As passport delays continue across the country, an online tool on the Canadian government’s website allows travelers to check the expected waiting time at their nearest passport office.
Waiting times are published three times each working day, at 9:30 am, 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm local time.
“It’s just to give people a sense of the difference across the country, but also what they can expect,” Karina Gould, minister of families, children and social development, told CTV’s Your Morning on Wednesday.
Gould noted that waiting times vary considerably by province, as some cities see a larger jump in demand than others.
“What we actually see in Ontario and other places across the country is that if you’re in line, it’s moving pretty well all day. And you know, we get about 150 to 200 people, so you can wait four or five hours, but they’ll see you that day, “she said.
However, according to Gould, Montreal sees a daily influx of 400 to 700 people a day, leading to a waiting time that extends to days instead of hours.
Police were called on Tuesday to help manage the crowds at the passport office in downtown Montreal as many hopeful passengers camped at night to secure their place in the queue.
Reviving interest in travel after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a sharp rise in passport applications, creating huge backlogs that are forcing some Canadians to cancel or reschedule their travel plans.
Some people advertise services to stand in line for passport applicants for a fee, while a Vancouver woman buys a return flight to Edmonton just to get her document in time to travel to Las Vegas.
A statement from Service Canada in May said it had hired 600 new staff to process passport applications and opened additional special passport counters at more than 300 centers.
Gould said part of the hiring of new employees means that there will already be a system in place to sort passengers arriving at passport offices before the waiting time is announced.
Passengers will be given tickets and told at what time window to return to make sure they are served, Gould said.
“There should be no reason for people to wait in line,” she said.
With files from Michael Lee
Add Comment