Source
r/ontario•
SmallPotatoK

Anyone has experience with the passport file transfer recently? (Urgent and Panicking…)

Discussion

A bit of background, I applied for my first passport early March this year and still haven’t received the passport. I have a travel date on July 21st (4 days from the day I write this), I have requested the file transfer on July 7th, and they said that the passport office will call me after. And nope haven’t heard back from them since the 7th…

Long story short, the line at the passport office is… 12 hours long. I wanna know if I have to go through that (12 hours in the line) if they call back and tell me whenever the passport is ready. Or do I walk straight in and pick it up? Also, if it happens to be on the unfortunate side, is it even an option for me to get out of Canada without a passport (yet)? I’m a dual citizen btw. I’m grateful for any help there is. Thank you!

Posted Jul 18, 2022, 3:45 AM UTC

08
sweetde80•

I heard recently that passport offices are only doing people with flights departing within 48h.

The backlog is INSANE. I'm so glad i renewed a few years back and got the 10 years. The stress people are on and the amount of time off work to complete it... Insane.

9
SmallPotatoKOP•

Yes, people literally lining up over night for it, I’m like what???!!!! It’s indeed stressful and more so frustrating…. I applied a few months prior to my travel plan, did everything they asked and out of the blue I have to deal with this, plus have to devote extra time and money on something I didn’t do wrong… like, how is it even a thing. I get that it has been a disasters with covid and post-covid, but at least get some emergency law in place like let people come back to canada with citizenship proof or expired passport until this crazy wave is done.

-1†
LeafsChick•

Same happened to me, North York called and said they could transfer it, then would call with an appointment. I just went down, lined up, paid the fee and got it

4
[deleted]•

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1
Frecklefishpants•

reach out to your MP

2
OTTverve•

When I transferred in April the local office called me 48 hours in advance to email proof of travel and provide the extra $65 payment. I was told to pick up at 1pm the day before travel.

If you call the call centre again they can check in their system if the local office “accepted the transfer”

If you don’t hear from the local office I would go line up the day before travel. You will get prioritized with your proof of travel. No need to line up all night imo.

2
SmallPotatoKOP•

When they call you to pick it up, you just walk straight in right? Or do we still need to line up anyway?

1
OTTverve•

There was a line up just for pick ups. Pick up was 1-3 and I arrived just before 1. Once they started the pick ups at 1:15 they had like five tellers going and I was out within 5 min (maybe 20th in the line)

1
SmallPotatoKOP•

Thanks, good to know, I literally wish there are 48 hours a day now with all the packing, passing down job stuff before I go and now this @.@

1