status of your passport" website is a joke. Even though I have a file number and all required personal info, the site is actually a request for status update - which takes up to 10 DAYS for a response. My estimated date of arrival is 30 days after submission.

 

- you cannot renew a passport that has more than 6 months remaining unless lost/stolen/out of pages for a visa

 

- new passports have issues with curling/warping, especially in humid environments which some countries have an issue with, and may not accept, so be warned and keep new passports in a ziploc bag and between two heavy books when not in use!

This is very helpful, thank you. My husband and I now have just under 6 months remaining on our current passports. I was hoping the online renewal would be up and running soon but I see no updates since they first announced back in May (shocker). We have no travel plans until summer 2024 so I think we will wait a few more weeks but if online is not up and running by end of October I guess I need to (a) wait at Surrey (my closest passport office) (b) wait in Langley (my closest Service Canada office) or (c) mail it in (which looks favourable to me because I don't feel like wasting half a day in line for this and like I said, no travel plans for the next 10 or so months).

[gnome12]

2 hours ago, bcwife76 said:

This is very helpful, thank you. My husband and I now have just under 6 months remaining on our current passports. I was hoping the online renewal would be up and running soon but I see no updates since they first announced back in May (shocker). We have no travel plans until summer 2024 so I think we will wait a few more weeks but if online is not up and running by end of October I guess I need to (a) wait at Surrey (my closest passport office) (b) wait in Langley (my closest Service Canada office) or (c) mail it in (which looks favourable to me because I don't feel like wasting half a day in line for this and like I said, no travel plans for the next 10 or so months).

I had no issues at all mailing my passport in. The only suggestion I have if you do so is to make absolutely sure that you have filled in everything and that you send in all of the requirements. If you don’t, it will slow down the process. 

[bcwife76]

43 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

I had no issues at all mailing my passport in. The only suggestion I have if you do so is to make absolutely sure that you have filled in everything and that you send in all of the requirements. If you don’t, it will slow down the process. 

Oh yes, absolutely. Double and triple checking if we end up going the mail route for sure!

[CDNPolar]

On 9/15/2023 at 8:04 PM, gnome12 said:

I had no issues at all mailing my passport in. The only suggestion I have if you do so is to make absolutely sure that you have filled in everything and that you send in all of the requirements. If you don’t, it will slow down the process. 

 

How long did the whole process take from the point you mailed it to receiving the new passport?

 

And I am assuming that you still receive the old passport back?

 

Our passports don't expire until Feb 2026 but we are already planning when we will renew because we want to minimize the time we don't have the passport especially if we are mailing them.  

 

We have a cruise in March of 2025 and we are thinking to send them right after that which would be about 10 months before expiry and we will go for 10 year renewal.

Edited September 17, 2023 by CDNPolar

[gnome12]

7 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

How long did the whole process take from the point you mailed it to receiving the new passport?

 

And I am assuming that you still receive the old passport back?

 

Our passports don't expire until Feb 2026 but we are already planning when we will renew because we want to minimize the time we don't have the passport especially if we are mailing them.  

 

We have a cruise in March of 2025 and we are thinking to send them right after that which would be about 10 months before expiry and we will go for 10 year renewal.

I did it over Christmas/New Years 2022/23. I mailed the package December 10, the payment for the passport was put through December 20, and, if I had been home I would have had both the new passport and my old one in my hands January 4. Since I had to go pick it up I got them both January 5. All this despite it going in during the Christmas rush and all of the extra statutory holidays. (Despite living in Ontario, my passport was issued in Surrey BC. My guess is that for mailed in applications, they send them to less busy offices.)

 

I think there was a spot on the application to ask for the old one back. I don’t think it was automatic, but my memory may be faulty. 

Edited September 17, 2023 by gnome12

[dawnvip]

7 hours ago, gnome12 said:

I did it over Christmas/New Years 2022/23. I mailed the package December 10, the payment for the passport was put through December 20, and, if I had been home I would have had both the new passport and my old one in my hands January 4. Since I had to go pick it up I got them both January 5. All this despite it going in during the Christmas rush and all of the extra statutory holidays. (Despite living in Ontario, my passport was issued in Surrey BC. My guess is that for mailed in applications, they send them to less busy offices.)

 

I think there was a spot on the application to ask for the old one back. I don’t think it was automatic, but my memory may be faulty. 

LOL, I highly doubt that Surrey would ever be a less busy office. Surrey is probably the largest office in BC, and only one of 4 for all of BC. My recently renewed passport was issued in Mississauga. I think this means that applications are uploaded to a central database and the next available agent (wherever they may be located) reviews/issues.  Just my guess!

 

You are right, there is a box to tick if you want the old one back.

Edited September 18, 2023 by dawnvip
typo

[ski ww]

I got my new passport in the mail today, took 41 days. I dropped it off at my local MP's office, they made sure everything was filled out correctly. My old one was returned 2 weeks ago.

[martincath]

Very recent update - applied in-person at Vancouver passport office, no appointment, just walked in the door on a Friday 4 weeks ago at almost bang on 3pm... longest wait was the initial 'get a number' queue, approx 20mins standing... then sat for 15min... then as my wife and I both renewed at the same time it took another 15mins to be processed together (during which we saw two singletons be completely processed and another one begin at the window next to us), and we were out and off to Happy Hour before 4pm.

 

Went on vaycay for 2 weeks (NEXUS cards used to drive across the border) and we had the 'please come to Post Office to sign for your package' note waiting in our mail slot when we returned, dated 9 working days after our appointment; very fair considering the current official line is 10 days for in-person at the office.

 

Now we can put in for our NEXUS renewals, with ~8 months before expiry, and we hope it will be similarly smooth!

 

Oh - if it matters to anyone, Vancouver is still printing on old Lizzy stock and they did actually warn us when we went in! For folks who insist on getting a passport with Chuck in it you should apply by mail to the central Ottawa office, as apparently all of the regional ones are still burning through the old stock (a pleasant surprise to see our gov't actually choosing NOT to throw money away by just getting rid of them!!!)

[Fouremco]

25 minutes ago, martincath said:

Now we can put in for our NEXUS renewals, with ~8 months before expiry, and we hope it will be similarly smooth!

Don't forget to update your passport information in NEXUS before initiating the update.

 

27 minutes ago, martincath said:

(a pleasant surprise to see our gov't actually choosing NOT to throw money away by just getting rid of them!!!

Yes!!!

[martincath]

11 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Don't forget to update your passport information in NEXUS before initiating the update.

We are aware, but thanks anyway - anecdotally a LOT of folks get tripped up the first time they cross the border after getting new PP or buying a new car and forgetting to keep things all matchy-matching!

[ski ww]

Ours was issued in Ottawa and we got the old stock, which I think is much nicer then the pictures I saw of the new ones.

[dawnvip]

On 9/21/2023 at 3:06 PM, martincath said:

We are aware, but thanks anyway - anecdotally a LOT of folks get tripped up the first time they cross the border after getting new PP or buying a new car and forgetting to keep things all matchy-matching!

I don't think Nexus is keeping track of vehicle details any longer. Just like they don't hand out declaration booklets (thank god!)

[martincath]

11 hours ago, dawnvip said:

I don't think Nexus is keeping track of vehicle details any longer. Just like they don't hand out declaration booklets (thank god!)

Just finished renewal and checked this, as I did notice when I was updating new PP that the Vehicle Info was still part of the dashboard (same car for us, so no need to change the info, so I didn't Edit that section) - and it looks like they only care about vehicle info for the Mexican border rather than Canadian these days.

 

So thanks for the tip, one less thing to do in future as we have no plans to do another 'all the way down the left coast' road trip!

[ElizabethS]

Went to Victoria Street Toronto Passport Office yesterday morning an hour before they opened (7:30am).  About 10 people ahead of me.  At 8:00am security let us in to a holding room with chairs and handed out numbers by lots (about a dozen in each lot).  At 8:15 the guard asked for all people who were picking up (regardless of Lot number) and they left holding room.  At 8:25am they called my lot and went upstairs to the main passport office.  Never sat down up there - out in 15 minutes and pick up in 10 business days.  Very efficient.  In retrospect I could have arrived at 8am and probably had the same experience but didn't mind waiting and getting it done.

[CDNPolar]

Anyone with experience renewing their passport in-person in MISSISSAUGA Ontario?

 

Is your experience anything like ElizabethS above?  This all seems very reasonable in time and efficient.

 

 

[phabric]

Can you go to a Service Canada with a renewal form to hand in?

 

Or, do you have to go to a Passport office?

[Fouremco]

42 minutes ago, phabric said:

Can you go to a Service Canada with a renewal form to hand in?

 

Or, do you have to go to a Passport office?

Service Canada is fine for Standard service renewal. If you need Express or Urgent renewal, you have to go to a Passport Office.

[phabric]

Thanks for the information as a Service Canada is only a few minutes away from my home.  It will be for a standard renewal no rush.

10 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Service Canada is fine for Standard service renewal. If you need Express or Urgent renewal, you have to go to a Passport Office.

 

[Puggy13]

Walked into DT Vancouver office 9:15am on Sept 25 for renewal, was out before noon. I counted at least 10 rows of 12 seats, so at least 100 ahead of me. Received in mail today. New stock. Mailed from Mississauga. I had 2 new child applications to do also, so that's why I had to go in. 

[CDNPolar]

8 hours ago, Puggy13 said:

Walked into DT Vancouver office 9:15am on Sept 25 for renewal, was out before noon. I counted at least 10 rows of 12 seats, so at least 100 ahead of me. Received in mail today. New stock. Mailed from Mississauga. I had 2 new child applications to do also, so that's why I had to go in. 

 

 

You say "new stock" - have they fixed the front/back cover issue?  

[bcwife76]

Holy moly! Husband and I mailed our renewals in via Xpresspost on November 7th (we are in Surrey BC and I just couldn't be bothered to wait at our local passport office or Service Canada office). They were received in ON on November 9th. Our credit cards were charged this past Monday, November 20th and I just received them today, November 24th!! That's less than 10 business days - by mail!!! Colour me happily surprised.

[HSBC]

When you renew your passport online, is it easy to upload the photo ?

Can you take your photo with cell phone?  Or do you require to go to any  photo studio to take the passport photo?

Thanks!

[Fouremco]

30 minutes ago, HSBC said:

When you renew your passport online, is it easy to upload the photo ?

Can you take your photo with cell phone?  Or do you require to go to any  photo studio to take the passport photo?

Thanks!

There are 3rd party companies that will enable you to complete part of the renewal process with them online  -  for a hefty additional fee  -  but even then you will be required to mail certain documents to the Canadian government, including your current passport, as part of the application process.

 

The regular process isn't onerous and you won't really benefit from the 3rd party's involvement, so save your money and do it yourself. All the necessary information can be found here:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/renew-adult-passport.html 

[paf225]

I had to renew my passport recently and it was very simple.  I booked an appointment online at Service Canada in Kelowna for October 18th.  A week prior to my appointment I walked into the local BCCA office and had the required photos taken at a cost of $10.08.  I arrived for my appointment a few minutes early with my completed renewal application and my photos and was on my way out within 20 minutes.  I retained my old passport after a few holes were punched through it.  My new passport was delivered to me on November 6.  Regards, Paul  

[helovestrains]

Had a very similar experience as paf225.  Made my appointment online with Service Canada for 01 November, in and out very quickly.  Old passport received by mail 09 November and new passport received 15 November.   Both new and old passport were delivered to my community mailbox, with both packages saying signature required.  I didn’t sign for either.