Service Canada has recently unveiled the establishment of seven additional passport service sites nationwide, offering a swift 10-day processing period. This initiative aims to enhance accessibility and convenience for Canadians when obtaining their passports in a timely manner. So, the Canadian Government’s decision to expand these services demonstrates its dedication to improving the application process and facilitating the acquisition of vital travel documents for individuals who require them urgently or for work-related purposes.
The processing times for passport delivery have returned to their pre-pandemic levels, with no existing backlogs, and Service Canada is surpassing its delivery standard for most applications. Although the public service labour disruption earlier this spring slightly impacted passport processing, Service Canada quickly resolved any service delays. Currently, Service Canada is meeting the 10- and 20-day targets for passport delivery, issuing approximately 98% of passports within the designated service standards, regardless of the method of application.
Passport personnel have made ongoing improvements to service offerings in recent months and are ready to handle the initial wave of renewals for 10-year validity passports that began issuance in July 2013. Between April 2022 and March 2023, the Government of Canada issued a total of 3,346,223 passports. Looking ahead to the 2023-24 fiscal year, it is projected that the number of passports to be issued will range between 4.3 and 4.9 million.
New Service Locations
Today, Karina Gould, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced the commencement of operation for seven new service sites across Canada. These sites offer expedited passport services within a 10-day timeframe.
Prince George, British Columbia
Lac-Mégantic, Quebec
Gaspé, Quebec
Saint-Georges, Quebec
Timmins, Ontario
Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec
Dryden, Ontario
Service Canada has expanded its network of passport service sites to a total of 20 Service Canada Centres nationwide. These centres enable Canadians to apply for a passport and receive it by mail within 10 business days (excluding mail delivery time). This initiative aims to provide more convenient services closer to Canadians’ homes and reduce waiting times at passport offices. However, individuals who require their passport in less than 10 business days must visit a passport office that offers express or urgent pick-up service and pay for expedited services.
Furthermore, in recent months, Canadians have been able to access real-time updates on their application processing through the online Application Status Checker. As a matter of fact, this online tool has significantly reduced wait times when contacting the Passport Call Centre as individuals can now receive up-to-date information 24/7. Since its launch on March 21, 2023, the online status checker website has received over 702,000 visits. In order to utilize this tool, applicants must provide an email address on their application.
Talk to Immigration Professionals
Ask our team of experts to assist you with your application. Our experts can help you in every step of the application process and guide you through what documentation you need. If you have any questions, it’s best to ask them before submitting your application. Sending the wrong documents can delay your processing times significantly.
