Canadian passport renewal backlog makes its way to the House of Commons

Have you had issues renewing your Canadian passport?

With COVID-19 restrictions easing for fully vaccinated travellers and many delaying their plans over the past couple of years, it’s no surprise a number of Canadians are hoping to get away in 2022.

But long lineups at Service Canada, as well as longer than normal mail-in delays, have left many people who are in need of a new passport in limbo.

Despite hundreds hired, delays remain

In the House of Commons on Tuesday, Conservative MP Brad Vis demanded to know what is causing the ongoing backlog.

“Why is passport Canada offering such poor service? And why don’t they get their ducks in a row and give Canadians the service they expect from a key government office?” he asked.

Service Canada Minister and Liberal MP Karina Gould assured the agency was doing everything it could, highlighting recent staffing additions.

“We have in fact hired an additional 500 passport officers to help process this, we have made Service Canadas available to ensure individuals who need to travel on a non-urgent basis can deposit their applications,” she said.

Service Canada says staff are working overtime and weekends to get through as many travel documents as possible.

However, despite additional staff, delays remain.

In an interview with CityNews, Vis questioned the number of centres open.

“They’re not even operating at full capacity right now so you’re not even guaranteed to get an appointment, they’re not operating all the kiosks,” he said.

In a statement to CityNews, the agency says it recognizes that increased demand for passports has led to delays. However, it notes safety protocols must still be followed to “ensure the health and safety of Canadians accessing in-person services.”

“This includes following federally-mandated occupancy limitations, which have implications for the number of staff that can work at one time in Service Canada Centres. Consequently, walk in clients must wait for service outside the office rather than in our waiting rooms,” the statement reads in part.

But Vis is chalking the delays up to poor planning.

“The government knew this was coming, and now they’re realizing the consequences of their own poor decision making,” he told CityNews. “The government of Canada effectively shut down passport renewals for a period of time and you were only able to get a renewal if you had a ticket out of the country preplanned.”

While the federal agency aims to process passports within 20 business days for mail-in applications, the wait is currently averaging at 26 days.

It notes that over the past several weeks, it’s seen passport request call levels rise from 5,000 a day prior to the pandemic to over 200,000 per day.

Check your passport

Allison Wallace, a travel agent with the Flight Centre, recommends anyone who has a trip abroad booked within the next few months to check their passport as soon as possible.

If it needs to be renewed, get on it right away.

“Get in there and be renewing your passport as soon as possible. There’s definitely a huge demand and we understand there is a lot of lineups and a lot of delays largely due to staffing issues and just catching up from the last two years,” she told CityNews.

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• Government bracing for surge in passport renewals

• Canada COVID travel changes signal busy season ahead

• Vaccinated travellers to Canada no longer need to be tested for COVID-19

However, if you’re looking to book an appointment around the Lower Mainland any time soon — you may be waiting a while. Many Service Canada offices don’t have any appointments left for the coming few weeks.

If there are no appointments available and you need a passport within 25 business days, Service Canada recommended you go to one of its locations and wait in line. You will need proof of your trip, such as an itinerary.

That option, however, will also likely result in some lengthy waits. Long lineups have been seen outside Service Canada renewal locations over the past several weeks, with many clearing their days to wait for a spot.