Canada Passport Changes

[Colin24]

As most Canadian FJR pilots are aware. It is a very very good idea to have a passport when travelling to the United States nowadays. The US recently pushed out the date for having it as a requirement for another year or two, but we can all see the time is coming when you will need one.

My Pet Peve with this has not been the US Government (however their attitude on this topic still baffles me at times). My complaint has been the Canadian Goverment. Why do I as a born and bread Canadian who has lived here my entire life, do I need to jump through so many ******** hoops just to renew my Passport. They've already reviewed all my paperwork and verified who I was the last time I applied!

Well, apparently they've been forced to acknowledge how crappy this part of the process was. With all the extra people applying the passport office was grinding to a halt. So they were forced to do something. So now the requirements for renewing your passport have been greatly reduced. Nutshell is this: Basic paperwork plus new photo's. You no longer need to get signed forms from people who have known you for 5 years or other crap like that. Woo Hoo!

CBC Article Here

I'll wait and see how this pans out in practice this November when my current passport expires. But I am now dreading the experience far less than I was.

- Colin

 

[HIGHLANDER]

As most Canadian FJR pilots are aware. It is a very very good idea to have a passport when travelling to the United States nowadays. The US recently pushed out the date for having it as a requirement for another year or two, but we can all see the time is coming when you will need one.
My Pet Peve with this has not been the US Government (however their attitude on this topic still baffles me at times). My complaint has been the Canadian Goverment. Why do I as a born and bread Canadian who has lived here my entire life, do I need to jump through so many ******** hoops just to renew my Passport. They've already reviewed all my paperwork and verified who I was the last time I applied!

Well, apparently they've been forced to acknowledge how crappy this part of the process was. With all the extra people applying the passport office was grinding to a halt. So they were forced to do something. So now the requirements for renewing your passport have been greatly reduced. Nutshell is this: Basic paperwork plus new photo's. You no longer need to get signed forms from people who have known you for 5 years or other crap like that. Woo Hoo!

CBC Article Here

I'll wait and see how this pans out in practice this November when my current passport expires. But I am now dreading the experience far less than I was.

- Colin

Thanks for posting Colin ! I've a couple friends who have been "in process " for 9 months, still no Canadian passport. They were told "April 08" at the earliest !!

 

[GDSFJR03]

Nine months to get a canadian passport highlander !!! Holy crap I better go get in line if I want to attend meets next year south of the border. Yes Colin , thanks for posting the update as well. Not a wait to the last minute thing.

 

[HIGHLANDER]

It seems that if your Canadian living in the US your screwed, the expedited program does not apply to my friends, only if you are currently living in Canada does the program apply.....there still looking at April, way over a year for them !!