I've heard many complaints from people concerned about having to mail away their documents when they wanted to get a new or renewed Canadian Passport. If you go to official Passport Canada offices, they'll let you get your documents right back, but not everyone lives near an office, or is willing to wait in line.
So, I sent Passport Canada an email, and asked them if you could keep your documents (like your birth certificate, old passport, citizenship card, etc), if you went to a Receiving Agent (ie: in some towns without an office, Canada Post and/or Service Canada will take your documents). You'll still have to wait just as long as if you mailed away your application (in-person applications get priority), but here's Passport Canada's reply:
Please note the original proof of citizenship and documents will be returned to you immediately if you submit your passport application in person at a Passport Canada office. When applying in person, you must also submit an original of your document to support your identity.
If the passport application is submitted by mail/courier, the original proof of citizenship and original or certified copies of your documents will be returned to you with the new passport.
If the passport application is submitted at a Receiving Agent (Canada Post or Service Canada Centre), the original proof of citizenship will be returned to you with the new passport. However, upon request, a representative may photocopy your original document(s) to support identity, include it with your passport application and return your original documents to you immediately.
So, there you have it, in just 7 days, Passport Canada replied to my online enquiry with this nice tid-bit of information for those that are a bit afraid to mail away their only pieces of citizenship documentation. Also, note that many (all?) Canada Post locations with Receiving Agents have an extra charge for dropping off your passport application there.
It is not true that
It is not true that expediting is always easy. I had the money, I do not have an office near me so traveled all the way to Ottawa to do it in person and was met with the rudest agent I have ever had to deal with. Personally rude and hateful remarks were made to me including. "You could have done this where you live." So I try to explain that no, I cannot expedite where I live as there is no Passport Canada office here and he cuts me off and says "Okay, if you want to waste your time." and that's just the start of it. I never responded to his remarks because I of course was not in the position to defend myself or to speak to him the way he was speaking to me. A fifty five year old woman with arthritis who traveled on a train all the way to Ottawa to expedite, with travel documents in hand and the extra funds needed.
I will never go there again. I will just try to make sure I mail it in so I don't have to deal face to face with the extremely rude agents there. Further, he had me write my maiden name on a location on the form I pretty certain it does not go! I had already written it in the appropriate space. He said "no it goes here." and made me write it twice which will if anything delay my passport that I needed expedited. Let me say I read the form instructions three times and then had someone ELSE look it over along with the instructions before taking it to Ottawa so I am certain I had it in the appropriate space to begin with. Now it's on there twice side by side which will be seen as a mistake. I feel he did this on purpose and the reason I feel that way is because of his arbritrary and uncalled for remarks. Every utterance was something rude and most times some personal remark. He never let me get a word in edgewise. He told me "You have plenty of time" Well, no I do not. There is a holiday coming up and Passport Canada offices are closed during that time. My travel is less than a month and Canada Post in my city is usually very slow. So no...to top that off we've had six family deaths this year and I am dealing with two estate settlements meaning I am not here a lot right now.
This man should be fired. He refused me getting a 24 hour turn around. I went April 3rd all the way from Kingston to Ottawa and was willing to get the expedited service and yes, I had my travel documents with me. I am to pick it up on April 19th. That's the USUAL time and NOT expedited at all so I paid train fare and cab fare to go all the way there for no good reason. Even after I said I did that way to expedite. i am going to file a formal complaint because no one should be talked to or treated the way I was yesterday. NO ONE. Furthermore, at that late date so close to my travel I really DO NOT have time for pick up in Ottawa which was another reason I wanted to expedite!!
Need info on what I need to get my passport
What documents do I need when I go to the passport office to get my passport?
canadian Passport needs more pages
Hello,
My boss is traveling to India in mid-December and was told that he will need a minimum of 15 "available" pages in his passport in order to travel to India. We were also told that he must go to Canada to get a new passport as Canada no longer simply adds pages to your existing, current passport. Could you please:
1. Clarify these statements.
2. Advise if your process for getting (in this case) "another" or renewed passport (again, his is not expired - just needs additional pages) is doable/easier in Montreal or Ontario??
Thansk
Joana
You're right, pages can no
You're right, pages can no longer be added to Canadian passports.
Renewing one's passport isn't that difficult, and probably of the same doability/ease whether in Montreal or Ontario. To renew as quickly as possible, I suggest going the "in-office" method, ie: filling out the forms, either paper or via EPass, and then personally going to a full-fledged passport office, and perhaps even paying the extra amount for rush/expedited passport service.
15 "available" pages sure sounds like a lot though...
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