# Cdn passport office line-ups ?



## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Does anyone know if the issue of lining up for hours at a Cdn passport office has been resolved? I remember about 2 years ago, arriving at the office in Gatineau about 7AM to line up for 3.5 hours to get our application forms processed. I'm about to go through this again for my sons passport and was wondering if we'll have to go through this painfull line-up process again?


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

Do it online and get everything prepepared. It can't all be done online but if you do they move you to the front of the line when doing the final steps at the actual office.


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## Luke98 (Mar 4, 2007)

Did ours through the mail, if you don't need it for a few weeks and are comfortable mailing a birth certificate, it works fine.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I am pleased to be able to answer this with some authority.

1) Passport Canada did a s**tload of hiring (I know because it is the job of my work unit to monitor that) , and had been running nightshifts as well, in order to meet with demand. That demand has tapered off once all those folks received their passport, since once obtained renewal is not required for another 5 years. Some places, like Toronto and vancouver may still experience lineups from time to time, but Ottawa is OK.

2) When I went to get my passport in May, at the office down on 240 Sparks St., I **was** the lineup (and that was around 9AM). Indeed, once I had shown my initial documents to the girl at the first desk and she told me my number would be called at one of the wickets, the number got called before I had even finished gathering up the papers at the first counter. I felt compelled to say to the girl at the second wicket "I never thought I'd be saying this at a passport office, but...sorry to keep YOU waiting.":smilie_flagge17:

3) The advice to do the on-line thing and arrive semi-complete is good advice. The line-up probably won't be long, but these days in Ottawa, parking may be an issue, and you'd rather not spend too long inside while your car sits at an overpriced metered space.


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## Guest (Jan 26, 2009)

I'll second Mark's comments: just did our passports in November and it was a breeze. In and out in under 30 minutes.

I remember waiting 6 hours one day in Toronto. Way back in '01. God that was a miserable experience.


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## Beatles (Feb 7, 2006)

The passport office in my building here in Toronto always has line ups out the door. I applied for my Canadian passport a couple of weeks ago. It was a two hour wait. I could have been in and out in no time, but I went mid day, instead of going first thing in the morning. Costa Rica next Tuesday. :smile:


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

Hey Beatles, when you get back can you post some details on your trip? My girlfriend and I are planning on going to Costa Rica next winter.

If you hit a time when the passport offices aren't busy, you will be fine. I got mine last year. I literally walked into the office, straight to the counter, and had it processed. As for when those times are though, I have no idea.


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## Beatles (Feb 7, 2006)

torndownunit said:


> Hey Beatles, when you get back can you post some details on your trip? My girlfriend and I are planning on going to Costa Rica next winter.


Will do. 

Gary


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Again, I will emphasize that what happens in major entry/exit points for Canadians whose roots are in other countries (and whose first language may be neither of our two official languages) is not necessarily what happens in other cities. perhaps more to the point, Ottawa has one passport office and Toronto has one. Given their respective populations, who do you think will have a longer lineup?

Separate topic, but about 5 years ago I was in T.O. for a conference, and thought I'd save some time for my wife by going to the provincial office on Bay St. where you can get same day service for birth certificates and such. Thinking myself smart, I went during a lunch break from the conference, only to find the lineup went down the hall, and by 11:00AM all the potential service tickets for that day had been given out, and if you didn't have a ticket you couldn't be served. I asked a woman coming out to the water fountain to fill her kettle what strategy I might adopt to assure I could get the needed document before I left town. She suggested I arrive at 6:30AM. So I did. there was a guy ahead of me who had driven down from Orillia, and slept in his car overnight. The two of us watched person after person come into the hallway through the double doors before 8AM, each one thinking they'd be there early enough to get what they needed and show up to work before anyone noticed they were missing. One after the other, we watched them silently mouth the words "What the f***?" as they came through the doors and saw how long the lineup was, even by 7:30AM.

Of course, the truly ironic thing was that my first visit to the office was immediately prior to attending a session on harassment and hostility in the workplace. Gee, wonder how much of it stems from under-resourcing offices where people who are desperate go to get urgent services? Do you think? Nah, couldn't be.


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## sysexguy (Mar 5, 2006)

I did mine online as well, took minutes....and I had maxxed the parking meter expecting the worst......

So these two civil servants are sitting at their desk complaining about the collective agreement when one suddenly gets up, grabs a book and starts smashing a snail on the floor with it. The other guy ask him why the heck he did that at which he replies the f er was following me around, all day

Andy


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Love it!! (and here are the extra words to meet the 10-word minimum)


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

sysexguy said:


> So these two civil servants are sitting at their desk complaining about the collective agreement when one suddenly gets up, grabs a book and starts smashing a *snail *on the floor with it. The other guy ask him why the heck he did that at which he replies the f er was *following me around, all day*
> Andy


This was either a high speed/athletic snail or.......


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Eight years ago, Americans wanted to leave the states and come here. Now, it's the other way around. That may account for the lineups and increased staffing.


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## sneakypete (Feb 2, 2006)

I`ve renewed twice since being in Japan, last time was Sept. 2008. Instead of going to a pro photographer as usual, this time I went to a photo booth...paid half the price for pics...and do everything by mail...so far it`s worked well. Takes about 2 or three weeks start to finish...then I have to take the new passport to the immigration office to get restamped but thats just what they do here. Also had to renew my alien card last year...oh the joy of dealing with gov`t officials eh...you can just feel the love when you enter the office.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

sneakypete said:


> Also had to renew my alien card last year...


Do you have to get a photo for your alien card?


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## sneakypete (Feb 2, 2006)

yes...and they used to fingerprint us for them too. Good for 5 years, but I won`t be here that long...said that 5 years ago. But this time I mean it eh.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Robert1950 said:


> Eight years ago, Americans wanted to leave the states and come here. Now, it's the other way around. That may account for the lineups and increased staffing.


Nah. It's because you used to be able to drive to Buffalo or Watertown or Bellingham without needing a passport, and now you do. Heck, you used to be able to pop into Point Roberts for 20 minutes to gas up without a passport, and now you can't from what I understand.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

I know a lot of you were racked with worry over this, so I wanted to put you out of your misery:smile:

Yesterday, we went down to the Passport Canada office in downtown Ottawa (Sparks Street). Took about 40 minutes from when we arrived to when we left. So, certainly better than the 4 hours that we waited back in 2007. They also said the passport would arrive in 10 business days which is also much better than previously.

So, good job Passport Canada. Our hard earned tax dollars have actually been used to improve a government process.


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## 6string (Feb 2, 2009)

A year or 2 just after 911 a friend of mine went to get a passport in downtown Ottawa and it was unbelievably crowded, so she went across the river to Hull and there was virtually no waiting.
Passport Canada
Commercial Level 2
Place du Centre
200 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau (Hull) QC
Mon-Fri: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.


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## 6string (Feb 2, 2009)

p.s. if I win World of Beer that's were I'm headed


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

bagpipe said:


> I know a lot of you were racked with worry over this, so I wanted to put you out of your misery:smile:
> 
> Yesterday, we went down to the Passport Canada office in downtown Ottawa (Sparks Street). Took about 40 minutes from when we arrived to when we left. So, certainly better than the 4 hours that we waited back in 2007. They also said the passport would arrive in 10 business days which is also much better than previously.
> 
> So, good job Passport Canada. Our hard earned tax dollars have actually been used to improve a government process.


They promised me 10 business days too. It came in less time than that. I'm still recovering from the bruises where my jaw hit the floor.


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