Passport Request Received - Are the photo requirements as strict as the application, and a few other needed clarifications.

[goldfinger]

Hey there - my wife received her passport request. I have a few questions -

1. Are the photo requirements as strict as they are when you initially send out the application? I ask because she is in the U.S.A., and trying to get a passport that fits Canada's specifications was surprisingly difficult. We basically had to get them custom cut, and the people doing it screwed it up multiple times before we received an acceptable copy. I'm trying to spare us that mental anguish.

2. The instructions say that one photo needs to have a name on the back of it in one envelope, and then the other photo has to be in a separate envelope. Is that correct?

3. The photo section says the following -"Note: All visa exempt applicants, including those with an online account, are required to mail/courier their photos. **Please ensure you clearly indicate your application number on the back of your photos." - My wife is from the U.S.A.. Does that mean that she has to write her application number on the back of her photos along with her name on the one?

4. Appendix A includes a space for a spouse. Does my wife need to put my information on that page? I'm a Canadian citizen, and the sponsor in this case. Also - does my wife need to fill out Appendix A none of the information on there has changed for her?

Also - how on earth do you mail this in? This letter says to send the package to the following -
Visa Application Centre – New York
145 West 45th Street, 4th floor
New York NY 10036
U.S.A.

but then includes this blurb -

"Please visit the VAC website at the link below for details on how to submit your package for secure transmission. (*Please note a service fee is applicable) If you have any questions about how to submit your original passport, please contact the VAC using the information available on the following website: https://www.vfsglobal.ca/canada/usa/"

I tried visiting that website, and could not make any sense of it, and didn't see what type of service fee applies here.

Let me know. Thanks!

 

[armoured]

Short form answer - it's tedious but follow the instructions. It's not that complicated.

Don't know why getting the right size photo is hard. Try a small photo shop or a copy shop that uses a photo printer. Resize digitally, print, cut to size. Tip the guy.

 

[armoured]

"Please visit the VAC website at the link below for details on how to submit your package for secure transmission. (*Please note a service fee is applicable) If you have any questions about how to submit your original passport, please contact the VAC using the information available on the following website: https://www.vfsglobal.ca/canada/usa/"

I tried visiting that website, and could not make any sense of it, and didn't see what type of service fee applies here.

Click on the heading how to apply: https://www.vfsglobal.ca/canada/usa/how_to_apply.html

Then the sub-heading marked 'submit passport and other documents.' There is info there including the service fees applicable.

 

[esam99]

follow the instructions, simple.

 

[MJSPARV]

We got my pictures for the application done at Walgreens. They have a setting for Canadian passport picture. They might make you cut your own but then you know it's done right. CVS also can do Canadian pics

 

[armoured]

We got my pictures for the application done at Walgreens. They have a setting for Canadian passport picture. They might make you cut your own but then you know it's done right. CVS also can do Canadian pics

Important note - take the specifications with you. I know they are different than for the visitor visas. (ask me how I know, yep, I didn't follow the instructions )

I don't know if same size as passport photos but don't assume.

 

[charliem]

Hey there - my wife received her passport request. I have a few questions -

1. Are the photo requirements as strict as they are when you initially send out the application? I ask because she is in the U.S.A., and trying to get a passport that fits Canada's specifications was surprisingly difficult. We basically had to get them custom cut, and the people doing it screwed it up multiple times before we received an acceptable copy. I'm trying to spare us that mental anguish.

2. The instructions say that one photo needs to have a name on the back of it in one envelope, and then the other photo has to be in a separate envelope. Is that correct?

3. The photo section says the following -"Note: All visa exempt applicants, including those with an online account, are required to mail/courier their photos. **Please ensure you clearly indicate your application number on the back of your photos." - My wife is from the U.S.A.. Does that mean that she has to write her application number on the back of her photos along with her name on the one?

4. Appendix A includes a space for a spouse. Does my wife need to put my information on that page? I'm a Canadian citizen, and the sponsor in this case. Also - does my wife need to fill out Appendix A none of the information on there has changed for her?

Also - how on earth do you mail this in? This letter says to send the package to the following -
Visa Application Centre – New York
145 West 45th Street, 4th floor
New York NY 10036
U.S.A.

but then includes this blurb -

"Please visit the VAC website at the link below for details on how to submit your package for secure transmission. (*Please note a service fee is applicable) If you have any questions about how to submit your original passport, please contact the VAC using the information available on the following website: https://www.vfsglobal.ca/canada/usa/"

I tried visiting that website, and could not make any sense of it, and didn't see what type of service fee applies here.

Let me know. Thanks!

For passport photos:
Take a regular portrait with a good smart phone at home.
Then go to https://www.123passportphoto.com/ and pick Canada passport size (immigration). You will receive a set of 4, 6 (whatever number you want) photos sized correctly on one sheet. Print at home or at any open print shop (Staples, etc)

 

[armoured]

For passport photos:
Take a regular portrait with a good smart phone at home.
Then go to https://www.123passportphoto.com/ and pick Canada passport size (immigration). You will receive a set of 4, 6 (whatever number you want) photos sized correctly on one sheet. Print at home or at any open print shop (Staples, etc)

I repeat - there are specific instructions for pr card photos. Use those. They may be different than for passport photos.

 

[goldfinger]

Short form answer - it's tedious but follow the instructions. It's not that complicated.

Don't know why getting the right size photo is hard. Try a small photo shop or a copy shop that uses a photo printer. Resize digitally, print, cut to size. Tip the guy.

So my wife is in a smaller college town, and the only place that would do it gave us a photo on a weird cardstock that scratched easily. CVS and Walgreens would only give us an American-sized 2x2 photo no matter how many times we asked

Click on the heading how to apply: https://www.vfsglobal.ca/canada/usa/how_to_apply.html

Then the sub-heading marked 'submit passport and other documents.' There is info there including the service fees applicable.

Thanks! I was having a tough time navigating that website.

We got my pictures for the application done at Walgreens. They have a setting for Canadian passport picture. They might make you cut your own but then you know it's done right. CVS also can do Canadian pics

Oof, we tried both, and neither would give us anything correct. It would either be a 2x2 picture, or something cut to weird specs that didn’t match the required sizing. It was so frustrating.

 

[charliem]

I repeat - there are specific instructions for pr card photos. Use those. They may be different than for passport photos.

There are specifications for all of those different categories and each is provided for on the site. PR, citizenship, etc

 

[armoured]

So my wife is in a smaller college town, and the only place that would do it gave us a photo on a weird cardstock that scratched easily. CVS and Walgreens would only give us an American-sized 2x2 photo no matter how many times we asked

College town - get some student with a colour printer and a paper cutter thing to cut it to size and give him twenty bucks or whatever. Or try a copy shop, they do stuff like that all the time. There must be a copy shop in a college town.

The one thing I can say ircc does not pay much attention to is the stamp or name of the photography studio on the back - we just handwrote it as no photo or copy shop here could do that.

 

[goldfinger]

College town - get some student with a colour printer and a paper cutter thing to cut it to size and give him twenty bucks or whatever. Or try a copy shop, they do stuff like that all the time. There must be a copy shop in a college town.

The one thing I can say ircc does not pay much attention to is the stamp or name of the photography studio on the back - we just handwrote it as no photo or copy shop here could do that.

We did find a place.

I have a few questions about using the TTS services website - https://www.vfsglobal.ca/canada/usa/how_to_apply.html

They ask for two copies of a consent form, linked here -

https://www.vfsglobal.ca/canada/usa/pdf/consent-form.pdf

There is a section for biometrics consent on the third page - what would my wife sign, given that she's already submitted biometrics? Is she an applicant wishing to provide biometrics or an applicant NOT wishing to provide biometrics?

I also want to make sure I have the mail-in process correct -

So I have to submit an excel file to vfsshippinglabels@vfsglobal.com requesting shipping labels and requesting to pay electronically via credit card? Do they accept credit cards? It says "specify while writing to vfsshippinglabels@vfsglobal.com that you need to make online payment along with mandatory courier fees." - does that mean I have to say "I'd like to pay my service fees online" to allow me to pay via credit card?

When filling out the excel file linked here - https://www.vfsglobal.ca/canada/usa/pdf/mail-in-application-courier-label-request.xlsx - I'm assuming I select "original passport submission" even though we don't need to submit the actual passport (visa-exempt country).

Also - There are some slight contradictions between what the passport request letter asks for and what the permanent resident photo specs list, specifically in terms of what goes on the back of the photo. The photo instruction page - https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/information/applications/guides/pdf/5445eb-e.pdf - lists that the applicant's name, the photo studio, and date of photo should be on the back of the photo. The passport request letter says that just the name and application number should be on the back? Should we just go with what the passport picture guide says, and then write in the application number on the back?

Edit - also, where it asks for an email address, should we use the one associated with the application? I am the representative on the application, and so everything so far has been sent to my email address.

Let me know. Thanks!

 

[armoured]

The passport request letter says that just the name and application number should be on the back? Should we just go with what the passport picture guide says, and then write in the application number on the back?

I haven't dealt with the usa company so no answers. On this particular bit, you won't go wrong by following the instructions in the passport request letter.

 

[Fang_89]

College town - get some student with a colour printer and a paper cutter thing to cut it to size and give him twenty bucks or whatever. Or try a copy shop, they do stuff like that all the time. There must be a copy shop in a college town.

The one thing I can say ircc does not pay much attention to is the stamp or name of the photography studio on the back - we just handwrote it as no photo or copy shop here could do that.

Same here, we've done this photo process a few times already for different visas, and we always just handwrite it according to the information they require. It's not like they have a list of every photo studio in Beijing anyway...

 

[goldfinger]

Same here, we've done this photo process a few times already for different visas, and we always just handwrite it according to the information they require. It's not like they have a list of every photo studio in Beijing anyway...

Ahhh I see. Did you write your application number on the back of the photos? Did you write the photo studio and all that, or just the person’s name?