Immigration Announcement
Some passport services are available now in Canada
The coronavirus pandemic caused many problems for Canadian immigration. However, the situation is slowly coming under control, and hence things are opening up within the country. Canadians who need to secure a passport immediately will now be able to send their applications via mail. However, there are certain conditions that the candidate has to fulfill in order to be eligible for this benefit.
Who can use the services?
Canadians who plan to travel within the next 30 days, or require their passport urgently for some other purpose will now be able to request in-person appointments. On the other hand, people who do not have upcoming travel plans should hold off on applying for a passport.
A government media release states that Canadians who do not need their passports immediately should wait until the situation improves further. There will be a significant delay in processing times for passports because of the high demand and the safety measures that have been introduced to protect the staff.
Canada also decided to extend the easy renewal process that lets people apply for the renewal of their passport without having to resubmit all their citizenship documents along with a guarantor declaration. If someone has a passport that expired on or after February 1, 2019, they can take advantage of this simplified process within a span of two years post the expiry date.
How to go about it?
Service Canada Centers are offering passport services by appointment. If you are interested, you can visit the Canadian government webpage, where you will find an online tool that will help you find the closest Service Canada location.
Ahmed Hussen, former-immigration minister, said in a media release that the clients who require a passport in less than a month should request for an appointment immediately.
