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The TORONTO STAR reports today that the backlog in processing Canadian Passports has now been reduced from 45 days to 13. 58 passport examination officers and 45 data entry clerks, along with 12 telephone operators, worked through the weekend in Ottawa, where many were flown in to process the backlog. According to the story, 51,425 applications had piled up. After Sunday, just 15,975 were left in the cue. These are all mail-in applications from souls not located in centres with regional processing offices. The wait for personally-applied for passports is now 10 working days, though expedited service is available at an additional charge.

The Passport Office expects it will process 2 million new and renewal passports this year, its largest number ever. Part of the backlog is blamed on the increasing demand for passports as a result of stricter entry documentary being required by the Americans since 9.11.

Guy Betsy

Speaking of which... does anyone know what sort of 'new' security features are on our passports... and which Passpor Offices offically have them?

I have heard that YVR at one point was charging the new fees but were still giving the old styled passports.

Mine is due for renewal in 2004, but if I can get the new ones, I'd renew them in YYZ rather than YVR.

FlyerAl

I got a new passport last month (issued by the Hamilton office), and it looked no different than my previous one.

YVR Cockroach

No apparent visual difference between a July 2000-issued and a Dec. 2002-issued one.

FWIW, the security feature on recent Austrian passports is a (anti-tamper?) holographic sticker placed on the photo and details page.

MoreMiles

The new features are:
1. The photo is now digitally printed and not glued on.
2. The photo is printed again using uv-sensitive ink on the same page. It shows up under a UV light.
3. Your signature is scanned and printed directly.


The passport office... yak, they are legal robbers.
I submitted my application on Jan 1, two weeks later they returned it saying the photo is not good enough. I sent it back asking for Express ($30) service this time, on Jan 15. They opened my file, charged my credit card for regular fee and left it alone. Two weeks later, nothing happens even though the fee is charged. I called, they say they don't read our letters. They just look at forms and ignore anything else. They promised to rush it. 1 week later. Someone called me, saying they will give me "rush service" if I pay them extra $70. I didn't have choice because I needed it soon.

The bottom line, they ignore your application until the last minute so you will pay them $70 for a 3 week rush service! Apparently "rush" means quick service after they decide to process your file.. which is a few weeks later. What if I refused to pay extra at that time? They would probably throw it back to the pile and do it 4 weeks later... for a total of 8 weeks waiting.

mtacchi

I just picked up my 2 month old daughter's passport in Winnipeg. Cost $30, next ones free and took 10 business days to get. No problem with them at all.

megamiles

I just got a new one. The photo page looks remarkably different than the old one. I think it cost $85 + $5 for 48 pages + $30 for express service. Got it within 4 days.

MoreMiles

For those of you who live in towns without passport office, my advice would be... drive to a nearby city to drop it. If you send it to Ottawa/Hull, you will wait a LONG time (we are talking about weeks).

I live in Kingston, I found this out the hard way. I should have driven 1 and 1/2 hours to Ottawa to get this done.

By the way, they are more strict with names too. If your driver's license says "William" then you cannot use "Bill" on the passport anymore. The option of using a first name recognized by your friends/family is gone. The option used to be available with two signed / notarized letters from people who know you by that first name.

You might be forced to change your passport name when you renew. And guess what? You will need to change your Aeroplan and all other FF account names after that... what a pain.

YVR Cockroach

So Vancouver was still using old passports as of early/mid December last year. I signed mine and can see where the picture is raised off the laminate.

WestCoast

FYI - My last trip to the States, I again had problems with my passport being read by the passport readers. The INS agent said that they have been having problems with passports issued from the Surrey, BC office in the later part of 2001 and most of 2002.

In one country, after my passport was read it displayed another person's information.
The Customs officer was surprised and after explaining that it was a new passport let me go.

cattle

First: ME BAD - I let my passport expire and didn't give it much thought as I haven't traveled to the US in over 3 years.

I need to go to US the week of March 24th for 1 day and I am pretty much on the road until then so I don't want to renew unless I really have to. After that I don't need a passport until the end of June for Europe.

How are US customs with the Canadian Birth Certificate route? I'm going through YVR and my few flights through there years ago didn't have the friendliest INS people. I still have my expired passport that I would take with me along with my drivers license as well for photo id.

Am I just looking for trouble or should I sweat out the Passport Office here in Calgary and hope for the best with rush service? The earliest I can see myself getting to them is Feb 28 and that's iffy. After that the next closest day is March 10. I have other tickets booked that keep me out of town for the days in between. My US trip can be rebooked for later but I would prefer not to do this as my schedule is really tight right now.




[This message has been edited by cattle (edited 02-20-2003).]

YVR Cockroach

Cattle. There is an I.N.S. document (had it yesterday but deleted it) outlining what Canadians need. You only need a valid passport if entering the U.S. from outside the western hemisphere. You should be o.k. with your expried passport AND BC + DL.

YOWkid

New passports also don't say "External Affairs" anymore. Instead, it uses "Foreign Affairs" for the inside front cover and "Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade" on the back. It's about time they changed that too...

YOWkid

Going to Hull is faster than going to Ottawa...

YVR Cockroach

Then it's confirmed they're still fobbing off old passports to us here in Vancouver.