Canadian Passport

[cruisinbuddy]

No this is not a question. I'm doing this for information purposes. DW went to get my DD a passport today, Sept. 13 2007. I'm going to let everyone know exactly how long it's going to take to get it.

If you go in person, it should take 2 weeks, if you courier it, it should take 6 weeks, and if you mail it, it should take 8 weeks. So DW went in person, and the countdown has begun.

[mr green]

I will add a few things to this.

The key to start with is getting in line, and being serviced the same day. In Vancouver at least it is tough to do, youir located position will not go forward to the next day, and there are, or were 'profesional liners' who will 'sell you a spot!'

As I have just written on another thread, it took me exactly three months, when I took my forms to a 'Sub Office' in Kelowna for checking.

I found out much earlier in the year that sending forms by courier does not speed up the process.

 

john

[KAWS]

I live in Ontario and I took mine in to the post office on Friday. I was told 13 weeks wait (Dec. 14) or 3 weeks if I took it into a passport office and stood in line. She kindly showed me the location of a couple of the offices and would have the least amount of waiting time but none were close to me.

 

We're not sailing till next March, so we just mailed them. But her info is correct because a friend of mine went and stood in one of the long lines and after they told her she'd have it in three weeks and gave her a date of Sept. 28.

[JanineM]

Just an addition for those of us who are resident in the States ... The rules are very different for Canadians who are not resident in Canada!

 

the Passport site is quoting 15 weeks and I received mine in 10 1/2 --- and that is after indicating that we were traveling on September 2nd. Fortunately I am a dual citizen, but I always prefer to carry my Canadian passport when we travel to foreign lands.

[boulders]

Any tips for getting the Canadian passport if you're a U.S. resident? My Canadian passport expired a few months ago. I always just used to go stand in line in T.O. when I lived there, but the requirements for U.S. residents are just a little intimidating. I have dual citizenship.

 

Thanks

[Cruisin'Kim]

We live in Ottawa, and both of our Kids needed passports this summer, so we printed out the online forms and headed to the passport office. We only waited about 1/2 an hour, (big change from when My DH and I had our passports renewed a few years ago and stood in line about 2 hours). Both of their passports arrived in about 2 weeks

 

Happy Cruising!

 

Kim

[JanineM]

Any tips for getting the Canadian passport if you're a U.S. resident? My Canadian passport expired a few months ago. I always just used to go stand in line in T.O. when I lived there, but the requirements for U.S. residents are just a little intimidating. I have dual citizenship.

 

Thanks

 

There aren't really many options open to those of us who live in the States. You either have to submit it by mail to an office in Gatineau, or present yourself to a passport office for both pick-up and delivery in Canada.

 

Here is a link to the Government of Canada site:

 

http://www.ppt.gc.ca/usa/submit.aspx?lang=e

 

My previous passport expired within 1 year of my application, so I did NOT include it with my application. That gave me a form of Canadian ID for our recent cruise. Be sure to find a photographer who will follow Canadian photo guidelines. I know people who have had their passport apps returned because the pictures weren't quite right. It is a pain to find a guarantor, unless you happen to know an attorney or doctor or judge. I used a Notary Public. You will need to include your birth certificate, and I also enclosed a photocopy (notarized) of my drivers license. THe birth certificate came back with my new passport.

 

Do send your application by courier, and pay by credit card because it makes the whole exchange thing easier. My credit card charge went through on August 30th, and I received the passport on September 11th.

 

Hope this helps!

[alicia68]

I just went to the passport office a couple weeks ago. Had mine back via registered mail in less than a week

[eh2zed]

Three week mail service is the norm in our community

[alicam]

I took my oldest daughter to the passport office in Kitchener on a Monday morning, and had a passport in our mailbox on the Friday morning.... of the same week

[boulders]

There aren't really many options open to those of us who live in the States. You either have to submit it by mail to an office in Gatineau, or present yourself to a passport office for both pick-up and delivery in Canada.

 

Here is a link to the Government of Canada site:

 

http://www.ppt.gc.ca/usa/submit.aspx?lang=e

 

My previous passport expired within 1 year of my application, so I did NOT include it with my application. That gave me a form of Canadian ID for our recent cruise. Be sure to find a photographer who will follow Canadian photo guidelines. I know people who have had their passport apps returned because the pictures weren't quite right. It is a pain to find a guarantor, unless you happen to know an attorney or doctor or judge. I used a Notary Public. You will need to include your birth certificate, and I also enclosed a photocopy (notarized) of my drivers license. THe birth certificate came back with my new passport.

 

Do send your application by courier, and pay by credit card because it makes the whole exchange thing easier. My credit card charge went through on August 30th, and I received the passport on September 11th.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks WaterBaby!

[janillb]

My husband is a US resident, Canadian citizen. He sent his application in January, and paid extra to get it expedited. He couldn't get a hold of them by phone and couldn't leave a message as their voice message system was full. After trying for over a week he finally got someone, and was told his pictures (taken by US passport photo place) were unacceptable. He went through 2 more rounds of pictures, both of which were also denied. Finally we were at the airport in Montreal arriving for the yearly family reunion (Aug 17th) when the passport office called, and set an appointment up for August 20th. Earlier that week he talked to the passport office in Ottawa, and told them of his upcoming trip to Montreal, so they said they would send his file to that office. He got his photos done in the same building, and had his passport in hand in less than an hour. He will never renew again through the mail. We leave for our cruise September 27th, and it was getting pretty shaky.

[cruisinbuddy]

Well it took 12 days for a passport to arrive at the door. So if you're lucky enough to be able to drop it off instead of sending it in, do so.

[Nik]

It has been my experience that it's best to go in person rather that mailing or dropping it off at your local MP office. There are more offices open now then there used to be. Also, for those of you who live in the US, if you can make the trek north prior to the expiry of your passport, you can have one ready in 3 working days to be picked up at the passport office in Scarborough.

 

Service has improved since March now that the mad rush is over to get passports. Mine took less than two weeks and I went to Whitby to drop off my paperwork. My SO did the same just recently and his took less then 2 weeks with a wait in line for less than 15 minutes :)