Canadian Passport - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

whereshegoes · 03-12-2007, 09:31 PM

So the Canadian Govt has really dropped the ball on this one. The normal wait time is 20 business days and it is now over 45.

Anyone *still* waiting for their passport?

**The Sasquatch** · 03-13-2007, 01:35 AM

I just receieved mine last thursday after waiting 6 weeks. I was kind of a different case though because i applied for it back in may '06 from Latvia after losing my passport there. Now, I had sent my temporary and waited for my new permanent. It was actually issued last may in stockholm, the regionaly hub for CAN passports in the baltics. pretty excited though, can finally go about applying for my NZ work visa and figuring out a flight. Hope yours comes soon.

**millmuff** · 03-13-2007, 06:26 AM

Its kinda hard to complain if you've been doing it within the last handful of months. It has probably been the busiest time in Canada's history for getting your passport. Unless you did lose your or it just happened to expire then you can't really complain. Everyone knew they should go get them before the deadline but people don't, and then they get angry at other people for them not having one!

I got mine updated last fall. I went to the Calgary office and it was really busy so I just threw it in the mail. It only took two maybe three weeks. Might have just been luck but it wasn't that bad.

**SuDz** · 03-13-2007, 06:38 AM

Same with down here in the States. I know the wait is now like 5 months in some cases. My friend went to get one the other day and they told her to prepare that it could be up to that long.

SuDZ

whereshegoes · 03-13-2007, 06:40 AM

Mine expired. I went to the Edmonton office on January 8 and the line up was already full at 9am. People were waiting 1.5 days in line. I threw it in the mail. Supposed to take 20 business days. Then I ready its now taking up to 45. If it takes 45 I should have it by this Friday. Cross your fingers. My flight leaves on Wednesday.

**DC_Jessica** · 03-13-2007, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuDz

Same with down here in the States. I know the wait is now like 5 months in some cases. My friend went to get one the other day and they told her to prepare that it could be up to that long.

SuDZ

Haha yeah, I was told 6 weeks to EXPEDITE. And, because mine isn't really expired, they could still reject it and I'm traveling in 10 weeks. Does Canada (or other places for that matter) have passport businesses that do the work for you? I was told I can get mine in 5 days. And the expense compared to the overnight shipping and return shipping fees you would have to add onto the government direct fees is negligible.

**The Sasquatch** · 03-13-2007, 10:39 AM

hahaha, carmella, i wasn't brave enough to book my flight without a passport. hope yours makes it there in time. now i just gotta find a good flight. damn i hate living in buttfuck nowhere.

**simply_angelic** · 03-13-2007, 07:38 PM

Oh my gosh! flight leaves on wed!! Good luck, really hope it makes it to you in time! Mine was definitely late when I ordered it, but I left myself so much time in advance I was ok. Now I'm so glad I have it for the next 3 years and dont have to worry about this shite as everyone's getting them to go to the US.

**raoulduke** · 03-13-2007, 11:33 PM

How much do US passports cost? I just had to lash out 193.00 AUD for mine.

It was unpleasant to say the least.

Good luck getting your passport in time whereshegoes. I'm crossing my fingers for you.

**Joker** · 03-14-2007, 12:03 AM

Just under $100 US, Duke.

Not sure how they do it elsewhere, but in the States, well, its a PITA. Two options:

Standard:

Get two photos of yourself, get in line at the local post office (assuming they don't just do it by appt. like some do), fill out the paperwork, submit your birth certificate (I had to get mine from the state agency as well, so that was another line to wait in), bring funds via certified check or have a money order made out at the post office, send it in. Used to take around 6-8 weeks. Mine was back in about 6 IIRC.

Expedite:

Make an appt at a passport office (they're around regionally), prove that you are flying out within 14 days and hope for the best. Costs more to expedite it officially, but thats the rub.

There are passport service companies that claim they can have it in 48 hours or whatever out there but I never used them.

What changed about Canadian passports that's causing the delay?

**Esterina** · 03-14-2007, 09:53 AM

By using the online application form, we can save a few days.

application form - français

application form - english

whereshegoes · 03-14-2007, 10:19 AM

Guess what? I just got a notice that it is waiting at the post office for me! I am going right now to get it! Thanks guys for your lucky energy

No doubt it helped!

**Esterina** · 03-14-2007, 10:36 AM

**The Sasquatch** · 03-14-2007, 03:16 PM

I had to pay $300CAN in Latvia to get my temp. and order my new permanent. $50 of that was because I didn't know anybody in Latvia who could vouch for me so I pretty much had to fill out another form that was taken directly from my passport app. I just had to list my two references again (whom they didn't even phone). I also had to pay the courier charges to get my temp back from stockholm. when all was said and done, I had 10Lat in my pocket (roughly $20), $2.86 in my bank account, a maxxed out credit card, and had just missed my flight home to Canada cuz I couldn't get to London. and I had 16 days before the next available flight from London to Canada.

I think I originally paid something like $80 to get my passport in a couple days here in Canada.

**Canadian Bacon** · 04-13-2007, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuDz

Same with down here in the States. I know the wait is now like 5 months in some cases. My friend went to get one the other day and they told her to prepare that it could be up to that long.

SuDZ

I know the US passport office is backlogged like at least 2 months in mail... that could be a reason why.

People if you renew your passport in Canada, PRINT OUT THE FORMS ONLINE, DO IT AT HOME, AND DROP IT OFF AT THE PASSPORT OFFICE. It saves a loooooot of time!

**juliagulia** · 04-19-2007, 02:46 PM

Last time I got my passport was in Brazil. We had travelled to Brazil using our Brazilian passports, but needed out American to get back in. But our parents didn't know that the law had changed after September 11th. Before, if you were getting a passport for a minor, the minor didn't have to be present.

So we had to go to the American Embassy in Salvador, do all the paper work, pay three times the normal price so that the Embassy could send the paperwork to Rio so that Rio could send it to DC so that DC could send the passports to Rio then back to Salvador.

But by the time it got to Salvador, we had moved on to Minas Gerais, so it had to be shipped there.

It was insane. And I look fat in my picture.

**MolsonGirl** · 04-19-2007, 04:30 PM

yeah I'm going next week to get my passport... I've got all the documents filled out and I'm headin down to the office before work.. hopefully I can get there early.. be in the front of the line and be at work at a resonable time in the mornin

HA like that's gonna happen

**Canadian Bacon** · 04-19-2007, 04:40 PM

Awesome. You'll be in and out of these in like 10 min.

**expatben** · 05-27-2007, 01:24 AM

currently renewing my Canadian passport and if you think its hard back home its even harder abroad! First of all my Guarantor list is limited and also because in the UK Docs are no longer allowed to sign passports I am screwed on that front!
Also everything has to be posted to London and the wait will be even longer not to mention I have to go to a photographer for the pics as our rules are different.
Luckily if I wanna travel my British passport is good until 2011. By the way any Brits getting their passports for the first time I heard you know have to go into a passport office and attend an interview?? Also the price is going up due to the new biometric chip.

**ajb3000** · 05-27-2007, 03:15 AM

UK passports are pretty expensive, I paid £66 to have mine renewed (standard service, expedited is like £90) and yes it is going up again soon when they add fingerprints and iris scans to the chip. At the moment the chip just has a copy of your photo and the details that are printed in the passport.