Canadian Passport - Mail-In Application Timelines

[a987]

Decided to mail in my passport application to Gatineau:

Mailed it in on June 8th
Received by passport Canada: June 9th (opted for one-day shipping via Purolator)

Haven't seen my credit card charged yet so I guess I will give it about 2 weeks?

4-5 week

 

[latestbot]

4-5 week

So I am looking at around July end then. Fine by me since I don't have any plans for travel.

 

[latestbot]

I don’t understand how you do this without your citizenship certificate though. I already mailed mine to Gatineau.

Uh, they probably showed their scanned copy? I made a scan of my certificate when I got it.

 

[Eddie84]

It's been a while (My application was received by the Passport office around May 3) but so far, no CC charged yet. I need to travel by the end of July, so I'm beginning to get mildly concerned.

Mine was received May 4th and no CC charged yet. Most seem to be getting charged 4 to 5 weeks after they receive it.

 

[a987]

So I am looking at around July end then. Fine by me since I don't have any plans for travel.

you can call the payment line, after you had been charge to obtain a file number

 

[a987]

Mine was received May 4th and no CC charged yet. Most seem to be getting charged 4 to 5 weeks after they receive it.

you should give them a call..... call payment line and obtain a file number if the passport had been scan to the system

My and a buddy here got charge already May3 and May 4

 

[lotso8u]

I have applied for my son's passport via mail. They have received it on Feb 28. And until now, no update. Nothing.
we plan to travel by end of November. Hoping to get it before November. I already tried inquiring about his passport and still nothing. I'm also wondering if ever his passport hasn't come out yet by early November, is there any chance to expedite it?

 

[finpudding]

Contacted my MP's office to get in touch with Passport Canada. The MP representative came back with an update that the passport had been mailed out and provided me with the tracking number. I checked the tracking number and it was created on 10th June (Friday) and mailed out from Ottawa. The notice left today (13th June). So from the time they mail it takes 1-2 business days for folks to get it, granted I live in Ontario itself.

My timeline is:
Passport Application mailed to Gatineau, QC: 23rd March
Credit card charged: 20th April
Passport mailed out: 10th June
Notice for passport delivery left: 13th June
Passport collected: 14th June

Hi, on the envelope, does it say Do Not Forward? We are about to move and still waiting for passports to arrive. Not sure it would work if we use the mail forwarding service. Thanks!!!

 

[finpudding]

Hi, on the envelope, does it say Do Not Forward? We are about to move and still waiting for passports to arrive. Not sure it would work if we use the mail forwarding service. Thanks!!!

 

[a987]

I have applied for my son's passport via mail. They have received it on Feb 28. And until now, no update. Nothing.
we plan to travel by end of November. Hoping to get it before November. I already tried inquiring about his passport and still nothing. I'm also wondering if ever his passport hasn't come out yet by early November, is there any chance to expedite it?

It might got lost. Are you renewing or new application? try the payment line give them the name of the child they should know

 

[siddharthbala]

So, I called both the payment line and the regular status line (called at the dot of 8:30 AM and there were 100 people ahead of me in line (which thankfully moved quickly - I was speaking to an agent within 30 mins).

Here's what I found out about my application.

1. My credit card hasn't been charged, but my file has been created and a fair amount of work has already been done for it. When I asked about whether it was true that the credit card being charged was the first step of processing, the officer on the phone stated that this wasn't always the case and it varied based on the processing office/officer handling the case. So it isn't out of the ordinary for the case officer to not charge until the end or they charge in the beginning before proceeding further.

As per the rep on the phone, there were no notes on my file to suggest there were completeness issues and no reasons for them to contact me for clarifications. It just looks like the processing officer began working on it, did a fair amount of work to validate everything was in order, then had to put a pin in it to work on other stuff and my stuff's just in a partially completed state.

2. Processing times have now grown from 5 weeks to 9 weeks. Probably not new information, but he specifically said that that's the new 'service standard' for mail-in applications. He suggested (based on my delivery date) that my expected delivery date is around the week of July 10th given said timelines. I pointed out that I have expected, confirmed travel plans for July 30, to which he said he'd add it to the note to nudge the central processing office to finish mine off but encouraged calling towards the end of the month again to see if there was any movement. He stated that if by the week of July 10th, there was no movement, I could request a transfer to a local office to wrap up the application and have it processed in time for my travel.

3. They really don't want people calling the payment line anymore, @a987. When I tried the line, I was helped (that person gave me the file number I needed) but has stated that they have been receiving a 'high influx of calls from people asking for their status and their security team is trying to find out and expunge that number from forums' so....yeah. He reiterated that their line is for payment processing issues only, they will be enforcing that strictly as well. I may have roasted them slightly by asking if their security teams were going to expunge the number at the same sort of speed as it takes them it make my passport and I could feel the ಠ_ಠ through the phone.

 

[humerarehman]

you should give them a call..... call payment line and obtain a file number if the passport had been scan to the system

My and a buddy here got charge already May3 and May 4

I called the payment line for my child's passport file number (passport renewal). The CC was charged on 9th June (mailed in 6th May). The guy on the payment line said that he doesn't have a file number yet as nothing has been scanned into the system yet. Its a looooooong wait i guess....

 

[rome5000]

Applied for my first passport with my partner from Toronto.
Delivered to Gatineau office on May 2, 2022
Both Credit cards charged: June 14, 2022.
No urgent travel plans, so just waiting. Looks like another 4-5 weeks to get my passport.

 

[jeanp]

Experience - 08June2022
Mississauga Passport Office - In Person
377 Burnhamthorpe Rd E

- Got in line at 3am this morning. 19 People ahead of me.

- First person in line arrived at 10pm on 07June2022

- Couple of people paid someone to stand for them in the line (~45$/hour)

- By 6am the line up was till McDonalds. Do not bother to come past 6am (current conditions only) as they only distribute ~140 tokens each day.

- Tokens (Golden Ticket ) were distributed at 8am. This office only accepts people who have travel confirmation anywhere between 1 to 45 business days. People who have already submitted their application to Service Canada (by mail/in person) and have urgent travel needs (must be within 7 days) can also get their passport at this location with proof of travel.

- Got inside at 8:30am (First batch of ~25 people). Good segregation of people with urgent travel needs and people with travel after 3-5 business days.

- First counter is for Docs Check (Reached 1st Counter at 845am) Asked to wait at Second Counter area with Token Number. (called at the Second Counter at 9am). Checked docs again (was asked, "at what time did you arrive today?"), docs scanned by clerk, paid fees ($180 total). Option to pickup ($20) or mail by Canadapost (upto 14 business days mailing time). Option Chosen - Pickup. Was out of the office at 915am.

- Overall: Apart from standing up early in line, everything else was smooth.

- Passport will be ready for pickup on 22June2022

Tips: Plan well, brings chair(s), blankets, no washroom till 6am (McD opens at 6am). Staff is friendly if you are friendly.

Very bad news here with the recommendation not to mail in. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2022/06/backgrounder0.html

I thought that mail in will reduce the walk-in workload at the passport office. If I decide to walk in and don't mind lining up early, can I just do so myself and my family will only join me when I enter the gate? I have a family of 4 including 2 kids and don't think all of us should line up way too early in the morning. What's your experience with people queuing up for their family?

 

[aacan]

Never thought I'd be this excited about a CC charge! My $160 just got charged! Does this mean I will get my passport soon? Probably not, but it feels like it's moving!