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PASSPORT CANADA UPDATES
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Simplified Passport Renewal
As of August 15, 2007, eligible Canadian citizens can renew their
passport using a simplified process. Under
the renewal program, passport applicants will only be required to submit
the new shorter form along with two new photos, the application fee and
their last passport. Online application forms can be printed from:
http://www.pptc.gc.ca/can/pol_on-line_form.aspx?lang=e To
be eligible to participate in this process, an applicant must · live
in Canada, · have
been at least 16 years of age at the time of their previous application, · have
a passport valid for 5 years issued after January 31, 2002 in Canada, that
has not been altered or damaged, or reported as lost or stolen, · have
lived in Canada and had a passport issued from Canada when their last
passport was issued, · apply
using the same name that appears on the previous (expiring/expired)
passport, · submit a completed form, the current
fee, two new photos and their previous passport. Children Children are now required to travel with
passports. According to
Passport Canada: “The International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) has recommended a policy requiring every individual
who travels by air to have his or her own travel document.
This policy has been put in place to combat the traffic of millions
of children around the world who are often sold into slavery, child
prostitution or worse. It
increases the protection of children by ensuring that they have a valid
travel document with a photo and other identifying information.” For
details on children’s passport applications and travelling with
children, please call my office or go to http://www.pptc.gc.ca/planification/16-.aspx?lang=eng®ion=Canada Does your Newborn Need a Passport? Yes!
“For a child aged: · 3 to 15 years, the maximum period of validity is 5
years. · under 3 years, the maximum period of validity is 3
years. Note: Children who have been issued a passport in their first 12 months may be
issued a one-time replacement passport, free of
charge, valid for the balance of the three-year validity period of the
original passport. Full
application requirements must be met.
To ensure the photo is a current and true likeness of
the child, it must be taken within one month of the date the application
is submitted. Passport Processing Time Frames Passport offices
can process in-person applications in 2 weeks plus the time required for
delivery. You could encounter long line-ups before you meet with a
passport officer.
My office
will be pleased to assist you with questions related to passports and will
forward your passport application to Gatineau. Passport
applications are sent from my office via secured courier service on
Wednesdays and Fridays each week. Office
hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30
am to 4:30 pm. Please
allow up to 6 weeks for processing. Processing times may change
based on the volume of applications being received.
The Passport Canada Web site is:
www.pptc.gc.ca. Travelling?
For
passport validity requirements abroad and other essential information
about your destinations, consult www.voyage.gc.ca Information
for Permanent Residents
If you came to Canada
as a permanent resident before June 2002 and are not a Canadian citizen,
the Permanent Resident Card replaces your original landing papers.
It is the only acceptable proof of your status as a permanent
resident of Canada. If you leave the country, you must show this
document when you return to Canada by commercial carrier-
plane, bus, train or boat. Without
it you will not be permitted to board the carrier.
The
permanent resident card is valid for five years. Check the expiry date on your
card and apply for a new one at least four months before you travel.
My office has application forms. Canadian
citizens do not need Permanent Resident Cards. Questions about a
Federal Program? Call 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232) or TTY:
1-800-926-9105
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