Fastest passport office line... South or DT?

[OMG!WTF!]

I handed in my application at the Harry Hayes building at 10am and had my passport by 2pm and made my 5pm flight. If ever you're in a pinch, they can do great things at that location.

[lazypucker]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

I handed in my application at the Harry Hayes building at 10am and had my passport by 2pm and made my 5pm flight. If ever you're in a pinch, they can do great things at that location.

How much more do you have to pay for the super rush application?

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

How much more do you have to pay for the super rush application?

I can't remember at all. Nothing crazy though. They do it if you have a plane ticket in hand. I don't think you can pay them to do it. Like they won't do it unless it's critical.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

How much more do you have to pay for the super rush application?

Its about $335. Almost had to go this route in December but found my passport at the last second!

Edit: Thats for same day pick up. $270 for by end of next business day.

[rotten42]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

I handed in my application at the Harry Hayes building at 10am and had my passport by 2pm and made my 5pm flight. If ever you're in a pinch, they can do great things at that location.

I did very much the same thing. 3 days before I was to head to Mexico I couldn't find my passport. Did the rush version and got it a day and half later. It was expensive though.

[Flabbibulin]

Was at the south location at 8:15 this morning and was 4th in line. About 20 people in line by the time doors opened at 8:30. I was done by 8:45 or so.

[Igotnothing]

For end of next business day it's an extra $110 and for within 2-9 business days it's an extra $50. To pick it up at Harry Hays it was an extra $20. All in all not bad considering I wasn't paying attention to the expirey date on my passport. It worked out I only needed to pay the extra $20 for pick up as the lady said it would be here in 10 business days. They even provide you with a form for someone else to pick it up for you if you can't make it. Which is forward thinking that I didn't entirely expect.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

Well that sucks, pretty much makes it too far south to be useful for me now.

I'm really confused by what you mean by too far south to be useful. First, it's a three minute drive between the old location and the new one, and second what are you going to now that's too far south to be useful? Drive all the way downtown instead of down to the next overpass?

[MRCboicgy]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Every man has his limits

In this case, circa 1988 city limits.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by jayswin

I'm really confused by what you mean by too far south to be useful. First, it's a three minute drive between the old location and the new one, and second what are you going to now that's too far south to be useful? Drive all the way downtown instead of down to the next overpass?

I live in the NW and work near Chinook. That put's the new office another 8-10 minutes further south (return) compared to where it is now. For me to drive to that much further south is now no longer worth my time, it is now significantly closer for me to just go to Harry Hays from now on. All I'm saying is that for anyone living north of the Bow River the south office has now been moved far enough that it no longer is a convenient option. Perhaps the intent is for that office to serve the rural areas south of Calgary as well because it is now not useful to a signficant portion of the population to the north.

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

I live in the NW and work near Chinook. That put's the new office another 8-10 minutes further south (return) compared to where it is now. For me to drive to that much further south is now no longer worth my time, it is now significantly closer for me to just go to Harry Hays from now on. All I'm saying is that for anyone living north of the Bow River the south office has now been moved far enough that it no longer is a convenient option. Perhaps the intent is for that office to serve the rural areas south of Calgary as well because it is now not useful to a signficant portion of the population to the north.

How often are you using the passport office anyway?

And why are you not just going to the ones in the NW? There is one in Royal Oak and one by McMahon.

[Bobblehead]

You do know that there are 5 places in the city you can renew a passport, right?

http://www.passportguide.info/passport-office-calgary/

[squiggs96]

He was just doing the south office a favour by using it every five years. Now that it's 8 minutes, round trip, further, it's not longer palatable. It's kind of like when you're dating a girl and she wants you to come over to her apartment, you do it. But if she moved from the 5th floor to the 33rd floor, you just stay at home. Ain't nobody got time for that!

[taco.vidal]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

How often are you using the passport office anyway?

And why are you not just going to the ones in the NW? There is one in Royal Oak and one by McMahon.

Especially with 10 year passports now.

I could see kids being a reason to need to go more often. If you have 4 or 5 or more kids, then youd also potentially be facing staggered renewals plus kids passports are still only valid for 5 years.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

You do know that there are 5 places in the city you can renew a passport, right?

http://www.passportguide.info/passport-office-calgary/

Maybe things have changed, but as I understand it, only Harry Hays and the South Passport Office are actual passport offices where they check that everything is accurate and give you a guaranteed delivery date. The others are just Service Canada Centres and dropping off your application there is just like dropping it in the mail. If there's anything wrong with your photos or your application, you won't find out until it's rejected and returned to you.


A few years ago, I had a friend who dropped off his application at a Service Canada centre thinking they were the same as the Passport Office. He had done so with plenty of time to go before his planned trip, but was in a near panic as his trip got closer and closer and his passport didn't arrive.

That was a few years ago, after the US introduced their new passport requirements, so they were crazy busy. Even with perfect applications, it was taking 4 weeks to process them. Things aren't as busy now, so it may not be as big an issue.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by getbak

Maybe things have changed, but as I understand it, only Harry Hays and the South Passport Office are actual passport offices where they check that everything is accurate and give you a guaranteed delivery date. The others are just Service Canada Centres and dropping off your application there is just like dropping it in the mail. If there's anything wrong with your photos or your application, you won't find out until it's rejected and returned to you.


A few years ago, I had a friend who dropped off his application at a Service Canada centre thinking they were the same as the Passport Office. He had done so with plenty of time to go before his planned trip, but was in a near panic as his trip got closer and closer and his passport didn't arrive.

That was a few years ago, after the US introduced their new passport requirements, so they were crazy busy. Even with perfect applications, it was taking 4 weeks to process them. Things aren't as busy now, so it may not be as big an issue.

I've used the Service Canada the past 2 times I've renewed and they check your photo and go over the application right there.

They can't expedite the process if you need it in a hurry, but for regular renewal it seemed full service.

[Lil Pedro]

Damn the South Passport office closed!

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Lil Pedro

Damn the South Passport office closed!

Hopefully they open up a new one, maybe just down the street in Sundance, but this probably wouldn't be the best thread to quickly zip through for that kind of update.

[STeeLy]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

I've used the Service Canada the past 2 times I've renewed and they check your photo and go over the application right there.

They can't expedite the process if you need it in a hurry, but for regular renewal it seemed full service.

Even I have doubts about whether the Service Canada employees really know much about Passport applications

My roommate went with his dad to a Service Canada location and they went through his application and said that copies of the IDs (for brand new application) is sufficient. My roommate got his passport application back because they need the original version of the IDs.

If in doubt, I'd say go to a passport office.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Hopefully they open up a new one, maybe just down the street in Sundance, but this probably wouldn't be the best thread to quickly zip through for that kind of update.

Nope, it definitely closed forever, nobody go to the south location or believe the rumors of a new one blocks away. Don't take the risk of missing your flights, go to Harry Hays.