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PASSPORT INFORMATION

NEW! Passport Office opened in Kelowna in early March 2010! 

FOR INFORMATION AND GENERAL INQUIRIES OF PASSPORT CANADA:

Phone: 1-800-567-6868     Go to: www.pptc.gc.ca   TTY services: 1-866-255-7655.

 

A Passport Issuing Office is now open in Kelowna: 

 

Capri Centre, 1835 Gordon Drive, Suite 110, Kelowna BC

(Mon-Fri: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) 

This “Satellite” passport office works in conjunction with larger passport offices to offer the full range of passport services, EXCEPT the URGENT next-day service.

 

As a satellite office, Kelowna has no local printing capacity.  Express service is offered for emergencies, but processing takes four days and the completed passport must be picked up. (See – Need a Passport in a Hurry?)  Alternatively, for dire emergencies, next day service may be available if Kelowna can confirm arrangements with the Surrey office for it to be picked up in Surrey, where it is printed, the next day. (See – Need a Passport in a Hurry? if you are travelling directly to a print centre to apply.)

Receiving Agents in Nelson and Penticton:

Receiving agents accept applications, review them to make sure they are accurate and complete, collect the fee along with your original citizenship documents (birth certificate or citizenship certificate) and photos, and forward your application package to Passport Canada for processing. (Adult renewals must submit your current valid Canadian passport.)

These Service Canada Receiving Agents below will not accept applications for passports that are needed in under six weeks nor will they accept applications that have any irregularities. (Please call Alex’s office at 1-800-667-2393 for assistance).

Nelson, BC: Service Canada Passport Receiving Agent Service:  333 Victoria Street (Pink government building) (Mon- Fri 8:30 to 4:00 pm) Alex lobbied to get this service. 

Penticton, BC: Service Canada Passport Receiving Centre: 386 Ellis Street , Suite 101, Penticton. (Mon – Fri 8:30 to 4:00 pm)

 

PASSPORTS:

As of June 1, 2009, the U.S. now requires Canadians to present a valid passport to enter the United States by water or land, as well as by air. Apply for your passport today to ensure you have it when you need it.  It takes 20 WORKING days plus sending and delivery time.  Applications can be picked up at most post offices or at my Constituency offices.

Alternatively, for US TRAVEL ONLY, you may obtain an Enhanced Driver’s License or a Nexus Card.  You can only obtain an Enhanced Driver’s License in Kelowna, in person.

 

HERE ARE SOME TIPS:

Because my offices receive so many calls, I would like to offer some time-saving tips to help you with your application and hopefully answer some of your questions.

For more information go to Passport Canada: www.pptc.gc.ca  or call 1-800-567-6868

What follows is NOT a complete explanation, but just some highlights. You should read your instructions on your application carefully, for most of your questions to be answered!

MAILING YOUR APPLICATION:

Always use an XPressPost envelope you can buy at the Post Office for about $14.70 (Nov 09) or send by other REGISTERED MAIL. It is SAFER for sending your valuable documents, and it gives you a TRACKING NUMBER to trace your application’s progress. Keep your receipt as you may need the tracking number on it.

OR – drop it off at a RECEIVING AGENT in Nelson or Penticton, and they will forward it for you IF all is in order and there is nothing unusual about your application.

PAYMENT:

You must pay by credit card (filling out the space provided on the application)

OR by certified cheque or money order.  Cash and personal cheques are NOT accepted.

If paying by credit card, remember to tick off WHICH KIND of credit card, its number, sign your name, put the expiry date AND put in the amount:

$87 Adult, 16 years or older          

$37 Child 3 to 15 years       

$22 Under 3 years

YOUR SIGNATURE:

Sign as you normally would.  Every page of your application has a place to be signed, dated and noted in what town you signed it.

THE FIRST PAGE, WITH THE SIGNATURE BOX IS THE MOST IMPORTANT!!!   DO NOT let ANY ink from your signature even touch the blue or shaded box!!!   Your signature is scanned, and any touching of ink on the border automatically invalidates the WHOLE APPLICATION!!! SIGN WITHIN THE WHITE AREA ONLY!

TYPES OF APPLICATION FORMS: Make sure you have a current application form.

 

CURRENT PASSPORT HOLDERS:

If you currently hold an adult passport issued in Canada after January 31st 2002, and it has not expired OR it has not been expired for over a year, you may use the Simplified Renewal Form. Send in your current passport, two stamped photos and your completed application, with payment.

The photos must be stamped with the date and the business that took the photos. For renewals, no signature of a guarantor is required on the photos.

If your current passport is a CHILD’S PASSPORT, you CANNOT use a Simplified Renewal Form.

 

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A CURRENT PASSPORT as described above, make sure you have a current application form and throw away any old ones.

Old forms required you use a guarantor who is a professional. As of February 1^st, these forms can no longer be used.

The current application form has a Guarantor provision that requires you use a guarantor who is a current, valid Canadian adult 5-year passport holder who has known you more than two years. This includes someone who is related to you. (Other conditions apply.)

MAKE SURE YOU USE THE CURRENT APPLICATION FORM AND NOT AN OLD ONE!

FOR CANADIANS LIVING ABROAD: Passport Canada will continue to accept both passport holder guarantors and professional guarantors with application forms submitted by Canadians living in the United States and Bermuda. Canadians residing abroad must continue to submit professional guarantors with their application.

The specific provisions regarding guarantors for Canadian military personnel, adopted children and children in foster care remain in effect.

Child’s Passport:

If the child was born to parents not married at the time of birth, or if a parent of the child no longer lives in the home, you must use a long-form BIRTH CERTIFICATE that lists both parents on it.  Church birth certificates are not acceptable.  They must be government issued.

If there are any custody issues about the child, the application will require copies of any court orders surrounding custody.

ID:

If you need a Guarantor (i.e. NOT using the Renewal Form), you also need to send in with your application:

·         THE ORIGINAL (not a photocopy) of either your birth certificate or your Citizenship Card (or other ID listed, if you were born outside of Canada.) Photocopies are NOT accepted.  Certified photocopies are NOT accepted.

AND

·         One other piece of current government issued ID that has your signature on it.                This ID must be in the name you want on your passport. This can be either the ORIGINAL or  A READABLE PHOTOCOPY OF BOTH SIDES OF YOUR CARD with each photocopy surface SIGNED BY YOUR GUARANTOR VERIFYING IT AS A TRUE COPY. Make sure the card IS signed by you.  If the front is on one page and the back is on another, the Guarantor must sign BOTH pages as a true copy. Make sure the photocopied information (i.e. numbers and words) and the signature are legible and can be made out.  Don’t worry about the face, if using photo ID.

For example: you may use one of the following government-issued cards that must have your signature:

A BC Care Card
A SIN Card (Only IF it is one that HAS a signature) or Old Age Security Card
A driver’s license
A BC ID card
Certificate of Indian Status

 

BIRTH CERTIFICATES FROM MANITOBA AND QUEBEC:

For those born in Manitoba, if your birth certificate was issued by a Division Registrar before 1983, instead of by Vital Statistics, it will not be accepted by Passport Canada as proof of citizenship. Please contact Manitoba Vital Statistics at http://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca//DivisionRegistrar.html for further information.

 

For those born in Quebec: Since November 26, 2001, a person born in Quebec applying for a passport must submit a birth certificate issued after January 1, 1994, by Quebec. Should you need to order a new birth certificate, contact Le Directeur de l'état civil . 

 

PHOTOS

You need TWO PHOTOS, one of which is signed by your guarantor.  (No signature is required if you are renewing.)

Keep your photos back to back, so the ink stamp on the back of one does not wear off on the face of another. This could invalidate them.  Watch out for dirty fingerprints. Try to pick them up by their edges.

 

OTHER INFORMATION:

Any passport expired for more than one year (and count in the passport processing time) cannot serve as valid ID for renewal.

Birth certificates can be ordered on-line from most provinces. Just google “birth certificates” “vital statistics” and the province’s name.  Birth certificate applications can often be downloaded and faxed, too, with a credit card payment.

CHANGING THE ADDRESS OR EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION ON YOUR CURRENT PASSPORT

A change of address OR emergency contact does not invalidate a passport. Please cross out the old address on page 4 of your passport and write the new one in the space above the old address.  To change the Emergency Contact, cross out the old one, and print the new one in the space provided.  Do not use correction fluid. If the space in the passport is insufficient, write the new information on a separate piece of paper and insert it into the passport.

 

NEED A NEW PASSPORT IN A HURRY?

You can drop off in person your completed application and supporting documentation at Passport Offices in Kelowna, Surrey, Vancouver, Victoria or Calgary.  After a passport official reviews them – much like the passport clinics - you get to keep your ID.  Processing takes 2 weeks, depending on the backlog... and it is then mailed to you... a good 1 or 2 weeks shorter than mailing in, which has a processing time of about four weeks, plus delivery time.

Pick-up services	Additional fees	Processing times
Urgent pick-up	$70	24 hours *
Express pick-up	$30	2-9 business days**
Pick-up	$10	10 business days

* In Kelowna: 4 days          ** In Kelowna: 4 to 9 days

 

IN A REAL HURRY?  YOU CAN DROP IT OFF & PICK IT UP:

If you are within 30 days of your travel date, you can go to Vancouver, Surrey, Victoria or Calgary Passport Services offices with your completed applications and supporting documents and photos and payment AND your Proof of Travel - your ticket or a confirmed itinerary and request expedited service. There is an extra fee for this service.

You can only request expedited service within 30 days of travel. With expedited service, the new passport MUST be picked up at the passport office. They will not mail it out.

Between 10 and 30 days of your travel date, EXPRESS PICK UP will take about 10 working days (business days).  You will have to arrange AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION ONLY for someone you know locally to pick it up and courier it to you if you cannot wait around or come back to pick it up. Make sure you confirm how long they will hold it for pick-up.  THIS EXPRESS PICK UP PROCESSING COSTS $30 EXTRA.

Within 10 days of travel, chances are better for a 24 to 48 hour turnaround, to enable you to pick it up yourself. URGENT PICK UP COSTS $70 EXTRA. Make sure your Guarantor and a reference are reachable during this period, as they will be phoned. Make sure you tell Passport Canada that you are from a long way out of town. If you wish, you can contact my Office for a Consent Form before you go so, we can help you troubleshoot any problems if they arise.

You can also save yourself some processing time at the Passport Office by beginning your application on-line (www.pptc.gc.ca).  When you print out the completed application, it will include a barcode in the corner.  The Passport Office will scan it to access your application in their system.  REMEMBER to take your printed copy of your application with you, with all the necessary signatures, documentation, photos, etc.) You will be in their system then, and save them time entering your information.  

REMEMBER:

Read your application’s instructions carefully.

Go to www.pptc.gc.ca if you have further questions.

HAPPY TRAVELS!

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