Average days for GETTING NEW CANADIAN passport

[TXLADY 0]

Any opinions?

[MrsCat 6]

Looks like 2-4 weeks.

http://www.ppt.gc.ca/cdn/service.aspx?lang=eng

[moni_calla 0]

At the end of March I had to renew my children's passport and I received them within 7 days, I applied on the 31st of March and by April 7th I had both of them.

Also they have a simplified renewal if your passport is in good standing and that is supposed to help speed up the process, also correct me if I am wrong you can have expedite service for a fee you may need proof of urgency.

Edited June 7, 2009 by moni_calla

[TXLADY 0]

thanks to both of you !

[Reba 2]

There are a couple of recent threads here about renewing passports. It seems to be taking less than 2 weeks currently, but I wouldn't hedge your bets on it. Only because it is the Canadian government you're dealing with, and anything could happen

Plus, they reject probably 80% of photos according to one website I looked at, so don't make travel arrangements until you actually have your passport in your hot little hands!

[coldwatersurf 5]

i applied for mine on a thursday and got it by tuesday. it was pretty fast. but who knows now since everyone needs a passport to cross the border... or an enhanced driver's license

[Carlawarla 1]

There are a couple of recent threads here about renewing passports. It seems to be taking less than 2 weeks currently, but I wouldn't hedge your bets on it. Only because it is the Canadian government you're dealing with, and anything could happen

Plus, they reject probably 80% of photos according to one website I looked at, so don't make travel arrangements until you actually have your passport in your hot little hands!

Once mine was accepted it only took a week to get back to me after arriving in Gatineau. I heard that about the pictures as well, and my first package was rejected because of that in fact! They have this LENGTHY check sheet they sent back with all the reasons it was returned, and under the section for photos there is about 30 different reasons why they've rejected your photo's! Mine was because there was shadows?? Both Gene and I looked and we did find ONE little shadow from my hair at the back of my neck projected on the white background, but you had to REALLY look to see it. Geesh!

[La Souris 19]

12 days (drop at the Passeport Bureau - delivery at home)

[antda 13]

Hi Txlady and Everyone,

Here is my experience in getting/renewing my new Canadian passport (as posted before on VJ):

February 16, 2009:

Ok, so I really wanted to get this Passport thing "done and over with", so despite it being a holiday on both sides of the border (President's Day in the USA, and Family Day in Canada), we decided to take a risk anyways, and hoped that the Passport Canada office was opened today. So on a bright and sunny winter afternoon, we drove there, in our 'new' minivan, which we had purchased last week and wanted to test drive today.

We crossed the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, NY/ Fort Erie, Ontario. Surprisingly, there weren't too many delays there, even though the signs there said that there were delays at all of the three Western New York border crossings. When we got on the Peace Bridge Crossing this was what happened:

D: Hands over the following identification to the guard at the booth: D's US Birth Certificate, D's US Driver's License, Ant's expired Canadian passport, Ant's outdated Canadian Citizenship Card, Ant's expired US 2yr Green Card, Ant's 1year NOA extension letter, Ant's US Driver's License

Canadian Border Guard: "Country of Citizenship?"

D: "United States for me. Canada for her (points at Ant)"

Canadian Border Guard: "What's your status in the USA (looks at Ant)?"

Ant: "I'm a Permanent Resident. There's a Green Card in there that we gave you."

Canadian Border Guard: "How many people are there?"

D: "Just the two of us"

Canadian Border Guard: "Of the same family?"

D: "Yes. She's my wife (points at Ant)"

Canadian Border Guard: "Where are you going?"

D: "To St. Catherine's to renew her Canadian passport"

Canadian Border Guard: "How long are you staying there?"

D: "About 2 hours or so."

Canadian Border Guard: "You sure you're not visiting anyone else there?"

Ant: "No. Not today. Maybe another day."

Canadian Border Guard: (scans Ant's Green Card in the machine, looks at all of the other identification that we had given them).

Canadian Border Guard: "Ok. Have a good day" (and gives us back our identification)

D: Drives to the next toll booth, and pays the $3 USD in toll bridge fees.

We continue driving along the QEW, on our way to the Passport Canada office in St. Catherine's, Ontario. The highway and the businesses in the area seemed deserted (oh what 'good luck' here), with less people out and about during this holiday. We also stopped at a gas station along the way, as we didn't have a detailed map of the area with us. When we got the directions, we drove for another 10 minutes or so, to the downtown area until we reached the passport office. There were no parking lots there, so we had to park on a nearby side street, in front of a parking meter. However, we didn't have Canadian change with us, so we just parked without paying and hoped that we didn't get a parking ticket. As we were walking towards the building, we 'luckily' noticed parking much nearer, and there were already minutes in the meter. So we moved our vehicle to that parking space, and again, hoped that we didn't get a ticket there.

When we got the building, we went to the first marked office, took a number, and had a seat. 'Luckily', there were only 2 other people ahead of me, and I was called up the counter pretty quickly. The worker behind the desk checked my documents and forms, stapled them together, gave me another number, and said that I had to go to the room down the hall for further processing.

We went into the room further down the hall, and there were only about 4 or so other people ahead of me. I gave my number to the guard at the door there, and was told to get another number at the machine. I waited for a couple of minutes, and my number called. I walked up to the counter gave them my information, and this is what happened:

Passport Worker: "Are you doing any traveling soon?"

Ant: "Ummm….I had to travel to get here.." (hands over the completed forms, paperwork, 2 passport photos, and other identification)

Passport Worker: "I see that you're in New York State" (looks at my driver's license)

Ant "Yes"

Passport Worker: "Proof of Canadian Citizenship?"

Ant: (hands over the expired passport and outdated citizenship card)

Passport Worker: (looks through all the forms and paperwork)

Ant: "Do you need my marriage certificate, as this new passport is in another name?"

Passport Worker: "That's already in the records" (note: I had added a married name paper notation in my previous expired passport)

Passport Worker: (puts the 2 passport photos on cardboard, asks Ant to sign it)

Ant: (Note about Canadian passport photos: They can be done in the USA at any Walmart photo portrait studio, for about $11 USD or so. Just make sure they are 'Canadian Passport Sized' and signed and dated by the photographer and guarantor)

Passport Worker: (types information into their computer)

Passport Worker: "Isn't your other birth country (states country here)? But you don't have your place of birth listed here on this application form."

Ant: "Yes, I know that. It's in that letter that I attached, explaining as to why I didn't want it included there (allowable by Passport Canada, by the way). I only have Canadian citizenship now, and I plan on applying for American citizenship later. I don't have any ties to my other birth country, as it's just too confusing to be associated with three countries. Besides, I mainly travel between Canada and the USA, so that should be ok."

Passport Worker: "Just a minute, let me get you another form" (runs back to get form)

Passport Worker: "Can you sign and date this 'birth country omission' form for me?"

Ant: "I'll just write the date in whole, as it's too confusing to write 'backwards' in metric. It's so confusing to go from metric to non-metric, and vice versa. (signs and dates form)

Passport Worker: "Yeah, it must be."

Passport Worker: "You should get your passport in the mail in 2 weeks or so, on about March 2^nd or so, is that ok?"

Ant: "Yes, that's fine, and 'good' for me. It saves me from taking another trip up here anyways. By the way, do you send it by USPS or some other method?"

Passport Worker: "I think it's sent by DHL." (Also gives me a receipt for the new passport, which I put in my expired passport for safekeeping)

Ant: "Ok. Thanks."

Passport Worker: "The Passport Fee now is $87, instead of $97 that you have a Canadian money order here for."

Ant: "I didn't know that, as I just printed out what was on the website, and I thought it was that amount, as it was listed as that for Canadians in America. Plus someone else made that money order for me, so and they didn't know about that either."

Passport Worker: "Well, they changed the rules on that this year. We can give you your $10 back though, but I don't know what you will do with Canadian cash."

Ant: "I guess I can exchange it, or spend it or something." (feeling 'lucky' that I got a 'discount' because of a 'rule change' or 'something else')

Passport Worker: (gives Ant back a crispy purple Canadian $10 bill)

Passport Worker: "Would you like your expired passport back as a souvenir?"

Ant: "Ummm..I need it to get back home to the USA. So yeah, I would like it back."

Passport Worker: "Yes, it's better to have an expired passport then no passport. But I have to cut off the top right corner, so that you don't use this one." (cuts the passport)

Ant: "That's ok, it's expired anyways."

Passport Worker: "Have a good day." (gives back the rest of the identification too)

March 5, 2009

- In the pitch-black of midnight, I open the front door to get back in the house. And wedged tightly in between the screen door and the front door is a yellow and red package from DHL. I take it back inside the house, open it up, and find my new Canadian passport inside. "Odd, that the package would be left there, especially in that it says 'signature required' on it", I was thinking. As well, I was surprised that the passport would come so early, as I thought I would get that later on next week. Nevertheless, I was happy that I got it (about 2 weeks later from when I first applied and 2 days after they said they would mail it out by), so I don't have to worry about not having an expired Canadian passport for the next 5 years anymore. Oh to Canada I shall go someday again!

Hope this helps. Good luck in getting your Canadian passport renewed and good luck with your immigration journey too.

Ant (New Canadian Passport=Travelling to Canada!)

Edited June 11, 2009 by AntandD

[Cloudy9 11]

I sent mine by Fedex to QC on May 27th. It was expired by 3 months, I was also able to use the new form for renewing my passport. They sent it back to me and in my hand on June 8th. Basically one weeks turnaround.

I'm thinking the closer you are to QC in the states the faster your get it back. I'm in Oklahoma right now but when I was in Nevada and applying for the first time it took 3-4 weeks to get it back.

[TXLADY 0]

Hi all,

got mine passport after 4 weeks!!

pretty long time.

[Carlawarla 1]

Hi Txlady and Everyone,

Here is my experience in getting/renewing my new Canadian passport (as posted before on VJ):

February 16, 2009:

Ok, so I really wanted to get this Passport thing "done and over with", so despite it being a holiday on both sides of the border (President's Day in the USA, and Family Day in Canada), we decided to take a risk anyways, and hoped that the Passport Canada office was opened today. So on a bright and sunny winter afternoon, we drove there, in our 'new' minivan, which we had purchased last week and wanted to test drive today.

We crossed the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, NY/ Fort Erie, Ontario. Surprisingly, there weren't too many delays there, even though the signs there said that there were delays at all of the three Western New York border crossings. When we got on the Peace Bridge Crossing this was what happened:

D: Hands over the following identification to the guard at the booth: D's US Birth Certificate, D's US Driver's License, Ant's expired Canadian passport, Ant's outdated Canadian Citizenship Card, Ant's expired US 2yr Green Card, Ant's 1year NOA extension letter, Ant's US Driver's License

Canadian Border Guard: "Country of Citizenship?"

D: "United States for me. Canada for her (points at Ant)"

Canadian Border Guard: "What's your status in the USA (looks at Ant)?"

Ant: "I'm a Permanent Resident. There's a Green Card in there that we gave you."

Canadian Border Guard: "How many people are there?"

D: "Just the two of us"

Canadian Border Guard: "Of the same family?"

D: "Yes. She's my wife (points at Ant)"

Canadian Border Guard: "Where are you going?"

D: "To St. Catherine's to renew her Canadian passport"

Canadian Border Guard: "How long are you staying there?"

D: "About 2 hours or so."

Canadian Border Guard: "You sure you're not visiting anyone else there?"

Ant: "No. Not today. Maybe another day."

Canadian Border Guard: (scans Ant's Green Card in the machine, looks at all of the other identification that we had given them).

Canadian Border Guard: "Ok. Have a good day" (and gives us back our identification)

D: Drives to the next toll booth, and pays the $3 USD in toll bridge fees.

We continue driving along the QEW, on our way to the Passport Canada office in St. Catherine's, Ontario. The highway and the businesses in the area seemed deserted (oh what 'good luck' here), with less people out and about during this holiday. We also stopped at a gas station along the way, as we didn't have a detailed map of the area with us. When we got the directions, we drove for another 10 minutes or so, to the downtown area until we reached the passport office. There were no parking lots there, so we had to park on a nearby side street, in front of a parking meter. However, we didn't have Canadian change with us, so we just parked without paying and hoped that we didn't get a parking ticket. As we were walking towards the building, we 'luckily' noticed parking much nearer, and there were already minutes in the meter. So we moved our vehicle to that parking space, and again, hoped that we didn't get a ticket there.

When we got the building, we went to the first marked office, took a number, and had a seat. 'Luckily', there were only 2 other people ahead of me, and I was called up the counter pretty quickly. The worker behind the desk checked my documents and forms, stapled them together, gave me another number, and said that I had to go to the room down the hall for further processing.

We went into the room further down the hall, and there were only about 4 or so other people ahead of me. I gave my number to the guard at the door there, and was told to get another number at the machine. I waited for a couple of minutes, and my number called. I walked up to the counter gave them my information, and this is what happened:

Passport Worker: "Are you doing any traveling soon?"

Ant: "Ummm….I had to travel to get here.." (hands over the completed forms, paperwork, 2 passport photos, and other identification)

Passport Worker: "I see that you're in New York State" (looks at my driver's license)

Ant "Yes"

Passport Worker: "Proof of Canadian Citizenship?"

Ant: (hands over the expired passport and outdated citizenship card)

Passport Worker: (looks through all the forms and paperwork)

Ant: "Do you need my marriage certificate, as this new passport is in another name?"

Passport Worker: "That's already in the records" (note: I had added a married name paper notation in my previous expired passport)

Passport Worker: (puts the 2 passport photos on cardboard, asks Ant to sign it)

Ant: (Note about Canadian passport photos: They can be done in the USA at any Walmart photo portrait studio, for about $11 USD or so. Just make sure they are 'Canadian Passport Sized' and signed and dated by the photographer and guarantor)

Passport Worker: (types information into their computer)

Passport Worker: "Isn't your other birth country (states country here)? But you don't have your place of birth listed here on this application form."

Ant: "Yes, I know that. It's in that letter that I attached, explaining as to why I didn't want it included there (allowable by Passport Canada, by the way). I only have Canadian citizenship now, and I plan on applying for American citizenship later. I don't have any ties to my other birth country, as it's just too confusing to be associated with three countries. Besides, I mainly travel between Canada and the USA, so that should be ok."

Passport Worker: "Just a minute, let me get you another form" (runs back to get form)

Passport Worker: "Can you sign and date this 'birth country omission' form for me?"

Ant: "I'll just write the date in whole, as it's too confusing to write 'backwards' in metric. It's so confusing to go from metric to non-metric, and vice versa. (signs and dates form)

Passport Worker: "Yeah, it must be."

Passport Worker: "You should get your passport in the mail in 2 weeks or so, on about March 2^nd or so, is that ok?"

Ant: "Yes, that's fine, and 'good' for me. It saves me from taking another trip up here anyways. By the way, do you send it by USPS or some other method?"

Passport Worker: "I think it's sent by DHL." (Also gives me a receipt for the new passport, which I put in my expired passport for safekeeping)

Ant: "Ok. Thanks."

Passport Worker: "The Passport Fee now is $87, instead of $97 that you have a Canadian money order here for."

Ant: "I didn't know that, as I just printed out what was on the website, and I thought it was that amount, as it was listed as that for Canadians in America. Plus someone else made that money order for me, so and they didn't know about that either."

Passport Worker: "Well, they changed the rules on that this year. We can give you your $10 back though, but I don't know what you will do with Canadian cash."

Ant: "I guess I can exchange it, or spend it or something." (feeling 'lucky' that I got a 'discount' because of a 'rule change' or 'something else')

Passport Worker: (gives Ant back a crispy purple Canadian $10 bill)

Passport Worker: "Would you like your expired passport back as a souvenir?"

Ant: "Ummm..I need it to get back home to the USA. So yeah, I would like it back."

Passport Worker: "Yes, it's better to have an expired passport then no passport. But I have to cut off the top right corner, so that you don't use this one." (cuts the passport)

Ant: "That's ok, it's expired anyways."

Passport Worker: "Have a good day." (gives back the rest of the identification too)

March 5, 2009

- In the pitch-black of midnight, I open the front door to get back in the house. And wedged tightly in between the screen door and the front door is a yellow and red package from DHL. I take it back inside the house, open it up, and find my new Canadian passport inside. "Odd, that the package would be left there, especially in that it says 'signature required' on it", I was thinking. As well, I was surprised that the passport would come so early, as I thought I would get that later on next week. Nevertheless, I was happy that I got it (about 2 weeks later from when I first applied and 2 days after they said they would mail it out by), so I don't have to worry about not having an expired Canadian passport for the next 5 years anymore. Oh to Canada I shall go someday again!

Hope this helps. Good luck in getting your Canadian passport renewed and good luck with your immigration journey too.

Ant (New Canadian Passport=Travelling to Canada!)

[bradcanuck 1]

I received mine in 2 weeks, and it was overnighted fedex back to me. Pretty darn quick IMO.

[trailmix 77]

bump

[Rhiannercakes 14]

I sent mine in to be renewed on July 23rd and it came back less than 2 weeks later.

Date on the passport was July 29th.

I also requested my old one back, had holes punched into the barcode part.

Edited August 16, 2009 by Rhiann