Canadian Passport - Mail-In Application Timelines

[spetroun]

If your application is overdue, you can call them and agent will put a note on your application. I did the same thing nad I got my passport in next 10 days after calling them.

you were lucky. I was promised the same thing and it didn’t arrive after they put a note in my file

 

[DrPassion]

Hi guys, we applied for passports on 9th May by mail, I have received my passport on 25th July, but my wife hasn't received hers even now. We called the passport office and got our file number and they said it will take 3 weeks to process her passport. As of now, still not received the passport. We have tontravelnto India in December. What do you suggest we do?

Also New update: they said her passport is due for entitlement. I dont knownwhat that means.Processing time is 13 business weeks plus mailing time(by my calculation it's over 14 weeks right now). Does anyone know what this means?

 

[simpsol22]

Update on our timeline. Son's renewal, husband replacement for damage.
Mailed May 24
Arrived May 26
Transfer requested Aug 8
CC charged for husband Aug 9
Husband recieved call from agent with questions and transfer for his was cancelled Aug 9
Passport arrived today Aug 15

Still waiting on Son's transfer and CC charge and documents for both.

 

[LOrangeVerte]

Update about my application after calling Service Canada today around 3:30 (+1-800-567-6868):

PP Application sent by mail - June 3,2022
PP application received - June 6, 2022
CC charged - June 27, 2022

I called the Passport Service today, after waiting on the phone for about 20 minutes - I called the French speaking line (I don't know if there is less people waiting there than the English speaking one), I reached an agent and gave her my information to retrieve my file. After a while she said that my application was under review and nothing much else. She was about to hang up when I told her that its already been 9 weeks and I have to travel at the beginning of September to see family. She asked me to wait again and told me if I have received a call from them - I didn't.

She informed me that there was a missing information about my guarantor. The phone number field was blank. I forgot to put the phone number on the application! it was my mistake and I was mad at myself.

So, I gave her all the information she needed so she could add them to the file. My guarantor will receive a call soon.

Before hanging up she said that I would be receiving my passport before the 19th of August. If I don't receive it by the 19th of august I will need to call them again.

Im glad to have phoned today and talked with a really nice and helpful agent.

Im crossing my fingers now.

Update:

I waited for a week and I had no news and my guarantor didn't receive any calls. So I decided to call them again today. I explained my situation, my travel at the beginning of September and that I called them last week.

The agent on the phone was very polite and told me that he could transfer it to my city and pay the fees (45$). What I found silly is that when they do the transfer it is not certain that the file will be accepted by the local office. I did receive a confirmation by email that the application transfer was requested.

They advised to wait for two weeks during which they would call me to give me a date to get my passport directly at the Passport Office. If they don't call me, I will have to go to the passport office 48h before my travel date (and pay the fees of course).

I don't have the capacity to know if my application will be transferred or not except the payment on my card. Or I can call them everyday and ask them if the application was transferred and treated.

I AM SO FRUSTRATED!!! but I can only bid my time until they call me for now.

 

[aacan]

Hello awesome folks.

Today I received my passport and certificate in the mail. My journey ends here! I wish you all luck and hopefully all the waiting comes to fruition asap.

It's been a 9-years journey! Since Aug 13, 2013.

 

[Forte]

update 2:
-In the previous call, I had a polite, soft-spoken officer tell me "it will arrive in August", and my certificate "will come back asap" after he wrote an email on the spot.
-In this call this morning, I had an officer who was just as eloquent and polite, but she spoke very fast, was impatient, and was rushing through details like it was a lot of work pressure. Basically, my file was under "review" finally and they picked two issues with me. One was my passport name - I needed to confirm it, and so I did. Another was my emergency contact (address), so I also did that. If I hadn't called in to know them, I could have been put on hold for weeks.
-I originally called in to add that I will visit some country in Europe (that's not the same as some of you doing a travel plan to the States), but then I heard this standard line-to-take "we can only expedite... if your trip is within 20 business days from now, in which case we will transfer your file to a local office, and you confirm your travel proof and get your passport there". My trip is well in December so that above doesn't apply. If I had just sat and expected the paper to come, it can be as late as in Nov.
-So I asked, "now that I confirmed my name and emergency contact, is it all good now? Answer was "yes".
-Whether it will arrive in August is still an open question, but it is neither up to me nor is it so important now. I was under the impression that I needed some passport to sign up for air tickets (factually, you only need to pay; you can as well pay for someone else, but never quote me on this). By now, I am like, whatever, I will simply book tickets anyway and plan my trip.

I don't mean to distract by bringing up "does it take a passport to book a trip" here. However, yes, if you plan to visit the States, you don't necessarily need a flight. You can drive to, say, New York State, and I don't think NY hostels/inns/hotels necessarily need your CA passport or any document at all.

However, what can sound deeply screwed up is this. I do own my original passport and I can travel with that. I just need the CA one to come back. I can just use my original to book tickets too. I cannot say the same for local-born Canadians who don't necessarily have another nationality. We already had so many stories of cancelled summer trips and other random crap.

"So you want to Europe and need a passport? We don't, and we don't speak for airlines, and we don't care if you lack a document to book anything for your trip more than 20 business days from now" was the main idea for today.

Wait I thought having an emergency contact was optional. Or is that now a requirement? Or did you just fill in a name and forgot to put in their address?

 

[Jaymin007]

Hello everyone! I recently become citizen of Canada. Looking to apply for passport.
Can anyone suggest best route to apply ?
Mail or in person and avg. timeline?
I don’t have any travel plan
Thank you

 

[tco23]

Wait I thought having an emergency contact was optional. Or is that now a requirement? Or did you just fill in a name and forgot to put in their address?

I cannot tell but I filled it anyway. It is literally my "old" home address and a relative I used to live with. I have lacked an emergency contact in Canada since ever, so I filled in my family who has never lived in CA basically.

 

[Forte]

I cannot tell but I filled it anyway. It is literally my "old" home address and a relative I used to live with. I have lacked an emergency contact in Canada since ever, so I filled in my family who has never lived in CA basically.

Okay, thanks.

 

[ZAS111]

Hello everyone! I recently become citizen of Canada. Looking to apply for passport.
Can anyone suggest best route to apply ?
Mail or in person and avg. timeline?
I don’t have any travel plan
Thank you

I have the same question

 

[miltonres123]

I have the same question

Based on my experience when I applied on behalf of my wife when she became a citizen, the best route is in person at a Canada Service office, They will scan your citizenship certificate and return it to you, when using the mailing option you will have to send your original certificate and this is totally unrecommended, hope this hleps.

 

[tco23]

I have the same question

-To both of you, if you need a quick hearsay answer, in these recent 3-4 pages someone said "3 months from now if you apply in mid-August".
-I did mail-in myself and I think it was a bad idea. I had no choice back in April but to you I say try to go to a local office. Why? Because you can meet some officers, talk to them, consult them, and you can present, among other things, your citizenship certificate and possibly your travel plan (in case you must expedite). Once your application goes into the processes, then you get back this cert ON THE SPOT.
-An obvious downside, even now, is if you go to a local office you probably need to be in a long line.
-I live close to an actual office but I could not have went there in April. If I could today, I would. I don't mind waiting in lines.

 

[SPV]

Hello, Is there anyone who applied at Service Canada in early May and waiting for PP.

Thanks

I applied in North York, ON Service Canada on May 2nd. I finally got through to the passport call center last Friday, Aug 12th and I was told it is in "review", whatever that means. I was told the processing time is anywhere from 13 weeks to 17 weeks as applicants from March and April are still waiting. I am at week 16 right now.

 

[SPV]

Has anyone used the complaint page and actually received any communications back?

I used that on June 15th as my mail out date was May 31st when I applied on May 2nd in a Service Canada location in Ontario. I got a reply today that it is in evaluation, whatever that means.

 

[GD.Iron.80]

-To both of you, if you need a quick hearsay answer, in these recent 3-4 pages someone said "3 months from now if you apply in mid-August".
-I did mail-in myself and I think it was a bad idea. I had no choice back in April but to you I say try to go to a local office. Why? Because you can meet some officers, talk to them, consult them, and you can present, among other things, your citizenship certificate and possibly your travel plan (in case you must expedite). Once your application goes into the processes, then you get back this cert ON THE SPOT.
-An obvious downside, even now, is if you go to a local office you probably need to be in a long line.
-I live close to an actual office but I could not have went there in April. If I could today, I would. I don't mind waiting in lines.

Good insights! Thank you for providing this!