Passport Canada

[zenpher]

I applied for my passport Wednesday of last week and just got it this morning. Is their service usually this fast? What are your experiences with them like?

[UrbanPoet]

same! I got it in a week. I went to the office in person to hand in my application. Apparently that speeds up the process.

[45ED]

Don't jinx it, don't jinx it!!!

[najibs]

Subject: Actual letter to the Canadian Passport office:

Dear Mr. Minister,

I’m in the process of renewing my passport, and still cannot believe this.

How is it that Radio Shack has my address and telephone number and knows that I bought a t.v. cable from them back in 1997, and yet, the Federal Government is still asking me where I was born and on what date.

For Christ sakes, do you guys do this by hand?

My birth date you have on my social insurance card, and it is on all the income tax forms I’ve filed for the past 30 years. It is on my health insurance card, my driver’s license, on the last eight goddamn passports I’ve had, on all those stupid customs declaration forms I’ve had to fill out before being allowed off the planes over the last 30 years, and all those insufferable census forms that are done at election times.

Would somebody please take note, once and for all, that my mother’s name is Maryanne, my father’s name is Robert and I’d be absolutely astounded if that ever changed between now and when I die!

****!

I apologize, Mr. Minister. I’m really pissed off this morning. Between you an’ me, I’ve had enough of this ********! You send the application to my house, then you ask me for my ****in’ address. What is going on? You have a gang of Neanderthals *******s workin’ there?

Look at my damn picture. Do I look like Bin Laden? I don’t want to dig up Yasser Arafat, for **** sakes. I just want to go and park my ass on a sandy beach.

And would someone please tell me, why would you give a **** whether I plan on visiting a farm in the next 15 days? If I ever got the urge to do something weird to a chicken or a goat, believe you me, I’d sure as hell not want to tell anyone!

Well, I have to go now, ’cause I have to go to the other end of the city and get another ****in’ copy of my birth certificate, to the tune of $60 !!!

Would it be so complicated to have all the services in the same spot to assist in the issuance of a new passport the same day??

Nooooo, that’d be too damn easy and maybe make sense. You’d rather have us running all over the ****in’ place like chickens with our heads cut off, then find some ******* to confirm that it’s really me on the goddamn picture – you know, the one where we’re not allowed to smile?!

(****in’ morons)

Hey, you know why we can’t smile? We’re totally pissed off!

Signed – An Irate ****ing Canadian Citizen.

P.S. Remember what I said above about the picture and getting someone to confirm that it’s me? Well, my family has been in this country since 1776 when one of my forefathers took up arms against the Americans. I have served in the military for something over 30 years and have had security clearances up the yingyang.

I was aide de camp to the lieutenant governor of our province for ten years and I have been doing volunteer work for the RCMP for about five years.

However, I have to get someone ‘important’ to verify who I am – you know, someone like my doctor WHO WAS BORN AND RAISED IN COMMUNIST ****ing CHINA!!!

Hamilton, Ontario Canada

Submitted by John Hutchinson

[legendofxix]

I think speed mainly is affected by their dropoff schedule.
I think its done twice a month? I remember they mentioned something like this when I went to get mine at the beginning of the year.
I think its the 15th and the 30th that they drop off new passports.

[Hairball]

When I applied for my most recent passport three years ago, it took 2 months, and numerous phone calls to the office before I finally got it.

I guess you got lucky then!

[brunes]

If you submit your app in person at a passport office, it will be very fast, maybe like 1 week - 1.5 weeks tops.

If you submit by mail, expect a very long wait.

[brunes]

I think speed mainly is affected by their dropoff schedule.
I think its done twice a month? I remember they mentioned something like this when I went to get mine at the beginning of the year.
I think its the 15th and the 30th that they drop off new passports.

They don't drop them off, you get them expressspost.

[Hairball]

If you submit your app in person at a passport office, it will be very fast, maybe like 1 week - 1.5 weeks tops.

If you submit by mail, expect a very long wait.

But I submitted mine in person and it still took 2 months!

[deltone]

I got mine two years ago and it came in a week. I was shocked.

[Azxster]

But I submitted mine in person and it still took 2 months!

Maybe your application was problematic? Perhaps it required a guarantor check, but your guarantor was not available and the Officer couldn't contact you so it was set aside.

To answer the OP's question, YES. The peak of passport demand was ~ 1 year ago due to the new travel document requirement.

[Hairball]

Maybe your application was problematic? Perhaps it required a guarantor check, but your guarantor was not available and the Officer couldn't contact you so it was set aside.

To answer the OP's question, YES. The peak of passport demand was ~ 1 year ago due to the new travel document requirement.

My guarantors didn't get checked. I don't really know what was the issue, they didn't tell me. I am just putting this out there just so people don't try to leave it too last minute (if they need to travel) or you might run into problems.

[rabbit]

They used to print passports in Vancouver, but the last time I got a new one, a few years ago, they said that they're made back east now, so it took longer.

When they made them in Vancouver, I think it only took a week. I was really surprised when they told me that I could pick it up next week.

[chadjustine]

Its hit and miss.

I only got my passport for the 1st time last summer. A friend of mine actually got his around the same time. We both dropped them off within 2 days of each other at two different offices. I got mine in about 3 weeks. His took almost 3 months.

[GunnerX]

I went to renew my daughter's passport. They said it would be part of the November 6 shipping. However, we got it already last week. It took about 6 days. Rather impressive.

[_Allan_]

Back in 2002, when I got my passport, I dropped it off, with I think an 'express cheque' of $40 ... I had it in just over 72 hours, and left the day after. That's right, 3 days less then a year after 9/11

[legendofxix]

Back in 2002, when I got my passport, I dropped it off, with I think an 'express cheque' of $40 ... I had it in just over 72 hours, and left the day after. That's right, 3 days less then a year after 9/11

Now in order to get it "express" you need to have proof of travel arrangements booked.

[Azxster]

Or a written statement...

[legendofxix]

Or a written statement...
I tried that, they wouldn't accept it.
Had to go get my plane booking and show them it.
They were cutting it close too.
It was kind of a last minute trip and i had maybe 7 days between the time I found out I had to go and the actual date of the flight.
So I left Midnight that night and picked it up the morning of.
I tried to get them to ggive me 24 or 72 hour service, wouldn't happen.

[blexann]

there's also an express service for an extra fee. I renewed mine in 48hrs! and I am not Canadian born

[UrbanPoet]

My guarantors didn't get checked. I don't really know what was the issue, they didn't tell me. I am just putting this out there just so people don't try to leave it too last minute (if they need to travel) or you might run into problems.

Maybe you have the same name as a terrorist or some sort of criminal? hah

[CSR]

1 week via registered mail... very fast.