Minister Gould announces 10-day passport pick-up service is now available at four additional Service Canada Centres 

From: Employment and Social Development Canada

News release

September 23, 2022    Gatineau, Quebec    Employment and Social Development Canada 

Service Canada staff are working hard to serve Canadians and decrease passport wait times as they work through unprecedented demands. Since April 1, 2022, over a million Canadian passports have been issued. Service Canada continues to introduce a variety of new measures to improve passport service delivery. The triage system introduced this summer in 17 of our 35 passport offices has made a significant impact in reducing lineups and redirecting Canadians to the appropriate means to access service.

Today, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, announced the designation of four additional passport pick-up locations across the country in addition to the eight that were already announced. Effective immediately, Canadians with proof of travel can now apply for and pick up their passport at the following Service Canada Centres:

Unlike the regular Service Canada Centres, these 12 locations offer 10-day service, which means that Canadians can apply for a passport in one of those locations and the passport will be available in 10 business days, either by mail or in-person pick-up. If Canadians need their passport in less than 10 business days, they will need to visit a passport office that offers express or urgent pick-up service.

The expansion of pick-up sites will allow many Canadians who need to pick up passports to do so closer to their homes. Service Canada is continuing its efforts to provide passport services within 50 km of home.  

Quotes

“Service Canada is committed to our ongoing efforts to reduce the turnaround times for issuing Canadian passports and to improve delivery of government services. We will continue to identify gaps and areas of improvement to ensure Canadians receive the highest quality of service.”

– Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould

Quick facts

  • Since April 1, 2022, Service Canada has issued 1,096,384 passports.

  • For the week of September 12 to 18, 2022, Service Canada issued 68,550 passports.

  • Beginning the week of June 20, triage measures were implemented in 17 passport offices across the country.

  • On July 25, Service Canada expanded the passport pick-up service to five additional passport offices: Brampton, Whitby, Pointe-Claire, Calgary Sundance and Richmond.

  • On July 29, Service Canada announced that Canadians who provided a completed application by mail more than 20 business days ago, and are travelling within the next 20 business days, can visit any of over 300 Service Canada Centres to make a transfer request to ensure their application is processed in time for their travel.

  • Since August 17, Canadians with proof of travel have been able to apply for and pick up their passport at Service Canada Centres, namely Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Kingston, Charlottetown, Lethbridge and Red Deer, in addition to the four cities announced today. 

Associated links

Contacts

Mohammad Hussain
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould
mohammad.a.hussain@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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