OTTAWA – Some travelers looking to obtain their passports will now be able to request that their mail-in applications be transferred to any of Service Canada’s more than 300 local centers for processing.
They can also do it now even if the need for a passport is a little less urgent, like for those who plan to leave the country in the next few weeks, rather than a couple of days.
Until now, applicants in the queue could only request a transfer by visiting one of 35 specialized passport sites across Canada or by contacting the call centre.
The new policy will apply to anyone who completed their application by post more than 20 working days ago, which allows enough time for it to be entered into the system, and has proof that they are traveling within 20 working days from the request. a transfer
The change comes after months of stressful waits for Canadians to renew their passports and long, hectic lines at passport offices as workers try to expedite the necessary documents.
Social Development Minister Karina Gould says depending on when the person plans to travel, the application will be expedited and their passport will be mailed or their file will be transferred to a local office for printing -it and pick it up.
He says the change will speed up processing times for expired passports and shorten the list of urgent applications at passport offices.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 29, 2022.