+1(514) 937-9445 or Toll-free (Canada & US) +1 (888) 947-9445

Canadian passport renewal adult from abroad outside US Canada. Photograph question, so worried??

minecraftwonderness

Star Member
Dec 24, 2018
107
13
Hi everyone!

I already mailed out my renewal application, fees, old passport which is gonna expire in a couple of weeks or so. I just noticed that my photograph, I sort of have a weird head or hair so to speak.

The professional photographer promised me that this will get approved as he had done it before. I measured it again today after sending in the application. Everything in terms of dimension looks good except one area.

They request that it chin to the crown of your head should be from 31 mm to 36 mm. My face before the hairline is exactly at 31mm. But the shape of my hair, sort of exceeded the 36mm mark and it is at 39mm :(

But technically the natural crown of my head is at 36 mm, but my weird hair that bunched up at one spot exactly at the center and due to the angle it reaches upto 39 mm. I am a woman, but to visualize, imagine a man with a mohawk hairstyle, the center part of his head would be the tallest, his hair would make more than 41mm if that was the case, just an example, but his actual head will be way lower right??

The photographer initially tried to fit it in, but then my face was going below 31 mm, which is bad, so he said this is the correct, don't worry they won't reject. Unlike Canada, the photo studio was so uncomfortable with so many people standing around and watching, it was so chaotic.

My company is asking me to return asap, and I need my passport and I cannot afford to skip office if they decided nope, photos rejected big head!

Does anyone have any experience with this before, are they going to be such a stickler about 3mm of my hair that extended??

Can someone please help.
 

minecraftwonderness

Star Member
Dec 24, 2018
107
13
I just wondered if it the embassy would do the basic check first, and tell me before they send it to Canada for processing. I don't know how it works when it comes to processing passport renewals outside USA and Canada, like do they do it in New Delhi (since they have the urgent passport services too) or they would actually send it to Canada. I was hoping the local agents would let me know if the photos aren't proper. I will just have to wait and see, 20 to 30 long days.
 

nyguy2

Star Member
Nov 10, 2016
95
20
USA
Do you have a CVS nearby? CVS uses the KODAK Moments biometric system which automatically sizes and verifies for the photo for compliance before printing (no glare if eyeglasses are present, uniform background, etc.) based on the destination country. It's $17 for two photos, and two extras for $4. They do print to Canada's specifications.

If you're on an urgent timeline for the passport renewal I would call Passport Canada and inquire as to status/ask if they can process faster due to your circumstances.
 

minecraftwonderness

Star Member
Dec 24, 2018
107
13
T
Do you have a CVS nearby? CVS uses the KODAK Moments biometric system which automatically sizes and verifies for the photo for compliance before printing (no glare if eyeglasses are present, uniform background, etc.) based on the destination country. It's $17 for two photos, and two extras for $4. They do print to Canada's specifications.

If you're on an urgent timeline for the passport renewal I would call Passport Canada and inquire as to status/ask if they can process faster due to your circumstances.
Thank you. I wish there was something like CVS here. But I am in India and a small town on a vacation. Like the other posters said, I guess there's nothing I can do until they let me know if the photographs are rejected or not.