Passport, Urgent or Express

[greenclan67]

MY husbands birth certificate was returned because it was damaged, couldn't read the first letter of his name. I sent it out on Jan 18th, got it returned Jan 29th. He had to wait to apply because he had to renew his liscence on Jan 4th, and we were told there would be plenty of time from passport canada. So I paid the extra $30 for express on the birth certificate for a total of $65. I did that on Friday afternoon, and just received it this afternoon.
Now we are flying on March 6th. We live 6 hours to the closest passport office which I beleive is Brampton. If I mail it in, I am taking the chance of it not being back in time. If I go to the office, from what I am reading Brampton doesn't do urgent, the only do express 2-9 days. I don't want to have to go back down to pick it up. The do urgent in downtown TO but you have to show proof that you are going to be crossing border within 10 days. I don't want to drive 6 hours and then in 10 days have to drive back down to catch our flights in Buffalo.
Anyone have any, any advice on what would be the best thing for me to do?
Thanks in advance
__________________

 

[treehugnmama]

can you express mail it and ask for urgent?

 

[mickilee]

Do you know someone down here? if so.. Drive down here , drop the app off, You can sign for them to pick it up. You have to sign a waiver. Then have them fedx it to you .

 

[greenclan67]

I do have someone living in Brampton. Good friends of ours. We are actually staying with them when we go there. I wasn't sure you could have them do that. So we should take all of our stuff in person, apply at the Brampton office, and then sign a waiver having them pick it up, then having them fedx it. That might be an idea. It means I would only have to miss one day of work then. I am just so afraid that something will be screwed up with them, then we are back to where we started.
Anyone know if NEXUS is any faster, and if it accomplishes the same thing? Sault Ste Marie is far closer to us, but from what I understand Nexus is a little more difficult to use.
Any thoughts on that?

 

[mickilee]

Yes they can pick it up. I did it for my xdh last yr. Mind you that was the Scarborough office. I would call Brampton and double check .
We did express and was able to pick it up 5 days i think it was.

good luck

 

[mc2]

We live 5 hours away from our nearest office. We always drop ours off in person, and then have it sent to us via Expresspost. You don't have to go back to pick it up (or have someone pick it up for you). They will send it directly to you if you request that service (and pay the shipping fee?). Or at least they did last year when we renewed.
Good luck!

 

[greenclan67]

mc2, thanks for the info. I was under the impression that if I applied in person that it had to be picked up. I am going to look into that. I know there is no black marks on our history, and we are both very upstanding citizens, so I hope all goes well from here on in. Thanks

 

[RainbowsMist]

We just applied in person (completed all our forms online using their bar code system) and received our passports via Canada Post standard delivery 6business days later... I was VERY impressed!

 

[greenclan67]

Thats the epass system? Even though I had them all filled out, I think I may do the same thing. That is fast, so there is hope. I am so worried I am not going to be able to go on this trip.

 

[RainbowsMist]

Thats the epass system? Even though I had them all filled out, I think I may do the same thing. That is fast, so there is hope. I am so worried I am not going to be able to go on this trip.

I just went here http://www.ppt.gc.ca/form/index.aspx?lang=eng clicked on the one I needed and filled it out and printed it. I aslo called Passport Canada. She said to fill it out online and print it directly from there..don't save it to your computer...the bar code changes each time something is entered in the fields. We had 5 in total (2 adult, 3 children). We drove to the closest Passport Canada Office January 22nd. He said they would be mailed out February 4th...we actually received them yesterday Normal standard delivery time is 10 business days he told us...but there was an express option also. They asked us when we entered if we needed them before the standard 2 week window.

Good luck!

 

[greenclan67]

Anyone have any idea if I would be better off going to do the Whitby Passport Office, or the Brampton Office, or Downtown Toronto.
If we go next week, do you think it will come back fast enough doing Express, thinking the 16th and we fly on the 6th of March. If we have to do urgent we have to go to Toronto, because the other 2 only do Express from what I understand.
Also, I am having a hard time finding hours and stuff for these places, are the open weekends at all?
Thanks in advance

 

[mickilee]

whitby for sure if you go this route.. you are in out in under 20 minutes.. just dont go after 3ish then its a 30 minute wait.

Whitby Passport Office

1615 Dundas St E (Whitby Mall)
Hours of operation
08:00 – 16:00 Mon-Fri
09:00 – 12:00 Sat

THen pick up is at the scarborough town center one.
So much could happen between now and then...just a though

 

[mickilee]

Passport Canada: 1-800-567-6868
Passport Office, Brampton, Ontario

The passport office in Brampton is located at:

40 Gillingham Drive
Suite 401
Brampton
Ontario
L6X 4X7

Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m






200 Town Centre Court
Suite 210
Scarborough
Ontario
M1P 4X8

Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.




74 Victoria Street
Suite 300
Toronto
Ontario
M5C 2A5

Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m


link for info
.ppt.gc.ca/cdn/urgent.aspx?lang=eng

 

[greenclan67]

Thanks guys, government website sucks super bad!! I guess we are going to have to go the Toronto route. We can't get out of work until the 18th, 19th of March, and are thinking we should then probably do Urgent at that time, because we are crossing into Buffalo on March 7th, flying March 8th, and we live almost 7 hours from the closest passport office. Bah humbug, such a pain. Drive down there, and turn drive back down in 2 weeks to catch our flight! Oh well, it has to be done.
Thanks for all your help