What to do with passport application?

[flamesfever]

Intending to travel to the US in the next month or two, I have just fillied out passport applications for my wife and I and am debating whether to go downtown and get in the lineup or put them in the mail.

I am somewhat reluctant to stand in the huge lineup at the Harry Hays, and am nervous of putting it in the mail, as I have a friend who couriered his to Ottawa in early December and just got it back with deficiencies.

I'd be interested in hearing your experiences.

[SpitFire40]

Isn't there somewhere to do this online?

actually I don't think that'd work... due to the picture and all.

I just got my first passport 2 years ago, it was a U.S. passport and it was a hell of alot easier to aquire than a Canadian one... there's so much verification it's stupid... Do I really need my dentist, doctor, and the person that nurse on hand at the hospital the day I was born to sign the application?? ugh

All I had to do was go in with my dad (Who's American) and do the oath thing, sign some papers, pay the money and Bob's your uncle (Tssk)

[FireFly]

THe first time I got a passport, I mailed it in. It took the requisite 6 weeks to get to me. The second time I went to the office. I had it in my hand the next week. (Well, it was at the post office, but they closed on me...) That was well before this big rush though, so I don't know what wait times are like anymore. I would say though, that it will be quicker if you go into the office rather than mail it, but then you do have to wait in line. Bring a book.

[Looger]

the office - it's pretty fast. got mine in a week.

EDIT: plus you find out on the spot if your photo is bad, most big government buildings have a place there so you can get it in five minutes if you need to.

[Sample00]

Looger is right, thats the best way to do it.
I was never comfortable in sending all my important docs in the mail.

[jam26]

Be prepared to wait regardless. They are extremely backed up due to the new air traveller requirement. In person, I believe you can get a 'rush' put on it if your travel is imminent.

[jar_e]

If I remember correctly, GlobalTV reported that mailing in applications were taking approximately 2-3 months to be processed...

[edn88]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

Intending to travel to the US in the next month or two, I have just fillied out passport applications for my wife and I and am debating whether to go downtown and get in the lineup or put them in the mail.

I am somewhat reluctant to stand in the huge lineup at the Harry Hays, and am nervous of putting it in the mail, as I have a friend who couriered his to Ottawa in early December and just got it back with deficiencies.

I'd be interested in hearing your experiences.

I think that the down town passport office is the quiet one - you can go online and see the queue times I believe.

From all accounts going in person is the best way, mail in option is very slow (we are still waiting for a passport that we mailed in over a month ago for our 6 month old).

If you need a passport, bite the bullet, bring an Ipod and a book, some comfy shoes and go stand in line.

[vanisleflamesfan]

I got mine about a year ago, I think I stood in line for about 7 whole minutes.

I realize that the times might be longer now with the new restrictions, but the office in Calgary at the Harry Hays building was really quick for me.

And the rush service costs a lot of money, but it is quick. You can tell them the day that you need it, and then they charge you based on what you tell them, and how long it is.

[Looger]

Originally Posted by jam26

Be prepared to wait regardless. They are extremely backed up due to the new air traveller requirement. In person, I believe you can get a 'rush' put on it if your travel is imminent.

it was $30 on top of the usual $85 a few years ago, not sure what it is now.

in the current crunch it may be worth it even though i suspect most times it doesn't speed it any.

[Ace]

Do it online, you won't have to wait in line when you go to the passport office, strait to the front of the cue.

Unfortunatly you can only do it online if you have e-pass, e-pass takes a couple weeks to set up...

[Draug]

My wife is downtown in line right now. I will let you know how it goes when she gets home this evening.

[worth]

I have to get mine sometime as well. I have the docs, but I have to go for photos and hand the junk in.

[vanisleflamesfan]

Originally Posted by Looger

it was $30 on top of the usual $85 a few years ago, not sure what it is now.

in the current crunch it may be worth it even though i suspect most times it doesn't speed it any.

For me they told me the passport would be ready on (I don't remember the exact dates, but the example is still close enough) the 30th. I said that I needed it sooner, they asked when, I said the 8th... so more than two weeks sooner, and they said "no problem... that'll be 70 bucks". So that was 70 bucks on top of the $85, but I had it in my hand on the 8th.

[FlameCity]

Do it online! I did it this way last year and they sent me to the front of the line . . . I think I waited all of 1 min.

This is the link to the Passport On-Line section for Canadians living IN Canada

To register for an epass, you will need to create a username and password, and select three questions and answer them. Registration for an epass may take up to ten minutes. To access passport on-line form anytime in the future, you will use the same username and password every time you logon.

[Ace]

Originally Posted by FlameCity

Do it online! I did it this way last year and they sent me to the front of the line . . . I think I waited all of 1 min.

This is the link to the Passport On-Line section for Canadians living IN Canada

When I did e-pass a few years ago, you had to wait for your initial password to arrive by mail. Hopefully for those that need it quick it is no longer that way

[flamingchina]

Ugggh, I'm in the process of doing it now
Why do they need to know my residences for the past two years?
Why does my document now also need to be signed by my guaranteer?
this means I need to go back and see him again
such a pain now to get a passport...

[oxygen]

I was just at the Harry Hay's passport office this morning. I arrived at 7:25 and there were already 80 people in front of me. The person at the front of the line arrived at 5:30. Even though the website said they opened at 8:30 they had some staff on at 8. The line went relatively quickly, I was out by 9:22.

Fill out your application online using Epass if possible because it does speed things up. Basically while you're waiting in line a guy goes down the line up to ask if you filled the application out manually or online. If you filled it in manually he'll give you a number, if you filled it out online you get your number inside the passport room. It doesn't allow you to jump to the front of the line, but once you get into the passport room you get to jump the queue. When I got into the passport room the people in front of me, with manual forms, were number 72 while they were serving number 52. So I pretty much got to jump 20 spots and was out of the room in under 5 minutes.

Some things to be careful with is to make sure your picture has no glare whatsoever, sometimes the T-zone of your face is oily. I almost had to get another picture done. Make sure your guarantor is correct, I saw a guy get turned away. They do check to make sure you have all your docs in order when you get into the room, but that's after waiting in line for a couple of hours.

Service time for when you drop it off in person at a passport office is about 4 weeks (20 working days). The guy said not to mail it in because they were still working on applications from November. If you need it rushed you can get that service, but you have to bring in proof that you need it by a certain date (ie flight itinery, confirmation).

[SpitFire40]

What's the deal with Guarantors? Jeez... You have to know someone personally for 2 years?

[Looger]

man, why's everyone in such a hurry?

i know that the rules just changed but i wouldn't have even considered going to the states without a passport two weeks ago.

i hope they have extra staff to handle this backlog...