passport- how long to get it

[brighteyes]

I guess the process must have speeded up since my application......it took me 4 weeks......glad I didn't have a trip deadline to worry about !

I was worried as others who had mailed them in or had them processed at the office often took this long, or longer. Others who applied online took a bit longer. I applied for ours last March or April I believe, and there was apparently a HUGE backlog, months worth, so I was lucky.

Had to go back many times, too many to count, before I got everything in order for DS application as his Dad is nowhere to be found, so this caused me quite alot of trouble. Was worried I would have to cancel the trip. But it all worked out.

Stephanie

 

[Belle1997]

My hubby took mine to the passport office and I had in in 2 weeks flat. Much faster if you go to the office.

 

[AndyMcV]

We drove up to the Whitby office (Ontario) on Feb 18th and got ours back on March 4rd... 2 weeks and 1 day total. They were done on March 3rd and priority post took a day to get to us. We just printed the online forms and filled them out.

Remember that kids passports do need the special guarantor (doctor, engineer, etc...)

Good luck.
Andy

 

[mombrontrent]

We drove up to the Whitby office (Ontario) on Feb 18th and got ours back on March 4rd... 2 weeks and 1 day total. They were done on March 3rd and priority post took a day to get to us. We just printed the online forms and filled them out.

Remember that kids passports do need the special guarantor (doctor, engineer, etc...)

Good luck.
Andy

Actually kids don't need a "special" guarantor. I just used my Dad for my kids and it was fine. As long as ou have known the person for 2 years and they have had a valid passport for at least 5 years, just like any other passport.

 

[AndyMcV]

Actually kids don't need a "special" guarantor. I just used my Dad for my kids and it was fine. As long as ou have known the person for 2 years and they have had a valid passport for at least 5 years, just like any other passport.

Wow, sorry you are right. My DW picked up paper forms from the government office in our home town about a month before I got our adult forms online. I just realized that the paper forms that she got for our kids required the special guarantor and the ones online now don't. Ugghh.. what a pain, we had our Doctor fill out and sign the forms for our kids!!

Thanks for the clarification, I'll make sure to go online and get the forms.

 

[wee-haggis]

I just went onto the website and it is still stating that children 16 and younger must have a guarantor. Can you tell me where you found the application for children without the guarantor required? Both my kids have their own passports and will be 16 and 17 when their passports expire, I hope to just renew theirs and ours. I really do not want to start again.

Also to "mombrontrent" does your dad fall into the guarantor job list? Is he qualified to be a guarantor? I can't find the form for child passport renewal that does NOT require a guarantor.

Thanks

 

[mombrontrent]

You do need a guarantor for everyone children included. However that guarantor can be anyone you have known for at least two years and has had a valid passport for at least 5 years. It can be anyone you know that falls into this catagory regardless of their occupation. Same rules apply for kids and adults. It used to be that they had to have a certain occupation but since they changed the rules that the guarentor needs a vaild passport for at least 5 years they made it so that the guarantor could be anyone. I guess they figure that the guarentor must be reliable since they have a valid passport and have been though all the "screening" already.

 

[wee-haggis]

"mombrontrent"
Thanks! Your info is very good news. We were finding it harder and harder to get a proper guarantor as the Doctor and Dentists office do not want to know when it comes to more paperwork.

 

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

We drove up to the Whitby office (Ontario) on Feb 18th and got ours back on March 4rd... 2 weeks and 1 day total. They were done on March 3rd and priority post took a day to get to us. We just printed the online forms and filled them out.

Remember that kids passports do need the special guarantor (doctor, engineer, etc...)

Good luck.
Andy

How did you know when they were done? Can you call?

 

[mom-x-5]

And the guarantor can be in the family. I will be my children's guarantor, as well as my husband's.

 

[carswell4]

Just thought I'd share our experience:

We went to the Whitby office to process 2 adults and 2 children's applications.

They wouldn't accept the children's applications, as they were born before the date of our wedding (shocking!), and we only had the "regular" birth certificate. We were told that we needed to order the "long-form" birth certificate - which costs $65 (each) to expedite!

Once we have the long-form certificate we can go back to the Whitby office and submit the applications.

So....if you had your children before your wedding ceremony, make sure you have the long-form birth certificate!

Cheers

 

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

Thanks again to everyone for your feedback!

I got my passport yesterday!!! I was so excited! It did not take long at all! I went into the office to drop off the forms on March 13th. So I guess it took only 7 working days, because of 2 days at Easter. I think that is pretty fast!

Lee

 

[canadaman]

Just thought I'd share our experience:

We went to the Whitby office to process 2 adults and 2 children's applications.

They wouldn't accept the children's applications, as they were born before the date of our wedding (shocking!), and we only had the "regular" birth certificate. We were told that we needed to order the "long-form" birth certificate - which costs $65 (each) to expedite!

Once we have the long-form certificate we can go back to the Whitby office and submit the applications.

So....if you had your children before your wedding ceremony, make sure you have the long-form birth certificate!


My woman and i are comman-law with to kids. WE have yet to have our wedding. Will we be required to get long form birth certificates??

Cheers

My woman and i are comman-law with to kids. WE have yet to have our wedding. Will we be required to get long form birth certificates??

 

[carswell4]

My woman and i are comman-law with to kids. WE have yet to have our wedding. Will we be required to get long form birth certificates??

I would get the long-form, to be on the safe side - it apparently lists the name of the mother and father of the child, which they then match to your information. We had their regular certificates, but couldn't proceed. (By the way - our son looks identical to his dad, and our daughter looks identical to me - no question of parentage )

If you order it in time to wait 15 days for delivery, the cost is $35.00 each; if you need to expedite it's $65.00 each! Ouch

 

[SaraMc]

Well I went to the Mississauga branch today. I had done the online application and had it all printed out. The lady before me had done it the other way was told at 1pm it would be about a 70 minute wait. I was in and out of the office in 5 minutes. She looked my app over quickly gave me my number and said I would be called next, and I was
I need my passport for work and need it before the 4 weeks they said it would take to get mailed to my home. So in 2 weeks I can go pick it up for a extra 10.00. Which my employer is covering since they are the ones making me get my passport.