Passport backlog growing as Canadians look to travel again
As the federal government loosens testing requirements for international travel, more Canadians are looking to issue their passports and that is causing major wait times at service centres.
After very low demand through the pandemic, passport applications have surged. In the last year, applications have more than doubled and officials say it will take time for the system to catch up.
With time running short, the Newberry family barely made it.
“We realized about two weeks ago that our son’s passport is expired,” says Derek Newberry.
“We’re travelling on Friday, so I’m sure, as you can imagine, our stress levels were at an all time high,” adds Derek’s wife, Jackie Newberry.
They are headed to Florida this week to escape Ottawa’s never-ending winter, but not until they have all their documents in order.
“It says within 24 to 48 hours they’re going to get back to you,” says Derek. “We didn’t get a call for six business days. I was kind of in panic mode.”
Travel insurance agent Martin Firestone of Travel Secure Inc. says passengers are responsible for their own documents and cannot use expired or missing passports as a reason to get a refund.
“Travel insurance, cancellation insurance, will not cover a reason for cancellation that you didn’t get your passport back in time,” says Firestone. “The lineups are hours and hours and hours.”
At a Service Canada office on Prince of Wales Drive, getting a passport is a full day commitment for some.
“I showed up an hour after it opened and I was already five hours in a wait list,” says Susan. “So yeah, that’s how it is.”
“They asked me to come back in two hours,” says Gaurav. “But then, after I came back in two hours, they told me again to come back again in two hours. So, it’s a total of five, six hours of wait.”
The Newberrys were lucky and they say people should be patient.
“You can’t just walk in,” says Derek. “You have no other option but to book an appointment online.”
“I’m sure many people are in the same boat as us,” says Jackie, “which is why the wait times are so long right? They’re definitely backlogged.”
Service Canada says those who need to issue their passports urgently can pay more. For $110 extra, on top of the normal passport fee, a traveller can have their passport ready by end of next business day, but they need to prove they are travelling by providing an itinerary.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Canada recognizes housing as a human right. Few provinces have followed suit
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.