Ok, I laughed at Derekji's Guarantor post but I am having my own 'not funny' situation because of the changes to the Guarantor regulations. I wish they hadn't changed them from having a professional verify your identity. The new regulations now require your guarantor to be a Canadian citizen adult who owns a Canadian passport and who has known you for at least 2 years. This works fine if you live in Canada, but there is no one here in the US that meets those criteria for me. So, mid December I mailed my passport application, my photographs and photocopies of my identification to the only Canadian who meets those criteria and has seen my other identification so can verify them as true copies - my Dad.

He received the package December 28 (4 days later than promised delivery) and mailed them XPress Post back to me on January 2nd. Canada Post tracks them as leaving Canada late evening on the 4th and arriving early morning in the US on the 5th. USPS, however, lost track of them. They have no record of the package since they were notified it was coming on the 4th! It has not arrived at my address and USPS can't find it. I have had them initiate a search but I have no idea what to expect.

Right now I am worried about identity theft by someone in USPS. Fortunately my actual passport isn't within the package but it was a real nuisance - and expense - getting photographs that meet Canadian technical and quality standards and I don't want to have to go through all of that again. I will also be notifying Passport Canada of the potential for identity fraud as well, but meanwhile this whole situation sucks.

My passport expires in April, my green card expires in May; I hate the thought of all the potential problems that may arise by having to deal with USCIS, etc. without a passport. Fortunately, the US government has extended the deadline for requiring a passport to cross back to the US from a land border, so if an emergency arises I know I will at least be allowed back into the US if I have to go to Canada.

Anyway, I am just so frustrated and angry and worried about all of this extra nonsense that could have been avoided if Canada had not changed its guarantor criteria for citizens living outside of Canada. GRRRR (ok, I don't feel better yet but it felt good to complain!). Commiseration welcomed!

Aww Kathryn, I'm sorry!
I know the heartache that you are going through, especially the fear of identity theft!
Why do they have to change things that don't need to be changed???

I'm sure it will turn up. I really hope they find it soon, you must be going crazy!
Please try to keep hope!!!

Thinking of you(F)
~L

Hi Kathryn,

How annoying! I'm sorry your documents have gone missing, I'm hoping that they will somehow track down the envelope - soon!

You know what really is ironic now? Someone on another list of Canadians in the US pointed out to me some fine print on the Passport Canada website. Apparently, Passport Canada will still accept the old passport application forms from Canadians living in the US - and if you use the old form, you are still allowed to use the old Guarantor criteria. Sure wish I had known that earlier! At least if my papework remains MIA I will be able to redo it all and use my chiropractor after all as my guarantor. I won't have to resend everything to Canada. I have printed off a copy of the old passport application. Now to go and get the photographs redone (big sigh).

sigh.

Sheesh. What a pain in the behind. I'm just going to go to Canada and do it in person. Who needs that kind of stress?

But.... good news. I bet it comes in the mail today!

I can relate. My car insurance was renewed in Canada and mailed to me Xpresspost....Nov 13th mailed. Wound up getting here Dec 10th. USPS lost it somewhere in the city on Nov 19th. They had no idea where it was when I went to the Post Office.

I decided to skip USPS when sending Christmas gifts to Canada this year. Used Fedex International Ground. My Dad wound up getting a notice from Fedex for $20 in brokerage charges. I only paid $22 to mail his box of stuff (worth $50 marked as a gift).

UPS decided to not send me my VOIP phone, saying my address was no number on package or that I rejected shipment. Wrong on both counts.

I can't win with any post office/courier it seems.

I couldn't really get my passport renewed in the US as I didn't know anybody here by the old rules who's known me for long enough. I gathered all the info up and wrote up the application before I left Canada. Had my mom mail it off when it was due and then had her bring the passport down herself. I didn't want to chance it to the postal system.

Oh, I sympathize completely! Hmm, with $50 in gifts you shouldn't have had to pay brokerage fees. I used Fed Ex this year to mail Christmas gifts to my family back home care of my brother and he received everything just fine, no additional fees or anything. I don't blame you with having your Mom bring down your passport. One of the things we have considered is me flying home and applying for the passport in person and waiting for it then returning to the US. I am going to try using a courier with my new application. I got the new photographs done today and will get my US guarantor to certify them tomorrow. I am using the old form as it is still allowed for submissions in the US. Sure wish we could find a trustworthy delivery service.

That sucks Kathryn.

I'm having the same trouble with Canada Post right now. I sent a package XpressPost on Dec. 21st and the person never received it. The tracking just stopped once it arrived in the U.S. too. They keep saying they are looking into it and in my case, its not important documents, but still I can relate.

So many don't stress about it yet. I know a lot of people who had trouble with sending packages over the holidays!!

That's what we want to do too. Far less stress and lately we've had problems with the USPS not getting mail to us. Just another example: A bill that we needed to get paid was FIVE WEEKS getting to us and I deliberately gave the company our NEW address so we wouldn't have the delays that one has when having mail forwarded. It nearly caused us to be late paying it! GRRRRRR!

Well, today I got my whole new passport application ready - new photos, new guarantor, everything ready to go to the Courier tomorrow - and USPS delivered my missing package. Then they had the nerve to send me the results of the 'track and trace' search inquiry that I placed on it - it was 'delivered it at 2:20 pm', No word about where it was, no apologies for delays, no nothing. At least everything is intact and I don't have to worry about putting fraud alerts on my credit accounts now.

HUGS! What a frustration this has been! Hope everything else from here on out goes smoothly and you get that passport in time.

Sheesh. And hurray.

I'll have to remember to renew mine when I go home again too. That's just too much of a hassle!

Sorry to hear about your distress and hope everything else goes smoothly!

oh wow what a run around hope they can locate your documents
reading this am kinda glad I have to go to the german consulate in boston when my passport expires ( wich is only in 2015 ) so am not worried about that for now , but am sorry they messd up with your documents ,

Actually individuals in the US have the choice of going the old way or the new way. You just have to print out the old application and use that one instead...

http://www.ppt.gc.ca/cdn/form.aspx?lang=eng&region=USA

Thanks Zyggy,

I found that out afterwards - they hid the other option in the fine print link. When my first application went missing I did print out the old form and get everything redone with a US guarantor, new photos and all. I got everything completed yesterday and was going to take the new application to Fed Ex today - and of course, USPS delivered the original application yesterday afternoon! And then sent me the 'results' of their search saying it was delivered. So now, do I use the form that has the nicer looking photograph signed by my chiropractor who has known me 3 1/2 years or the form signed by my Dad who has known me all my life? Just need to decide now which application has the least chance of being rejected and go with that.

I'd use the nicer photo one haha

Can't we drop by at any Canadian consulate in US and then just renew it??

No... Canadian consulates in the US do not accept passport applications. All Canadian Passport applications from the US must be sent to Passport Canada in Ottawa.