Passports - Anyone work at Harry Hays Building?

[oxygen]

Originally Posted by Kev

Is there a faster way other than mailing in?

If you need your passport by a certain date you can bring your itinery with you to the passport office and if the passport can't be mailed out to you in time you can pay a $10 fee to pick it up at the office. If you need the passport rushed they can do it for you in as little as 5 business days and I think the fee is around $30 plus $10 to pick it up.

My friend went and picked up his passport at Harry Hay's yesterday around 2:30 pm and he said that there were 4 people in line to drop off applications. I don't know if it's died down a bit now or if the line ups are gone by the afternoon.

I went in on Jan. 24 at 7:30 am waited 2 and a half hours, the passport office said my passport would be mailed out Feb. 7. I received it on Feb. 9.

Oh ya, it's been mentioned before, but if you go in to drop off your application fill the forms out online and print them to bring with you. It will save you some time.

[Sinfire]

Here is my experience with Passports.... (my current passport expires in april)

If you would have handed your forms in person, it takes 2 weeks. If you mailed the form in, then it takes 20 business days. I actually called last night to get details about my situation., and I was told to expect a 60 wait to get a passport.

I am guessing that the day they charged your credit card is the day they started processing your form. Then you should add 20 business days (4 weeks) onto that date. The good news is that when they are finished processing your passport, they will overnight it back to you.

So you should be ok if your trip is at the end of march.

[Sinfire]

Originally Posted by Kev

Is there a faster way other than mailing in?

It is faster if you drop your form off in person. Also, if you have an emergency situation, you can try and plead your case and you can have your passport in a couple of days. ( of course there is an extra fee involved).

[Incinerator]

I got a December expiry, should I assume I'll be safe if I start the process in September?

[I_H8_Crawford]

For the people worried about long lines at harry hayes - go to the Shaunessey location just off MacLeod Tr S - I just went there and dropped off my application today. Went there around 1:30 was out of there by 2:20, everything done.

[mykalberta]

Update - After attempted calling for a week straight I decide yesterday that Thurs afternoon I have to go there in person.

So while walking to the gym this morning through beautiful PE Park I decide to give them a shout, its about 5.40 - normally a futile time to call but I was tired of listening to Bobcaygen on the Ipod.

So I call and BAM on the wait list.

So BAM I get a Canada Post tracking number, and since my PDA was not handy the Passport lady (some sexy sounding french chick, probably 50 years old) Emails the tracking number to me and CanadaPost attempted delivery yesterday (no slip was left) and its waiting to be picked up.

w00t w00t.

Off to Chile and now I can sleep easy.

MYK

[cSpooge]

Originally Posted by I_H8_Crawford

For the people worried about long lines at harry hayes - go to the Shaunessey location just off MacLeod Tr S - I just went there and dropped off my application today. Went there around 1:30 was out of there by 2:20, everything done.

For some people Shaunessey is just too far south for them to go. For me its like an hour drive to get there.

[blayn]

Originally Posted by I_H8_Crawford

For the people worried about long lines at harry hayes - go to the Shaunessey location just off MacLeod Tr S - I just went there and dropped off my application today. Went there around 1:30 was out of there by 2:20, everything done.

I went in to the shawnessy one at about 2 and i was out of there 20 minutes later. Got my passport in the mail this week, about 3 weeks later.

Even if you have to drive an hour to shawnessy, from the sounds of it you will still be better off than going downtown

[I_H8_Crawford]

Originally Posted by blayn

I went in to the shawnessy one at about 2 and i was out of there 20 minutes later. Got my passport in the mail this week, about 3 weeks later.

Even if you have to drive an hour to shawnessy, from the sounds of it you will still be better off than going downtown

You got yours?
I dropped mine off on the 28th, it said mail out date Mar 14th, and still nothing - I am travelling to the US mid-April - should I be worried now???

[Ozy_Flame]

Gee it's too bad you ask now....I'm going to be working as a Passport Office there starting next month, I could totally streamline you to the front of the line! haha...

[Kev]

So the fastest you could get your passport would be 5 business days with itinerary?

[Kev]

Originally Posted by Kev

So the fastest you could get your passport would be 5 business days with itinerary?

I just talked with a buddy, and he said when he went in to get his passport on Dec.28, there was a 24 hour option. Does anyone know anything about this?

I tried calling, but the line is perpetually busy, thought I would go to my next biggest resource.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Kev

there was a 24 hour option. Does anyone know anything about this?

http://www.pptc.gc.ca/can/submit.aspx?lang=e

[mac_gurl]

I sent my passport in Jan. 23, and got a letter Friday, with my original passport and birth certificate that i sent in, saying it will be another 20 business days until my passport is processed and delivered. I can't believe it takes nearly 4 months to get a passport! Ridiculous!

[I_H8_Crawford]

Originally Posted by mac_gurl

I sent my passport in Jan. 23, and got a letter Friday, with my original passport and birth certificate that i sent in, saying it will be another 20 business days until my passport is processed and delivered. I can't believe it takes nearly 4 months to get a passport! Ridiculous!

I got mine last week - took a month - I had taken it into an office however.

Now I'm ready to go see the Sox play in Fenway!

[Jayems]

Originally Posted by Kev

I just talked with a buddy, and he said when he went in to get his passport on Dec.28, there was a 24 hour option. Does anyone know anything about this?

I tried calling, but the line is perpetually busy, thought I would go to my next biggest resource.

If you want the 24 hr option... here is what my sister when through...

There was a sudden death in the family back home in England, but her passport wasn't valid.. we had to get confirmed flights and the death certificate faxed over before they would even consider it.. add another $75 or something on top, and you'll be on your way.

[enthused]

Man, this all sounds like a real pain in the arse!

I'm going to school overseas in September, and I was worried that I was going to have to go through that whole ordeal, but then I found out I still have another two years before mine expires. Thank god!

However I do need to apply for a visa... anyone know anything about going about that? Is the process as long and hectic as the current passport situation?

[stranded_there]

Hey Ozy_Flame, do you still work at the Harry Hays building in the passport office? If so, could you drop me a note, i'm currently looking for a job, and something where i could use my second language spanish, and i've been interested in the passport office, but am having trouble finding out how to apply there. Thanks!

[CaptainCrunch]

Hey does anyone know how to replace a birth certificate? And how much it costs?

[FlamesKickAss]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Hey does anyone know how to replace a birth certificate? And how much it costs?

alberta registry. here at ama they are $32.50 judging by the sign they have at registries