The federal government blames a sudden surge in passport applications at a time when pandemic-related health restrictions meant up to 70% less staff at service centers and processing facilities by May this year. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) told CBC News the delays are unrelated to the actual production of passports — a process shrouded in secrecy to prevent forgery and fraud. Service Canada says behind-the-counter cameras are not allowed in offices where passport applications are received or in privately owned facilities where passports are issued. He also declined an interview request from CBC News, but did not provide a reason. However, the two agencies that oversee most of the work have provided information to put together your passport journey in Canada, from the time you apply until you receive your new travel document. People hoping to apply for a Canadian passport camped in line overnight outside a Service Canada office in Vancouver on June 22. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
Application stage
The first step involves filling out a form for a new child or adult passport or a passport renewal form. Canadians can either mail their completed application or apply in person at a passport office or Canada Service Centre, depending on how soon they need a passport. Managers at passport offices and Service Canada centers “trigger” those in line — sometimes for hours, just to get them out of the way — to make sure those with the most urgent travel get to the front of the line. Agencies don’t keep track of how many clients are rejected. Travel within 2-45 business days: Anyone planning to travel within 45 business days of applying must visit one of 35 passport offices across Canada and show proof of travel. If you go this route, it can take up to two weeks, plus shipping time, to receive your new passport, although urgent and urgent pickup options are available for those traveling earlier, for an additional fee. Travel after 45 working days: Those with travel dates further out should go to one of the country’s 307 Service Canada centers equipped to handle passport documents or mail in their application. On Wednesday, Social Development Minister Karina Gould said the government plans to add passport processing to more Service Canada centers in the coming weeks. Given current demand, it may take up to 13 weeks, plus shipping time, to receive your passport if you apply at a Service Canada center or by mail. However, some Canadians have complained of months of waiting in limbo with no updates on their applications. Since the pandemic measures began to be lifted, travelers have faced many problems, from obtaining new passports to long lines at airport security, flight cancellations and lost luggage. Here, passengers line up at Toronto’s Pearson Airport on May 4. (Jonathan Castell/CBC) If you apply in person, the worker behind the counter will review your documents to make sure you haven’t missed anything. Service Canada says mailed applications are “about 40 per cent less efficient to process” — plus when important documents like birth certificates are sent, there’s no telling when the government can send them back. It’s unclear when Canadians would be able to skip the line altogether and apply online. The government awarded IBM a contract to develop a digital application process in 2020. IRCC says a pilot project is underway.
Audit and security controls
Once an application is received, an officer analyzes the applicant’s eligibility for a passport, ensures that their personal details are complete, checks their photograph and ensures that the documents provided are authentic. If something is missing, we may contact the client to provide those details or documentation — or their documents may simply be sent back to start the application process again. Service Canada says the most common errors in applications relate to information about:
Previous addresses. Former occupations. Guarantor and references. Identity documents.
Service Canada says the most common errors in passport applications relate to information about previous addresses and occupations, the applicant’s guarantor and references and identity documents. (Image: CBC, Source: Government of Canada) Then come the security checks, many of which are shrouded in secrecy. An officer checks the applicant’s information against databases, including one called System Lookout – a special list to which a parent can add their child if they believe another adult may be applying for a passport on the child’s behalf, putting at risk of kidnapping. The officer will also carry out a risk assessment of the applicant, looking for any potential red flags. The Passport program also works with intelligence agencies, police, federal justice, corrections and border services, as well as Interpol and others — although it’s unclear what information is exchanged with those agencies when a Canadian applies for a passport. If security or fraud issues are flagged, the application moves to a second level of review by Passport program integrity experts at IRCC. Service Canada and passport office staff are trained to spot forged documents and other irregularities when assisting with passport applications. Here, people line up to enter a Service Canada office in Oshawa, Ont., on May 30. (Doug Ives/The Canadian Press) The time for any review and review depends on the complexity of the person’s application, any gaps or “oddities” in their information and the Passport Program’s ability to confirm the information or resolve their concerns, IRCC said. Once a passport application is approved – or “justified”, at the passport office – it is ready for the manufacturing process.
Making the passport
The federal government doesn’t actually make these blue passport books. that the work is outsourced to the Canadian Bank Note Company, which also prints Canada’s banknotes. (The Canadian bank note did not respond to requests for comment.) The Ottawa-based company produces blank passports at an undisclosed location. The government’s Passport Program is responsible for printing the photo page, which includes your biographical information, and encoding your photo and information onto a chip embedded in the passport at its own printing locations. The Canadian Bank Note Company produces blank passports, shown at left, while the government’s Passport Program is responsible for printing the page photo and encoding the holder’s photo and information onto a chip embedded in the book. (CBC) Other security features include holographic images on the photo page and hidden ink that is only revealed under UV light. The government would not say how long it takes to make each passport, or how much of the passport fee goes to manufacturing costs. However, you can see what the passport printing process looks like in these behind-the-scenes videos released by the UK Home Office and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
More checks, after delivery
After each passport is printed, quality assurance checks are carried out to ensure that the information in the book is accurate and that the chip is working. Then the book is ready to ship. If you mailed your application, your passport will be mailed back. If you applied in person, you can pick up your passport — for an additional $20 fee — or have it mailed to you. If Service Canada does not return your passport within the promised time period, the collection fee will be waived. People line up at a passport office in Montreal on June 22. The federal government says it will announce more passport processing options at Service Canada centers in the coming weeks. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press) Service Canada says hundreds of employees have been hired over the past year to speed up the process, including workers whose job it is to open and scan postal applications, as well as more officers to process those applications. It expects the passport backlog to “fall significantly” by the end of the summer, to a “lower, more sustainable stock” heading into 2023. However, the agency also notes that twice as many passports are set to expire next year — 2.8 million, compared to 1.3 million expiring this year — as the first 10-year passports, issued in 2013, expire.
title: “What Does It Take To Make A Passport Here Is A Step By Step Guide Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-12” author: “Patrick Devore”
The federal government blames a sudden surge in passport applications at a time when pandemic-related health restrictions meant up to 70% less staff at service centers and processing facilities by May this year. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) told CBC News the delays are unrelated to the actual production of passports — a process shrouded in secrecy to prevent forgery and fraud. Service Canada says behind-the-counter cameras are not allowed in offices where passport applications are received or in privately owned facilities where passports are issued. He also declined an interview request from CBC News, but did not provide a reason. However, the two agencies that oversee most of the work have provided information to put together your passport journey in Canada, from the time you apply until you receive your new travel document. People hoping to apply for a Canadian passport camped in line overnight outside a Service Canada office in Vancouver on June 22. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
Application stage
The first step involves filling out a form for a new child or adult passport or a passport renewal form. Canadians can either mail their completed application or apply in person at a passport office or Canada Service Centre, depending on how soon they need a passport. Managers at passport offices and Service Canada centers “trigger” those in line — sometimes for hours, just to get them out of the way — to make sure those with the most urgent travel get to the front of the line. Agencies don’t keep track of how many clients are rejected. Travel within 2-45 business days: Anyone planning to travel within 45 business days of applying must visit one of 35 passport offices across Canada and show proof of travel. If you go this route, it can take up to two weeks, plus shipping time, to receive your new passport, although urgent and urgent pickup options are available for those traveling earlier, for an additional fee. Travel after 45 working days: Those with travel dates further out should go to one of the country’s 307 Service Canada centers equipped to handle passport documents or mail in their application. On Wednesday, Social Development Minister Karina Gould said the government plans to add passport processing to more Service Canada centers in the coming weeks. Given current demand, it may take up to 13 weeks, plus shipping time, to receive your passport if you apply at a Service Canada center or by mail. However, some Canadians have complained of months of waiting in limbo with no updates on their applications. Since the pandemic measures began to be lifted, travelers have faced many problems, from obtaining new passports to long lines at airport security, flight cancellations and lost luggage. Here, passengers line up at Toronto’s Pearson Airport on May 4. (Jonathan Castell/CBC) If you apply in person, the worker behind the counter will review your documents to make sure you haven’t missed anything. Service Canada says mailed applications are “about 40 per cent less efficient to process” — plus when important documents like birth certificates are sent, there’s no telling when the government can send them back. It’s unclear when Canadians would be able to skip the line altogether and apply online. The government awarded IBM a contract to develop a digital application process in 2020. IRCC says a pilot project is underway.
Audit and security controls
Once an application is received, an officer analyzes the applicant’s eligibility for a passport, ensures that their personal details are complete, checks their photograph and ensures that the documents provided are authentic. If something is missing, we may contact the client to provide those details or documentation — or their documents may simply be sent back to start the application process again. Service Canada says the most common errors in applications relate to information about:
Previous addresses. Former occupations. Guarantor and references. Identity documents.
Service Canada says the most common errors in passport applications relate to information about previous addresses and occupations, the applicant’s guarantor and references and identity documents. (Image: CBC, Source: Government of Canada) Then come the security checks, many of which are shrouded in secrecy. An officer checks the applicant’s information against databases, including one called System Lookout – a special list to which a parent can add their child if they believe another adult may be applying for a passport on the child’s behalf, putting at risk of kidnapping. The officer will also carry out a risk assessment of the applicant, looking for any potential red flags. The Passport program also works with intelligence agencies, police, federal justice, corrections and border services, as well as Interpol and others — although it’s unclear what information is exchanged with those agencies when a Canadian applies for a passport. If security or fraud issues are flagged, the application moves to a second level of review by Passport program integrity experts at IRCC. Service Canada and passport office staff are trained to spot forged documents and other irregularities when assisting with passport applications. Here, people line up to enter a Service Canada office in Oshawa, Ont., on May 30. (Doug Ives/The Canadian Press) The time for any review and review depends on the complexity of the person’s application, any gaps or “oddities” in their information and the Passport Program’s ability to confirm the information or resolve their concerns, IRCC said. Once a passport application is approved – or “justified”, at the passport office – it is ready for the manufacturing process.
Making the passport
The federal government doesn’t actually make these blue passport books. that the work is outsourced to the Canadian Bank Note Company, which also prints Canada’s banknotes. (The Canadian bank note did not respond to requests for comment.) The Ottawa-based company produces blank passports at an undisclosed location. The government’s Passport Program is responsible for printing the photo page, which includes your biographical information, and encoding your photo and information onto a chip embedded in the passport at its own printing locations. The Canadian Bank Note Company produces blank passports, shown at left, while the government’s Passport Program is responsible for printing the page photo and encoding the holder’s photo and information onto a chip embedded in the book. (CBC) Other security features include holographic images on the photo page and hidden ink that is only revealed under UV light. The government would not say how long it takes to make each passport, or how much of the passport fee goes to manufacturing costs. However, you can see what the passport printing process looks like in these behind-the-scenes videos released by the UK Home Office and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
More checks, after delivery
After each passport is printed, quality assurance checks are carried out to ensure that the information in the book is accurate and that the chip is working. Then the book is ready to ship. If you mailed your application, your passport will be mailed back. If you applied in person, you can pick up your passport — for an additional $20 fee — or have it mailed to you. If Service Canada does not return your passport within the promised time period, the collection fee will be waived. People line up at a passport office in Montreal on June 22. The federal government says it will announce more passport processing options at Service Canada centers in the coming weeks. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press) Service Canada says hundreds of employees have been hired over the past year to speed up the process, including workers whose job it is to open and scan postal applications, as well as more officers to process those applications. It expects the passport backlog to “fall significantly” by the end of the summer, to a “lower, more sustainable stock” heading into 2023. However, the agency also notes that twice as many passports are set to expire next year — 2.8 million, compared to 1.3 million expiring this year — as the first 10-year passports, issued in 2013, expire.
title: “What Does It Take To Make A Passport Here Is A Step By Step Guide Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-07” author: “Kayla Waldal”
The federal government blames a sudden surge in passport applications at a time when pandemic-related health restrictions meant up to 70% less staff at service centers and processing facilities by May this year. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) told CBC News the delays are unrelated to the actual production of passports — a process shrouded in secrecy to prevent forgery and fraud. Service Canada says behind-the-counter cameras are not allowed in offices where passport applications are received or in privately owned facilities where passports are issued. He also declined an interview request from CBC News, but did not provide a reason. However, the two agencies that oversee most of the work have provided information to put together your passport journey in Canada, from the time you apply until you receive your new travel document. People hoping to apply for a Canadian passport camped in line overnight outside a Service Canada office in Vancouver on June 22. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
Application stage
The first step involves filling out a form for a new child or adult passport or a passport renewal form. Canadians can either mail their completed application or apply in person at a passport office or Canada Service Centre, depending on how soon they need a passport. Managers at passport offices and Service Canada centers “trigger” those in line — sometimes for hours, just to get them out of the way — to make sure those with the most urgent travel get to the front of the line. Agencies don’t keep track of how many clients are rejected. Travel within 2-45 business days: Anyone planning to travel within 45 business days of applying must visit one of 35 passport offices across Canada and show proof of travel. If you go this route, it can take up to two weeks, plus shipping time, to receive your new passport, although urgent and urgent pickup options are available for those traveling earlier, for an additional fee. Travel after 45 working days: Those with travel dates further out should go to one of the country’s 307 Service Canada centers equipped to handle passport documents or mail in their application. On Wednesday, Social Development Minister Karina Gould said the government plans to add passport processing to more Service Canada centers in the coming weeks. Given current demand, it may take up to 13 weeks, plus shipping time, to receive your passport if you apply at a Service Canada center or by mail. However, some Canadians have complained of months of waiting in limbo with no updates on their applications. Since the pandemic measures began to be lifted, travelers have faced many problems, from obtaining new passports to long lines at airport security, flight cancellations and lost luggage. Here, passengers line up at Toronto’s Pearson Airport on May 4. (Jonathan Castell/CBC) If you apply in person, the worker behind the counter will review your documents to make sure you haven’t missed anything. Service Canada says mailed applications are “about 40 per cent less efficient to process” — plus when important documents like birth certificates are sent, there’s no telling when the government can send them back. It’s unclear when Canadians would be able to skip the line altogether and apply online. The government awarded IBM a contract to develop a digital application process in 2020. IRCC says a pilot project is underway.
Audit and security controls
Once an application is received, an officer analyzes the applicant’s eligibility for a passport, ensures that their personal details are complete, checks their photograph and ensures that the documents provided are authentic. If something is missing, we may contact the client to provide those details or documentation — or their documents may simply be sent back to start the application process again. Service Canada says the most common errors in applications relate to information about:
Previous addresses. Former occupations. Guarantor and references. Identity documents.
Service Canada says the most common errors in passport applications relate to information about previous addresses and occupations, the applicant’s guarantor and references and identity documents. (Image: CBC, Source: Government of Canada) Then come the security checks, many of which are shrouded in secrecy. An officer checks the applicant’s information against databases, including one called System Lookout – a special list to which a parent can add their child if they believe another adult may be applying for a passport on the child’s behalf, putting at risk of kidnapping. The officer will also carry out a risk assessment of the applicant, looking for any potential red flags. The Passport program also works with intelligence agencies, police, federal justice, corrections and border services, as well as Interpol and others — although it’s unclear what information is exchanged with those agencies when a Canadian applies for a passport. If security or fraud issues are flagged, the application moves to a second level of review by Passport program integrity experts at IRCC. Service Canada and passport office staff are trained to spot forged documents and other irregularities when assisting with passport applications. Here, people line up to enter a Service Canada office in Oshawa, Ont., on May 30. (Doug Ives/The Canadian Press) The time for any review and review depends on the complexity of the person’s application, any gaps or “oddities” in their information and the Passport Program’s ability to confirm the information or resolve their concerns, IRCC said. Once a passport application is approved – or “justified”, at the passport office – it is ready for the manufacturing process.
Making the passport
The federal government doesn’t actually make these blue passport books. that the work is outsourced to the Canadian Bank Note Company, which also prints Canada’s banknotes. (The Canadian bank note did not respond to requests for comment.) The Ottawa-based company produces blank passports at an undisclosed location. The government’s Passport Program is responsible for printing the photo page, which includes your biographical information, and encoding your photo and information onto a chip embedded in the passport at its own printing locations. The Canadian Bank Note Company produces blank passports, shown at left, while the government’s Passport Program is responsible for printing the page photo and encoding the holder’s photo and information onto a chip embedded in the book. (CBC) Other security features include holographic images on the photo page and hidden ink that is only revealed under UV light. The government would not say how long it takes to make each passport, or how much of the passport fee goes to manufacturing costs. However, you can see what the passport printing process looks like in these behind-the-scenes videos released by the UK Home Office and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
More checks, after delivery
After each passport is printed, quality assurance checks are carried out to ensure that the information in the book is accurate and that the chip is working. Then the book is ready to ship. If you mailed your application, your passport will be mailed back. If you applied in person, you can pick up your passport — for an additional $20 fee — or have it mailed to you. If Service Canada does not return your passport within the promised time period, the collection fee will be waived. People line up at a passport office in Montreal on June 22. The federal government says it will announce more passport processing options at Service Canada centers in the coming weeks. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press) Service Canada says hundreds of employees have been hired over the past year to speed up the process, including workers whose job it is to open and scan postal applications, as well as more officers to process those applications. It expects the passport backlog to “fall significantly” by the end of the summer, to a “lower, more sustainable stock” heading into 2023. However, the agency also notes that twice as many passports are set to expire next year — 2.8 million, compared to 1.3 million expiring this year — as the first 10-year passports, issued in 2013, expire.
title: “What Does It Take To Make A Passport Here Is A Step By Step Guide Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-25” author: “Tomas Kennedy”
The federal government blames a sudden surge in passport applications at a time when pandemic-related health restrictions meant up to 70% less staff at service centers and processing facilities by May this year. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) told CBC News the delays are unrelated to the actual production of passports — a process shrouded in secrecy to prevent forgery and fraud. Service Canada says behind-the-counter cameras are not allowed in offices where passport applications are received or in privately owned facilities where passports are issued. He also declined an interview request from CBC News, but did not provide a reason. However, the two agencies that oversee most of the work have provided information to put together your passport journey in Canada, from the time you apply until you receive your new travel document. People hoping to apply for a Canadian passport camped in line overnight outside a Service Canada office in Vancouver on June 22. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
Application stage
The first step involves filling out a form for a new child or adult passport or a passport renewal form. Canadians can either mail their completed application or apply in person at a passport office or Canada Service Centre, depending on how soon they need a passport. Managers at passport offices and Service Canada centers “trigger” those in line — sometimes for hours, just to get them out of the way — to make sure those with the most urgent travel get to the front of the line. Agencies don’t keep track of how many clients are rejected. Travel within 2-45 business days: Anyone planning to travel within 45 business days of applying must visit one of 35 passport offices across Canada and show proof of travel. If you go this route, it can take up to two weeks, plus shipping time, to receive your new passport, although urgent and urgent pickup options are available for those traveling earlier, for an additional fee. Travel after 45 working days: Those with travel dates further out should go to one of the country’s 307 Service Canada centers equipped to handle passport documents or mail in their application. On Wednesday, Social Development Minister Karina Gould said the government plans to add passport processing to more Service Canada centers in the coming weeks. Given current demand, it may take up to 13 weeks, plus shipping time, to receive your passport if you apply at a Service Canada center or by mail. However, some Canadians have complained of months of waiting in limbo with no updates on their applications. Since the pandemic measures began to be lifted, travelers have faced many problems, from obtaining new passports to long lines at airport security, flight cancellations and lost luggage. Here, passengers line up at Toronto’s Pearson Airport on May 4. (Jonathan Castell/CBC) If you apply in person, the worker behind the counter will review your documents to make sure you haven’t missed anything. Service Canada says mailed applications are “about 40 per cent less efficient to process” — plus when important documents like birth certificates are sent, there’s no telling when the government can send them back. It’s unclear when Canadians would be able to skip the line altogether and apply online. The government awarded IBM a contract to develop a digital application process in 2020. IRCC says a pilot project is underway.
Audit and security controls
Once an application is received, an officer analyzes the applicant’s eligibility for a passport, ensures that their personal details are complete, checks their photograph and ensures that the documents provided are authentic. If something is missing, we may contact the client to provide those details or documentation — or their documents may simply be sent back to start the application process again. Service Canada says the most common errors in applications relate to information about:
Previous addresses. Former occupations. Guarantor and references. Identity documents.
Service Canada says the most common errors in passport applications relate to information about previous addresses and occupations, the applicant’s guarantor and references and identity documents. (Image: CBC, Source: Government of Canada) Then come the security checks, many of which are shrouded in secrecy. An officer checks the applicant’s information against databases, including one called System Lookout – a special list to which a parent can add their child if they believe another adult may be applying for a passport on the child’s behalf, putting at risk of kidnapping. The officer will also carry out a risk assessment of the applicant, looking for any potential red flags. The Passport program also works with intelligence agencies, police, federal justice, corrections and border services, as well as Interpol and others — although it’s unclear what information is exchanged with those agencies when a Canadian applies for a passport. If security or fraud issues are flagged, the application moves to a second level of review by Passport program integrity experts at IRCC. Service Canada and passport office staff are trained to spot forged documents and other irregularities when assisting with passport applications. Here, people line up to enter a Service Canada office in Oshawa, Ont., on May 30. (Doug Ives/The Canadian Press) The time for any review and review depends on the complexity of the person’s application, any gaps or “oddities” in their information and the Passport Program’s ability to confirm the information or resolve their concerns, IRCC said. Once a passport application is approved – or “justified”, at the passport office – it is ready for the manufacturing process.
Making the passport
The federal government doesn’t actually make these blue passport books. that the work is outsourced to the Canadian Bank Note Company, which also prints Canada’s banknotes. (The Canadian bank note did not respond to requests for comment.) The Ottawa-based company produces blank passports at an undisclosed location. The government’s Passport Program is responsible for printing the photo page, which includes your biographical information, and encoding your photo and information onto a chip embedded in the passport at its own printing locations. The Canadian Bank Note Company produces blank passports, shown at left, while the government’s Passport Program is responsible for printing the page photo and encoding the holder’s photo and information onto a chip embedded in the book. (CBC) Other security features include holographic images on the photo page and hidden ink that is only revealed under UV light. The government would not say how long it takes to make each passport, or how much of the passport fee goes to manufacturing costs. However, you can see what the passport printing process looks like in these behind-the-scenes videos released by the UK Home Office and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
More checks, after delivery
After each passport is printed, quality assurance checks are carried out to ensure that the information in the book is accurate and that the chip is working. Then the book is ready to ship. If you mailed your application, your passport will be mailed back. If you applied in person, you can pick up your passport — for an additional $20 fee — or have it mailed to you. If Service Canada does not return your passport within the promised time period, the collection fee will be waived. People line up at a passport office in Montreal on June 22. The federal government says it will announce more passport processing options at Service Canada centers in the coming weeks. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press) Service Canada says hundreds of employees have been hired over the past year to speed up the process, including workers whose job it is to open and scan postal applications, as well as more officers to process those applications. It expects the passport backlog to “fall significantly” by the end of the summer, to a “lower, more sustainable stock” heading into 2023. However, the agency also notes that twice as many passports are set to expire next year — 2.8 million, compared to 1.3 million expiring this year — as the first 10-year passports, issued in 2013, expire.
title: “What Does It Take To Make A Passport Here Is A Step By Step Guide Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-26” author: “Concetta Vanderford”
The federal government blames a sudden surge in passport applications at a time when pandemic-related health restrictions meant up to 70% less staff at service centers and processing facilities by May this year. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) told CBC News the delays are unrelated to the actual production of passports — a process shrouded in secrecy to prevent forgery and fraud. Service Canada says behind-the-counter cameras are not allowed in offices where passport applications are received or in privately owned facilities where passports are issued. He also declined an interview request from CBC News, but did not provide a reason. However, the two agencies that oversee most of the work have provided information to put together your passport journey in Canada, from the time you apply until you receive your new travel document. People hoping to apply for a Canadian passport camped in line overnight outside a Service Canada office in Vancouver on June 22. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
Application stage
The first step involves filling out a form for a new child or adult passport or a passport renewal form. Canadians can either mail their completed application or apply in person at a passport office or Canada Service Centre, depending on how soon they need a passport. Managers at passport offices and Service Canada centers “trigger” those in line — sometimes for hours, just to get them out of the way — to make sure those with the most urgent travel get to the front of the line. Agencies don’t keep track of how many clients are rejected. Travel within 2-45 business days: Anyone planning to travel within 45 business days of applying must visit one of 35 passport offices across Canada and show proof of travel. If you go this route, it can take up to two weeks, plus shipping time, to receive your new passport, although urgent and urgent pickup options are available for those traveling earlier, for an additional fee. Travel after 45 working days: Those with travel dates further out should go to one of the country’s 307 Service Canada centers equipped to handle passport documents or mail in their application. On Wednesday, Social Development Minister Karina Gould said the government plans to add passport processing to more Service Canada centers in the coming weeks. Given current demand, it may take up to 13 weeks, plus shipping time, to receive your passport if you apply at a Service Canada center or by mail. However, some Canadians have complained of months of waiting in limbo with no updates on their applications. Since the pandemic measures began to be lifted, travelers have faced many problems, from obtaining new passports to long lines at airport security, flight cancellations and lost luggage. Here, passengers line up at Toronto’s Pearson Airport on May 4. (Jonathan Castell/CBC) If you apply in person, the worker behind the counter will review your documents to make sure you haven’t missed anything. Service Canada says mailed applications are “about 40 per cent less efficient to process” — plus when important documents like birth certificates are sent, there’s no telling when the government can send them back. It’s unclear when Canadians would be able to skip the line altogether and apply online. The government awarded IBM a contract to develop a digital application process in 2020. IRCC says a pilot project is underway.
Audit and security controls
Once an application is received, an officer analyzes the applicant’s eligibility for a passport, ensures that their personal details are complete, checks their photograph and ensures that the documents provided are authentic. If something is missing, we may contact the client to provide those details or documentation — or their documents may simply be sent back to start the application process again. Service Canada says the most common errors in applications relate to information about:
Previous addresses. Former occupations. Guarantor and references. Identity documents.
Service Canada says the most common errors in passport applications relate to information about previous addresses and occupations, the applicant’s guarantor and references and identity documents. (Image: CBC, Source: Government of Canada) Then come the security checks, many of which are shrouded in secrecy. An officer checks the applicant’s information against databases, including one called System Lookout – a special list to which a parent can add their child if they believe another adult may be applying for a passport on the child’s behalf, putting at risk of kidnapping. The officer will also carry out a risk assessment of the applicant, looking for any potential red flags. The Passport program also works with intelligence agencies, police, federal justice, corrections and border services, as well as Interpol and others — although it’s unclear what information is exchanged with those agencies when a Canadian applies for a passport. If security or fraud issues are flagged, the application moves to a second level of review by Passport program integrity experts at IRCC. Service Canada and passport office staff are trained to spot forged documents and other irregularities when assisting with passport applications. Here, people line up to enter a Service Canada office in Oshawa, Ont., on May 30. (Doug Ives/The Canadian Press) The time for any review and review depends on the complexity of the person’s application, any gaps or “oddities” in their information and the Passport Program’s ability to confirm the information or resolve their concerns, IRCC said. Once a passport application is approved – or “justified”, at the passport office – it is ready for the manufacturing process.
Making the passport
The federal government doesn’t actually make these blue passport books. that the work is outsourced to the Canadian Bank Note Company, which also prints Canada’s banknotes. (The Canadian bank note did not respond to requests for comment.) The Ottawa-based company produces blank passports at an undisclosed location. The government’s Passport Program is responsible for printing the photo page, which includes your biographical information, and encoding your photo and information onto a chip embedded in the passport at its own printing locations. The Canadian Bank Note Company produces blank passports, shown at left, while the government’s Passport Program is responsible for printing the page photo and encoding the holder’s photo and information onto a chip embedded in the book. (CBC) Other security features include holographic images on the photo page and hidden ink that is only revealed under UV light. The government would not say how long it takes to make each passport, or how much of the passport fee goes to manufacturing costs. However, you can see what the passport printing process looks like in these behind-the-scenes videos released by the UK Home Office and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
More checks, after delivery
After each passport is printed, quality assurance checks are carried out to ensure that the information in the book is accurate and that the chip is working. Then the book is ready to ship. If you mailed your application, your passport will be mailed back. If you applied in person, you can pick up your passport — for an additional $20 fee — or have it mailed to you. If Service Canada does not return your passport within the promised time period, the collection fee will be waived. People line up at a passport office in Montreal on June 22. The federal government says it will announce more passport processing options at Service Canada centers in the coming weeks. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press) Service Canada says hundreds of employees have been hired over the past year to speed up the process, including workers whose job it is to open and scan postal applications, as well as more officers to process those applications. It expects the passport backlog to “fall significantly” by the end of the summer, to a “lower, more sustainable stock” heading into 2023. However, the agency also notes that twice as many passports are set to expire next year — 2.8 million, compared to 1.3 million expiring this year — as the first 10-year passports, issued in 2013, expire.
