Another Passport Question

[mousy_in_canada]

I am thinking of getting a passport for our December trip, have I run out of time? I need to mail it in because I just don't have time to go to the office and wait around for hours so I need to mail it but will I get it by December 5th?
It says I need to mail in my original birth cert. but what about the other supporting documents are photocopies ok?
I should just call the office and ask them but I think you guys would be faster then waiting on hold with them.
Thanks!

 

[sammi]

Yes you should have plenty of time to mail it. Also as far as I know all documents must be original. We are just waiting for DS's to arrive as he flys out on Sept 23rd! We went down and applied in person and it should be here by this Monday....it takes 10 working days if application is done in person.

Here's the link with info for you.....http://www.pptc.gc.ca/index.aspx?lang=e

 

[almacdonald]

I don't know where you live, but I went to the passport office here in Calgary, on a Friday around 9am, in and out in 22 minutes. No word of a lie.

 

[mbb]

You should be fine.

Get the passport.
It just makes traveling soooooooo much easier!

We're proud to carry ours!

 

[mousy_in_canada]

I don't know where you live, but I went to the passport office here in Calgary, on a Friday around 9am, in and out in 22 minutes. No word of a lie.

I live outside of Hamilton Ontario, so I would have to go downtown and find parking and then go to the Standard Life Building. Not sure what that office is like but I am just going to mail them.
CAA charges $9.50 for the picture anyone know how much Costco charges?
TIA

 

[PandaBear & Boo]

I went to a passport office north end of Toronto around 1pm was in and out in 20minutes. Received the passports about 3 weeks later. I went to an office because I was leary about sending original docs in the mail.

 

[almacdonald]

People get so worked up, thinking that they're going to spend all day at the passport office, it just isn't always the case! I think my passport arrived in the mail like 5 business days after I went to the office. I was amazed how quick it was.

In contrast, my parents sent their stuff away to get their passports (they live in a small town 5 hours from the nearest passport office.) They waited, and WAITED only to have their applications returned without a passport. Their pictures were too dark and needed to be re-taken. It took a few months when all was said and done to finally get their passports renewed!

 

[mousy_in_canada]

My issue with going there is it must be in normal business hours and I homeschool my kids, so we will miss a morning of school and I have to bring all four of them to the office or I mail it in and play the waiting game.
I think that mailing it seems way easier to me!

 

[drag n' fly]

I live outside of Hamilton Ontario, so I would have to go downtown and find parking and then go to the Standard Life Building. Not sure what that office is like but I am just going to mail them.
CAA charges $9.50 for the picture anyone know how much Costco charges?
TIA

Costco chrged us 5 bucks each in Alberta. They don't do kids under five but we said you never say that anywhere until we paid and waited so they bended and took our ds who is 3. The only drawback to mailing is if their is a mistake, something missing you cannot correct it right away and the turnaround time can be weeks.

 

[sammi]

We also went to the Hamilton passport office (in and out in 30 minutes ) and just an update......DS's passport arrived at noon today.....thank goodness!

 

[mousy_in_canada]

We also went to the Hamilton passport office (in and out in 30 minutes ) and just an update......DS's passport arrived at noon today.....thank goodness!

That is good to know, must have taken you longer to find a good parking spot and get to the building then spend in the building

 

[pxlbarrel]

A friend of mine dropped his passport application off a few weeks ago. He told me that you can do a lot of the application online (not just print out and fill out but fill it out ONLINE). THEN you print it out for your guarantor and reference to sign. When you get to the passport office (at least in the North York office), there's staff who make sure you have all your ducks in a row before you line up in the massive line....and if you've done it online already, you get sent to a very, very short line where you spend about 3 minutes with the passport people before you're sent on your way. (You still wait to pickup your passport on another day but total time in the passport office will be way shorter had you NOT done it online.)

My passport doesn't expire until 2008 but when it does, I'm going to try this.

 

[briarberry]

I just got my daughter's passport a few weeks ago in London, Ontario. I live in a nearby town. We drove over and were in and out in under 15 minutes and the passport arrived less than a week later. I don't like the idea of mailing in all my documents. I am afraid I'll never see them again!
If you homeschool couldn't you find something educational in Hamilton to go do so the trip to town would be dual purpose?
Good luck to you!

 

[sammi]

LOL mousy we've just moved out to Simcoe last year (always been a Hamilton girl) and I refuse to pay to park downtown so we always go over to the streets behind City Hall where we never pay!

 

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

you should have it back within approx 14 days from their receipt of the forms. I have heard nothing but positive on this process. good luck!