Passports - Anyone work at Harry Hays Building?

[mykalberta]

I am leaving for Chile (transitting through the US) at the end of March and I still havent recieved any feedback on a passport I sent back in December (signed for on December 18). I have been attempting to call them to no avail - mostly busy signal but when I do get through all agents are busy and the number of people that can be on hold is filled.

I figure I should go down there in person and ask - I noticed my CC was charged the 87$ fee last week so I would assume its in progress but with all the stories in the papers about the passports I figured I would do my due diligience.

I see that the offices open at 8.30 in the morning. Does anyone here work at the building or know about what time people are lining up. I can get there as early as 6am but I dont want to be there that early if I dont have to.

The only reason I am worrying is that me and my GF sent in our Passports via mail the same day and were both charged last week. Her friends who are also coming (who dont have jobs and live off the parents dime) went to the offices and handed the passport in mid January and they recieved their passports this week.

Obviously my thought of attempting to alleviate the pressure at the passport offices in Calgary by express mailing mine in was for not since they obviously place more priority on passports that physically dropped off rather than mailed.

Thanks for any help.

MYK

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

I've had pretty good luck with going down there to the office. It'll take a while, because they're very overworked, but I'd guess there's somebody down there who knows where your passport is.

[mykalberta]

Thanks, I stupidy figured that since I included my current passport (expires this month) that it would be a short turn time.

Thats what I get for working in the private sector - stupid ideas like that

MYK

[jolinar of malkshor]

Website says aprrox 60 days for mail in.

[brownie]

My CC was charged 87 bucks on Feb 7th,but still havent got anything in the mail.

[FacePaint]

I working out of this building today and I've never seen the line so long. It runs out the office, around the corner, down the stairs and almost to the doors on 4th Avenue... just crazy!

There should be a different line if you're just asking about the delay.

[Scrambler]

Consider yourselves lucky though! There's a lot more travel to the US from here in the Lower Mainland, and the line-up at the Passport Office here (Sinclair Centre) goes about 1000 strong each morning. People can line-up at 5am and then be told at 1pm that they will not make it in! Yuck, I'm so glad I got my passport last year before all this crap.

[Bobblehead]

My passport expires in Sept. Hopefully it calms down a bit by then.

[mykalberta]

I was able to get ahold of the passport office yesterday.

Charging account means that they have opened your account. Everything was fine with mine except they need to contact my Guarantor.

I leave in a month and a half and I have absolutely no confidence that I will see mine before I go unless I continually harass them.

I am still ****ed that people who mail there's in rather than go to an office get the shaft with the more than double wait time.

MYK

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by Scrambler

Consider yourselves lucky though! There's a lot more travel to the US from here in the Lower Mainland, and the line-up at the Passport Office here (Sinclair Centre) goes about 1000 strong each morning. People can line-up at 5am and then be told at 1pm that they will not make it in! Yuck, I'm so glad I got my passport last year before all this crap.

I dont get why there is more tavel via air than in Calgary (as a % of population). There is alot more ground transportation (ferry/car/bus) but there isnt a passport requirement for those types of travel until 2010.

Appart from % population increase I dont thing there is a much larger % from the lower mainland in BC - I could be wrong but.

MYK

[brownie]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

I was able to get ahold of the passport office yesterday.

Charging account means that they have opened your account. Everything was fine with mine except they need to contact my Guarantor.

I leave in a month and a half and I have absolutely no confidence that I will see mine before I go unless I continually harass them.

I am still ****ed that people who mail there's in rather than go to an office get the shaft with the more than double wait time.

MYK

Hey MYK,our CC's were charged around the same time,you dont think you'll get yours??I am flying out on the 22nd of March,it'll be close for me too.Was it a pain to contact them??Did they say you should get yours??Thanks for any info.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by brownie

Hey MYK,our CC's were charged around the same time,you dont think you'll get yours??I am flying out on the 22nd of March,it'll be close for me too.Was it a pain to contact them??Did they say you should get yours??Thanks for any info.

Was it a pain to contact them? HAHAHAHAHAH

As I posted on RFD:

The Canada Passport Number is:

Toll free:1 800 567-6868
To bypass garbage hit 1-1-1 for passport enquiry/english

They open at 5.30 MST (Calgary time) and close at 18.00 MST

I had continued to spam their number every 20 minutes or so and most of the time would get a busy signal (70% or so) the times I didnt I would get a message saying all agents busy and on hold full.

I finally decided to get up at 5.30 (not an abnormal time for me) I called at 5.29 and got the we are closed message. I immediately hung up and called again and got the agents full message/on hold full which is the reason I started this thread.

I was finally able to get in yesterday by compelte fluke. It sounds as if they have 30 on hold spots, it took me 42 minutes to speak to someone. What the agent said to me is that I should expect the passport 3 weeks before departure - I personally dont feel safe if they are using my departure date as th approx date of arrival and not the fact that mine is being worked on and sent when done.

I work in the same office as a Guarantor and told him to expect a call, if he gets a call before next Friday I will feel more safe, if not then I am calling again.

MYK

[Jayems]

I applied for mine on Dec. 5th, and got it on Jan. 2nd. Mine was delayed a bit due to the rush, but i used this method, and they responded in about 2 days with a tracking number and everything.

https://www.pptc.gc.ca/service/conta...st.aspx?lang=e

As per the phone, i kept calling until it rang, then i when i got through, i hit 0 right away, and got on hold. Was on hold for about 25 mins, but at least i got through. the key is to hit 0 and not wait.

[brownie]

Hey MYK any luck on the paasport???Just got mine in the mail,seeing that our CC's were charged around the same time you should have yours shortly.Mine was processed on Feb 16th,and Just got back from the Local post office with mine in hand.Look out Vegas!!

[Bobblehead]

My Passport expires in September. When should I start the process for getting a new one?

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by brownie

Hey MYK any luck on the paasport???Just got mine in the mail,seeing that our CC's were charged around the same time you should have yours shortly.Mine was processed on Feb 16th,and Just got back from the Local post office with mine in hand.Look out Vegas!!

Negative, called again and suspected delivery date is 1 week before I leave.

My guarantor was at least called.

If I dont get a tracking number next week the Harry Hayes building will not be a pretty place to be Tuesday morning as some poor federal official employee will get a damn earfull.

I have my own "theory" as to why its taking so long. I used as a Guarantor an accountant here who I have known since I moved down here, (3 years) and he has a valid passport but he is an "African muslim". Now I have nothing to back this up apart from the complete nepetism of Unionized Federal Employees and 3 MONTHS of waiting as of this Friday but I think mine was black flagged for whatever reason. Maybe someone from passport Canada reads CP and this my views are to Right Wing. Well if they are reading this, P!$$ OFF you MOTHER F^&*%NG BS ARTISTS.

MYK

[Kev]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

Website says aprrox 60 days for mail in.

Is there a faster way other than mailing in?

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by Kev

Is there a faster way other than mailing in?

Gf friends got it in 24 days after they went to the building.

It appears as the Passport office purposefully screws people who mail it in rather than going to the office.

MYK

[C-Four]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

My Passport expires in September. When should I start the process for getting a new one?

When I was downtown getting mine done the guy who did mine told me that august-ish is usually a good time to come in and do it cause theres no lines and such...

...who knows it might be different now with the new US laws?

hope that helps.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Gf friends got it in 24 days after they went to the building.

It appears as the Passport office purposefully screws people who mail it in rather than going to the office.

MYK

Wow, first the racism card... now this. Here's a jump to conclusions mat just for you.