uncertaintraveler

I'm a US citizen that currently lives in Canada and need to have my passport renewed.

The information on the websites of the US State Department, the US Embassy in Ottawa, and the US Consulate in Calgary are, to say the least, conflicting and confusing.

One website says that US citizens residing in Canada can't submit their passport renewal application by mail, while another one does. One website says that passport renewal fees, if renewal is done by mail, can be paid by personal check, another website says personal checks are not accepted (query whether this prohibition also applies to checks drawn on a US bank account, but this never seems to be addressed). It is giving me a headache and, as one might expect, the Calgary Consulate doesn't answer their phone.

In any event, because I'm outside of the US and because I'm on a work visa, I'm a little hesitant to enclose my current passport with any renewal application by mail, even assuming that I am eligible to do so. That being said, it appears reasonably clear that I can apply for a passport renewal in person at the consulate office.

So I turn to OMNI....

For those who have renewed their US passport while outside of the US in person at a consulate or embassy, did the consulate/embassy take your currently valid passport away while your renewal passport application was being processed and the new passport was being issued (which is effectively the same result as if you were to submit your passport renewal application by mail)?

Or did they let you keep your current passport and just "revoke" it once your new passport came in (so as to allow you to still travel internationally and/or have proof of US citizenship in your host country while your passport renewal application was being processed)?

Thanks.