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Mississauga Passport Office in person - Experience Today

akbardxb

Champion Member
Nov 18, 2013
1,244
464
Mississauga
LANDED..........
28-03-2014
Sharing my experience between yesterday and today while applying for PP in person. We have travel scheduled next week so I arrived at the office at 7 AM yesterday (they start at 8.30 AM). There were about 200 people ahead of me so I dropped the idea and went home. Before leaving, went up to the first person in queue and another one around the middle to check on their timelines in the queue.

Based on their feedback, I decided to try the following day ie today. Arrived at 00.45 AM and was disappointed to see that I was still not the first one for today. The couple before me had stood there since 10 PM yesterday because they had been turned back on two separate occasions.

Most people arrived after 4 AM - between 1 AM and 4 AM there were at best 10 people. I have no words to describe the pathetic conditions that everyone was waiting in. It was 3C and windy. People were huddled with sleeping bags on picnic / beach chairs. A few had spread blankets on the pavement and were sleeping wrapped in them. I watched two movies on the iPad to while away the wait before going brain dead from lack of sleep.

Finally at 8 AM the security guards arrived to distribute tokens. They displayed their usual arrogance/ rudeness to anyone who had a question for them. I was applying with my daughter who has a university exam later today. I was told, I would not be allowed in, if she was not present in person by the time the doors opened. Mercifully she made in time.

Once inside, one guy verifies your documents, and then the processing officer does the submission. They had almost 20 counters but only 4/5 were operational. I am guessing at best they are able to process 80 applications in a day because they deal with walk ins and delivery as well. Just ahead of me a guy walked in - he had a flight at 4 PM today and only realized yesterday that his passport had expired. They accommodated him, even though he got in utilizing his network with the security guard.

The travel date has to be within the next 25 days - no exceptions. It is verified at three different places - the security guard, then the verifying officer and finally the processing officer. Anyone who claims 'driving to the US' option is subjected to more questions and they ask for additional evidence like hotel bookings. One of the guys using this route was turned back by the processing officer. The only concession she made was that he could come back without waiting in the queue again.

If anyone is planning to go in person and is willing to queue up, I would recommend arriving there before 3 AM. You will then be in the first batch to enter the office. Mornings can still be chilly and windy. Carry a chair, a blanket / sleeping bag - essentials to stay warm. Apart from this you can get coffee ordered via uber eats etc but it arrives more like cold coffee. There's no washroom so you will have to be innovative / resourceful. The McDonald's in the plaza opens around 7 AM so you would have to wait to use the washroom or get a coffee till then.

Over all prepare to spend 8-10 hours there before your submission is complete.
 
Last edited:

shiraq

Member
Mar 12, 2013
13
9
Mississauga
Sharing my experience between yesterday and today while applying for PP in person. We have travel scheduled next week so I arrived at the office at 7 AM yesterday (they start at 8.30 AM). There were about 200 people ahead of me so I dropped the idea and went home. Before leaving, went up to the first person in queue and another one around the middle to check on their timelines in the queue.

Based on their feedback, I decided to try the following day ie today. Arrived at 00.45 AM and was disappointed to see that I was still not the first one for today. The couple before me had stood there since 10 PM yesterday because they had been turned back on two separate occasions.

Most people arrived after 4 AM - between 1 AM and 4 AM there were at best 10 people. I have no words to describe the pathetic conditions that everyone was waiting in. It was 3C and windy. People were huddled with sleeping bags on picnic / beach chairs. A few had spread blankets on the pavement and were sleeping wrapped in them. I watched two movies on the iPad to while away the wait before going brain dead from lack of sleep.

Finally at 8 AM the security guards arrived to distribute tokens. They displayed their usual arrogance/ rudeness to anyone who had a question for them. I was applying with my daughter who has a university exam later today. I was told, I would not be allowed in, if she was not present in person by the time the doors opened. Mercifully she made in time.

Once inside, one guy verifies your documents, and then the processing officer does the submission. They had almost 20 counters but only 4/5 were operational. I am guessing at best they are able to process 80 applications in a day because they deal with walk ins and delivery as well. Just ahead of me a guy walked in - he had a flight at 4 PM today and only realized yesterday that his passport had expired. They accommodated him, even though he got in utilizing his network with the security guard.

The travel date has to be within the next 25 days - no exceptions. It is verified at three different places - the security guard, then the verifying officer and finally the processing officer. Anyone who claims 'driving to the US' option is subjected to more questions and they ask for additional evidence like hotel bookings. One of the guys using this route was turned back by the processing officer. The only concession she made was that he could come back without waiting in the queue again.

If anyone is planning to go in person and is willing to queue up, I would recommend arriving there before 3 AM. You will then be in the first batch to enter the office. Mornings can still be chilly and windy. Carry a chair, a blanket / sleeping bag - essentials to stay warm. Apart from this you can get coffee ordered via uber eats etc but it arrives more like cold coffee. There's no washroom so you will have to be innovative / resourceful. The McDonald's in the plaza opens around 7 AM so you would have to wait to use the washroom or get a coffee till then.

Over all prepare to spend 8-10 hours there before your submission is complete.
I don’t have any travelling plan. What is your suggestion ?
 

Sque

Star Member
Jan 11, 2020
68
46
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
Mississauga
LANDED..........
29-06-2014
Sharing my experience between yesterday and today while applying for PP in person. We have travel scheduled next week so I arrived at the office at 7 AM yesterday (they start at 8.30 AM). There were about 200 people ahead of me so I dropped the idea and went home. Before leaving, went up to the first person in queue and another one around the middle to check on their timelines in the queue.

Based on their feedback, I decided to try the following day ie today. Arrived at 00.45 AM and was disappointed to see that I was still not the first one for today. The couple before me had stood there since 10 PM yesterday because they had been turned back on two separate occasions.

Most people arrived after 4 AM - between 1 AM and 4 AM there were at best 10 people. I have no words to describe the pathetic conditions that everyone was waiting in. It was 3C and windy. People were huddled with sleeping bags on picnic / beach chairs. A few had spread blankets on the pavement and were sleeping wrapped in them. I watched two movies on the iPad to while away the wait before going brain dead from lack of sleep.

Finally at 8 AM the security guards arrived to distribute tokens. They displayed their usual arrogance/ rudeness to anyone who had a question for them. I was applying with my daughter who has a university exam later today. I was told, I would not be allowed in, if she was not present in person by the time the doors opened. Mercifully she made in time.

Once inside, one guy verifies your documents, and then the processing officer does the submission. They had almost 20 counters but only 4/5 were operational. I am guessing at best they are able to process 80 applications in a day because they deal with walk ins and delivery as well. Just ahead of me a guy walked in - he had a flight at 4 PM today and only realized yesterday that his passport had expired. They accommodated him, even though he got in utilizing his network with the security guard.

The travel date has to be within the next 25 days - no exceptions. It is verified at three different places - the security guard, then the verifying officer and finally the processing officer. Anyone who claims 'driving to the US' option is subjected to more questions and they ask for additional evidence like hotel bookings. One of the guys using this route was turned back by the processing officer. The only concession she made was that he could come back without waiting in the queue again.

If anyone is planning to go in person and is willing to queue up, I would recommend arriving there before 3 AM. You will then be in the first batch to enter the office. Mornings can still be chilly and windy. Carry a chair, a blanket / sleeping bag - essentials to stay warm. Apart from this you can get coffee ordered via uber eats etc but it arrives more like cold coffee. There's no washroom so you will have to be innovative / resourceful. The McDonald's in the plaza opens around 7 AM so you would have to wait to use the washroom or get a coffee till then.

Over all prepare to spend 8-10 hours there before your submission is complete.
Did you apply for urgent processing? When is your estimated date of travel?
 

21Goose

VIP Member
Nov 10, 2016
5,246
1,616
AOR Received.
Feb 2017
Mine was slightly better.
I’m flying to the US for work next week, so I needed my passport.

I went to the office on Yonge St. (Joeseph Shepard building) yesterday, April 22
Got there at 6:45 AM, there were about 40 people ahead of me. we queued up in the plaza till about 7:30 at which time they opened the building doors and let us wait inside. It’s not bad waiting inside since it’s warm and dry and most people in line are in a good mood( new citizens!) so you can chat and share stories.

At 8 AM they let us into the room with the passport office on the third floor. Again, you wait here till they start processing at 8:30.

My turn came at 11:00 AM. This is because the people with appointments get priority (makes sense) so walkins wait longer. Still it’s not too terrible if you’re mentally prepared to wait. You can leave the line to go to the bathroom, just ask your neighbours to hold your spot and tell the security guard you’ll be back. Multiple people did this(including me) and it wasn’t an issue getting back into line.

once I did get to the counter it was smooth sailing. About 10 min to do the paperwork, and then they gave me a slip to pick up my passport on the 28th.

Overall it was tedious queuing up, but other than that I have no major complaints. Just take along a book or something and don’t forget to chat with other people to pass the time.
 
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akbardxb

Champion Member
Nov 18, 2013
1,244
464
Mississauga
LANDED..........
28-03-2014
Did you apply for urgent processing? When is your estimated date of travel?
You can go to any passport office (not Service Canada) if you have travel scheduled in the next 25 days. You have to show evidence of this planned travel and they will process your papers depending on the date of travel. You can even get the passport the same day if you want.
We are travelling next week so will get our passports on the day of travel.
 

InfoSeeker12

Champion Member
Aug 28, 2012
1,510
392
Canada
LANDED..........
Sep 2013
My question to everyone. Can a mississauga resident go to Toronto Office, North York office?
situations seems slightly better in those places.