In a welcome update, Service Canada has announced that Canadian passport processing times have returned to their pre-pandemic standards. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) recently issued a news release stating that there are no longer any backlogs in passport applications, and in fact, Service Canada is surpassing the delivery standard for most applications.
This is an impressive achievement considering the brief disruption caused by the 12-day strike carried out by the Public Service Alliance of Canada from April 19th to May 1st.
Nowadays, nearly all passports are being delivered within the target range of 10 to 20 days, depending on the method of application submission. ESDC reports that approximately 98% of passports are issued within service standards, regardless of how they were applied for. This is certainly encouraging news for individuals eager to obtain new or renewed passports following the removal of various COVID-19-related travel restrictions.
It’s worth noting that just a year ago, passport offices across Canada experienced an unprecedented surge in demand due to these lifted travel restrictions. People often had to endure hours-long lines at these offices, with some even resorting to camping overnight just to submit their applications in person. However, thanks to ongoing efforts by passport staff and improvements made to service quality, new Canadian citizens should have no difficulty making plans to visit loved ones this summer using their newly acquired passports.
Passport services in Canada have also seen other notable enhancements recently. Passport Canada has already issued 852,589 passports thus far in 2023 and a total of 3,346,223 between April 2022 and March 2023 alone. The department predicts that it will issue between 4.3 and 4.9 million passports in the upcoming fiscal year of 2023/2024—an impressive figure indeed. It’s important to highlight that passports are exclusively available to Canadian citizens.
Service Canada aims to maintain these high service standards by introducing online renewal options. Since May of this year, individuals with passports that have expired within the past 15 years or those who have lost, stolen, or damaged passports can now submit their necessary documents online instead of waiting in long lines at passport offices or relying on postal services.
However, it’s worth noting that this option is not applicable to new citizens applying for their first Canadian passport.
Additionally, Service Canada has opened seven new 10-day passport offices across Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia during the spring. These offices are conveniently located in Prince George (British Columbia), Lac-Mégantic, Gaspé, and Saint-Georges (Quebec), as well as Timmins and Dryden (Ontario). Another office was opened in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts (Quebec).
These additions aim to provide greater accessibility and convenience for Canadians seeking passport services.
Once an application is submitted, Canadians can easily track its progress using the online passport application status checker. Ever since its launch on March 21st, 2023, the status checker website has recorded over 702,000 visits—a testament to its usefulness and popularity.
Overall, these improvements and initiatives demonstrate Canada’s commitment to ensuring efficient and accessible passport services for its citizens. With streamlined processes and reduced wait times, individuals can confidently make plans to reunite with their loved ones this summer while enjoying the benefits of their newly obtained Canadian passports.