Passport Canada
www.passportcanada.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
News Release
December 9, 2008
The Simplified Passport Renewal Process is now available to Canadians living in the USA
Gatineau, QC, December 9, 2008 – Canadians living in the USA will now be able to apply by mail for a Canadian passport using the new, simplified passport renewal process. The process allows eligible applicants to apply using a shorter application form, without a guarantor, and without submitting proof of Canadian citizenship and supporting identification. Renewal applications are, however, subject to all current security verifications. The applicant must provide a completed form, including the current fee, two new photos, and their most recent passport.
The simplified passport renewal process for Canadians living in Canada came into effect in August 2007. It has been very well-received with approximately 40% of all adult passport applications currently originating within Canada being renewal applications. In widening the eligibility of the simplified renewal process to Canadians living in the USA who apply by mail, Passport Canada aims to improve accessibility to Canadian passport services and increase client satisfaction.
A list of all eligibility requirements is available at www.passportcanada.gc.ca.
|
Media Inquiries: |
Public Inquiries: |
Backgrounder
December 9, 2008
The Simplified Passport Renewal Process is now available to Canadians living in the USA
It is now easier for Canadians living in the USA to renew their Canadian passport. The Simplified Passport Renewal Process is now available to Canadians living in the USA who apply by mail, and is part of a broader effort to modernize Canadian passport services.
It allows current Canadian passport holders who meet certain eligibility criteria to renew their passport without submitting documentary evidence of citizenship, supplementary identification or a guarantor declaration.
Under the renewal process, eligible passport applicants are only required to submit a shorter form along with their most recent passport, the application fee and two new photos.
Canadians who meet the following eligibility criteria are now able to benefit from this process:
- At the time they applied for their previous passport, they must have been at least 16 years of age.
- Their most recent passport:
- Must have been valid for five years;
- Must have been issued in Canada (as indicated under "Issuing Authority" on page 2 of the submitted passport);
- Must have been issued within the last six years (or after August 1, 2003 if the passport was applied for by mail from the USA);
- Must not be damaged and must never have been reported as lost or stolen; and
- Must have been issued under their current name.
With this new process passport applicants save time and do not have to surrender important documents such as their birth certificates or citizenship cards for an extended period of time. It should be noted that renewal applications are still subject to all current security verifications.
A passport application form can be downloaded from Passport Canada's website: www.passportcanada.gc.ca. It can also be obtained at any Passport Canada service location, Service Canada Centre or Canada Post office. Canadians living in the USA can submit an application by mail, or in person at a Passport Canada service location (in Canada).
Since January 23, 2007, American law requires that Canadians travelling to the USA by air carry a valid passport or a NEXUS membership card. For more information on NEXUS, visit the Canada Border Services Agency website: http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/nexus/menu-eng.html.
Passport Canada wishes to remind Canadians that, in June 2009, American law will require that they carry a valid passport or other acceptable document in order to travel to the United States by land or sea.
|
Media Inquiries: |
Public Inquiries: |
