Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Passport Canada's mobile passport unit came to town last Wednesday and processed 125 passports.

The service visits remote areas to allow applicants to save some of the processing time required to obtain and renew passports.

"If you go to a passport counter or use the mobile unit it takes up to two weeks," said Jean Sebastien Bois, of Passport Canada. "If you use mail or a receiving agent, it's up to four weeks."

As a result of the U.S. State Department's Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative there has been a rush of people applying for passports. American rules now require Canadians entering the U.S. by air to have a valid passport. Starting in June 2009, the passport requirement will extend to land and water border crossings as well.

Passport Canada has made changes to help speed up the passport application procedure.

Since 2007, renewing a passport requires a shorter application form, two new photos, an application fee and surrender of the previous passport. Documents such as birth certificates or citizenship cards no longer need to be provided.

For new passport applicants, most Canadian adult passport holders can now act as guarantors.

"The objectives are to provide service to remote areas and border communities," said Bois. "The clinics increase the accessibility to passport services. It also minimizes delays due to incomplete applications and accelerates the application process. Between June 14, 2007 and April 22, 2008, the mobile passport unit had done 63 clinics in six provinces. It allowed us to accept over 12,680 applications.

"More than 35 clinics are scheduled between July and December this year."

Bois said peak season for passport processing is between November and March, and that it's quieter in the summer.