If you are planning to apply for a Canadian passport, you need to
know the application procedures and the time required to get a passport
in order to get it before your upcoming trip. With heightened
international security passports are required for travel into
territories that once only required valid I.D.
While in-person
applications are usually processed in two weeks (this excludes delivery
delay), your applications sent via mail or through a receiving agent
(Canada Post or Services Canada) may take up to ten weeks. While this is
best case scenario, passport application requests are at an all time
high and you need to ask your local issuing office what the turnaround
time is.
For applications sent through mail from the U.S. will
require about twelve weeks to process them. Sometimes, there may be a
delay in getting your passport due to the rapidly growing volume of
passport applications that the passport office receives each day.
It
is obvious from the time frame mentioned above that you wouldn't want a
further delay in getting your Canadian passport, which you may badly
require to go on a holiday or a business trip.
Use the checklist
listed below to rule out the possibility of making common errors that
lead to delay in getting your Canadian passport:
Have you sent your application well in advance before your scheduled trip?
It's
your responsibility to ensure that you have filled the Canadian
passport application form correctly. Incomplete or incorrect forms can
be rejected and ruin your chances of going abroad.
If you are
applying for a new passport because you lost your old one or it was
stolen, you need to submit a Statutory Declaration form (PPT 203) along
with your application. You can download this form from the website http://www.passportcanada.gc.ca and avoid delay in processing your application.
Have
you filled in the date of travel box on the application form? Since
this filed cannot be left blank, you must either enter your date of
travel or mark it as "unknown".
Before submitting your form, make
sure that your personal and citizenship information has been filled.
Often, people forget to fill up important details such as height,
weight, hair color, and phone number(s).
When applying for your
Canadian passport, you need to attach a legal document to prove your
Canadian citizenship. While enclosing documents, please be aware that
you cannot send a photocopy of the documents.
One reason why
passport application may not be accepted is that the photos furnished
are not identical. Make sure that you get your photos from commercial
photographers who understand the specific requirements. Before
submitting the photographs, make sure that your guarantor signs the back
of one photo. Your passport photo must be clear and must show a neutral
facial expression.
Another important document to be enclosed with
your application form is the identification document. You need to
either send an original copy of your Identification documents or send
clear and legible photocopies (of both the sides) of the documents. If
you are planning to send photocopies, your guarantor must certify them.
It is important that the name on the identification documents matches
the name you have mentioned in your passport application form.
You
need to ensure that your guarantor has completed the section 2
(Declaration of Guarantor) of the application form before you submit
your passport application.
And last but not the least, don't forget to sign the Canadian passport application form and enclose the fees with your Canadian passport application form.
Will is the owner of TravelCheckList
the online resource that offers information on Canadian passports and
information on all things related to travel and much more.
