Hi, I found this thread on Friday (may 4) while planning my trip to the passport office in Edmonton's Canada Place. Here is what I learned which may help you ... (
NOTE: I am not an employee of the Federal Government, just a taxpayer who had to wait in line. What I have written below is based on my observations/recollections).
1.
If you are travelling by air in the next 8 weeks - you will have to wait 2 lineups. The first lineup snakes out of the passport office and around the inside atrium. This is the prescreening lineup which takes around
2 hours. Once you have been prescreened (they check your application to make sure everything is completed) you will recieve a number ticket and you can sit down inside the passport office. There you will wait for
an additional 1 to 2 hours. If you can't get past the prescreening (because of an incomplete application) you can get a special number so you can jump that first lineup when you come back later in the day or the next day. You will be able to pickup your passport in
5 weeks (i think) or you can pay a fee to get express service.
2.
If you are travelling by air in greater than 8 weeks - Find the Commisionaire and tell him you want to get into the "DROP OFF" line-up. You will wait in what appears to be a much smaller line-up, but it will still take
2 hours. Your application is pre-screened and copies of all your documents will be made. All your documents (e.g. driver's license, birth certificates, passports, etc.) will be returned to you on the spot. Your passport will be ready for pickup
in 8 weeks.
3.
You aren't travelling by air soon, but need your primary Identification (e.g. birth certificate). See #2.
4.
You aren't travelling by air soon and you are ok not having your primary identification - Mail your application in.
It will take
10 weeks, plus mailing time OR take your application to a Service Canada centre where they will prescreen, photocopy and return documents to you.
In my case, we are travelling to the US by car in Late June, but we need our Son's birth certificates for the land crossing, so we couldn't wait 10 weeks to have those documents returned. So, I did #2 and got into the DROP OFF lineup. it still took a long time, but I had a book.
Good Luck and happy trails,
C
