Canadian Passport in person timeline

[armoured]

Was at Vic St on Tuesday. Got there at 6am, was out by 9:30. You wait outside till office opens. You get activity around 6.30-7am when security starts screening people to make sure you are eligible. They don't check docs at that point, just asking that you are travelling within 25 days or if's for a office transfer or check status of a mailed in application. Latter 2 cases will be split in a different line.

Thank you so much! Very helpful to know.

 

[mukicookie]

Any proof of travel, works. Bus ticket is a ticket, so it should work.

even if you drive, give them some itenary that proves that you are traveling (like hotel booking and all)

thankyou - i hope they also dont ask for reason and urgency of travel

 

[mukicookie]

What also confuses me is if im looking for appointment - travel within 3 -25 business days - is that counted from the date of appointment or today?

I need to to travel end of June - therefore if I got an appointment for 16 June - Passport office. that should be okay right?

 

[anjuku]

I was wondering what to expect after requesting your file to be transferred to North York PO. Backstory- I applied for my sons passport on April 7 at service Canada Richmond hill with an expected mail out date of May 9th (as per their receipt). Fast word to May 9 and I call the Passport helpline and they say they haven’t even touched my file yet… I need to travel May 27th and when I told the agent that, he told me to call 10 business days before my trip to request the transfer. So I called and made the request May 12. That agent said , the North york office will call me to fax proof of travel and pay transfer fees. So I wanted to know when you received that call after requesting the transfer. I read on another thread that they still do paper transfers.. so that’s going to take a while I assume, so just wondering how long I have to wait to get that call? Any insight would be appreciated

UPDATE: finally received my son’s passport on the 25th (phew!) and we are off on our trip today ..on the 20th I proactively lined up at 4:30am and was the 3rd person in line. Was seen at 8:35am.. my files were not “scanned into their system from Ottawa” and hence the transfer would have been useless. Wasn’t going to happen in time for my trip. So they asked for new photos and forms and I luckily had everything with me along with the original birth certificate which they needed as well. They waived all the fees (technically this is just like a new expedited application!)and took copies of my proof of travel etc. Was given a pickup slip for the 25th. So I guess this is the end of this whole passport ordeal for me. Thanks to Everyone in this forum that answered my questions and I hope you all receive your passports on time

 

[armoured]

Was at Vic St on Tuesday. Got there at 6am, was out by 9:30. You wait outside till office opens. You get activity around 6.30-7am when security starts screening people to make sure you are eligible. They don't check docs at that point, just asking that you are travelling within 25 days or if's for a office transfer or check status of a mailed in application. Latter 2 cases will be split in a different line.

I went to the Passport Office at Yonge and Shepherd (4900 Yonge) at about 6.15 and was similar experience overall in terms of the management. There were about 30 people in front of me, that narrowed to about 20 as the process weeded out those there for slightly different things. At about seven they made announcements and a few minutes later let people in, the group eventually snaked up to the passport office reception area. When they started taking clients at 8.30 the line moved reasonably quickly, reception checks to make sure you're in the right place and that the documents seem to be in order, you're given a number.

Go to main passport application room and wait for your number to be called. They checked travel info only at the last step but did ask for it and looked at it.

I would have been done about 9.30 but for a dispute about whether my documents showing parentage of child were sufficient.* Those who arrived much after me were in for a long wait, although I don't know of course who was lining up for what, the waits still look pretty severe. And showing up 2-2.5 hours first thing in morning wasn't fun either, although at least I was done at a reasonable time of day.

[Long story but they didn't like the translation of birth certificate I had - despite the myriad documents including acceptable translation of documents that ALL corresponded exactly (including one document specifically titled "establishment of parentage" -) when the application instructions clearly say you need to ... show parentage and don't specifically require birth certificate. This is the worst bureaucratic stupidity I've run into so far upon returning to Canada.]

 

[harirajmohan]

I went to the Passport Office at Yonge and Shepherd (4900 Yonge) at about 6.15 and was similar experience overall in terms of the management. There were about 30 people in front of me, that narrowed to about 20 as the process weeded out those there for slightly different things. At about seven they made announcements and a few minutes later let people in, the group eventually snaked up to the passport office reception area. When they started taking clients at 8.30 the line moved reasonably quickly, reception checks to make sure you're in the right place and that the documents seem to be in order, you're given a number.

Go to main passport application room and wait for your number to be called. They checked travel info only at the last step but did ask for it and looked at it.

I would have been done about 9.30 but for a dispute about whether my documents showing parentage of child were sufficient.* Those who arrived much after me were in for a long wait, although I don't know of course who was lining up for what, the waits still look pretty severe. And showing up 2-2.5 hours first thing in morning wasn't fun either, although at least I was done at a reasonable time of day.

[Long story but they didn't like the translation of birth certificate I had - despite the myriad documents including acceptable translation of documents that ALL corresponded exactly (including one document specifically titled "establishment of parentage" -) when the application instructions clearly say you need to ... show parentage and don't specifically require birth certificate. This is the worst bureaucratic stupidity I've run into so far upon returning to Canada.]

Parentage proof: They didnt accept my son's birth certificate or my marriage certificate or my son's passport(which has both parents names). officer in windsor was asking copr for all of us. i said its not even there in the list but still she said i have to fax them after submitting application.
Seems parentage proof acceptance varies from officer to officer and office to office.

 

[armoured]

Parentage proof: They didnt accept my son's birth certificate or my marriage certificate or my son's passport(which has both parents names). officer in windsor was asking copr for all of us. i said its not even there in the list but still she said i have to fax them after submitting application.
Seems parentage proof acceptance varies from officer to officer and office to office.

I was very unhappy as they were (in my view) being completely unreasonable. It all came down to - I had the original birth certificate and a photocopy of translation, but they didn't like it because translation was not dated and no stamp they could read (translation done abroad).

I made the point that the many other documents all confirmed and coincided on all details, including eg another country's registration of birth abroad. To give the officer credit, he actually read the 'establishment of parentage (fatherhood)' document and said it showed a different last name (my spouse's) - but then accepted my explanation that the procedure on the document is child bears by default mother's family name until the fatherhood is registered and final family name shown on same doc. (In practice this all took place as registration of birth/birth certificate).

Oh - also OF COURSE the citizenship was through parentage as well.

Anyway it was obviously completely arbitrary nitpicking, and I pointed directly to the application - that does NOT specify birth certificate is needed, just that parentage must be established - by implication to satisfaction, which is unfortunately a test that you can't really dispute.

The part that annoys me is it's just this kind of nitpicking that - apart from increasing time and expense to me - also means longer line-ups and delays to no appreciable purpose and well beyond what is required by statute.

 

[harirajmohan]

I was very unhappy as they were (in my view) being completely unreasonable. It all came down to - I had the original birth certificate and a photocopy of translation, but they didn't like it because translation was not dated and no stamp they could read (translation done abroad).

I made the point that the many other documents all confirmed and coincided on all details, including eg another country's registration of birth abroad. To give the officer credit, he actually read the 'establishment of parentage (fatherhood)' document and said it showed a different last name (my spouse's) - but then accepted my explanation that the procedure on the document is child bears by default mother's family name until the fatherhood is registered and final family name shown on same doc. (In practice this all took place as registration of birth/birth certificate).

Oh - also OF COURSE the citizenship was through parentage as well.

Anyway it was obviously completely arbitrary nitpicking, and I pointed directly to the application - that does NOT specify birth certificate is needed, just that parentage must be established - by implication to satisfaction, which is unfortunately a test that you can't really dispute.

The part that annoys me is it's just this kind of nitpicking that - apart from increasing time and expense to me - also means longer line-ups and delays to no appreciable purpose and well beyond what is required by statute.

Correct, no wonder why they cant process more applications just because of irregular verification.

 

[harirajmohan]

Guarantor and references verification: How long before passport being issued, passport office calls Guarantor and references?
I am trying to estimate when i will get the passport. I applied just yesterday with mail out date 9th June for travel date 14th June.

 

[delray55]

Guarantor and references verification: How long before passport being issued, passport office calls Guarantor and references?
I am trying to estimate when i will get the passport. I applied just yesterday with mail out date 9th June for travel date 14th June.

mostly guarantors and references are not called unless its emergency application
did you apply at passport office?

 

[harirajmohan]

mostly guarantors and references are not called unless its emergency application
did you apply at passport office?

ok.
Yes applied at windsor ontario passport office.

 

[harirajmohan]

Travel date range changed in website while booking appointment: it seems that travel requirement/proof is required for the range of 6-45 days instead of 6-25 days.
Seems to be backlog is growing fast hence doubting their mail out dates.

 

[delray55]

Travel date range changed in website while booking appointment: it seems that travel requirement/proof is required for the range of 6-45 days instead of 6-25 days.
Seems to be backlog is growing fast hence doubting their mail out dates.

if you submit in passport office the mail out dates will be met. Passports are printed in those offices itself so they plan better when compared to submission at service canada or applying by post (end up in those regional processing offices) where they have no control of how many applications are received.

 

[harirajmohan]

if you submit in passport office the mail out dates will be met. Passports are printed in those offices itself so they plan better when compared to submission at service canada or applying by post (end up in those regional processing offices) where they have no control of how many applications are received.

Oh ok. thanks.
Then smaller offices like windsor is not working like that of those in densely populated cities then. Not sure why they are not sharing workload.

 

[delray55]

Oh ok. thanks.
Then smaller offices like windsor is not working like that of those in densely populated cities then. Not sure why they are not sharing workload.

that kind of administrative set up is not there yet. everything is paper. and is not easy to transfer between offices. i was shocked when i went to pickup my passport (submitted in service canada in etobicoke, went to Gatineu and transferred to north york) the person who delivered my passport pulled out my folded paper application to check something.
This kind of rush has not been faced in earlier years
Passport canada has reduced its budget based on covid years data.