Big Ups to the … Passport Office?
Random ·My passport expired in November, and I feel that I have to have a valid passport. Just in case I get The Call and have to leave the country in the dead of night. The last time I went through the process, it was a giant pain in the ass, as I had to get a new birth certificate from Quebec and then get the whole thing expedited so that I won’t miss my flight.
I have to say that this time, the process was nearly painless.
First, there’s the new short form if you are renewing your passport. Two pages and no need to get a guarantor, which is really convenient.
Second, I went to the Passport office at 74 Victoria St in Toronto at 9 AM on Tuesday December 9th. There was no line. I was in and out in under 15 minutes. Totally unbelievable. The staff were pleasant and quite helpful.
Third, the estimated date for delivery was December 23rd, which was pretty great turn around time. But I got it today. Just over a week.
I guess the backlash over the huge wait times when the US changed its passport rules last year really affected some change. Specifically the Passport Canada Act.
So, well done, Passport Office.