Renewing passport for Canadian citizen holding a US Green Card

[RebeccaAndPhil 5]

Hi there! My husband is a Canadian citizen and recently obtained his conditional US Green Card in January. He and I will be taking a trip back to his home country of Canada in late May. We are also planning on going on a cruise this September and want to have his passport renewed before then (it expires December 2010 so we'd like to get it renewed just in case they give us problems with the 6 month rule). Since he'll need his passport to go to Canada in May we can't send it out yet to renew it. My questions is, can he still go in person while we're in Canada to renew his passport, even though he doesn't live there anymore? Will they mail his new passport to our address in the U.S. if we apply in person in Canada?

Thanks in advance!

[RebeccaAndPhil 5]

I posted this in AOS but thought that maybe someone here might have gone through a similar experience and could help

My husband is a Canadian citizen and recently obtained his conditional US Green Card in January. He and I will be taking a trip back to his home country of Canada in late May. We are also planning on going on a cruise this September and want to have his passport renewed before then (it expires December 2010 so we'd like to get it renewed just in case they give us problems with the 6 month rule). Since he'll need his passport to go to Canada in May we can't send it out yet to renew it. My question is, can he still go in person while we're in Canada to renew his passport, even though he doesn't live there anymore? I figure since we're there we might as well get it renewed if possible! Will they mail his new passport to our address in the U.S. if we apply in person in Canada?

Thanks in advance!

[trailmix 77]

I'm moving your thread from Adjustment of Status from Work, Student to the Canada forum.

But the answer is yes, you can apply for it in person and have it couriered to a U.S. address: link

You may submit an application in person or have an application submitted on your behalf by an acceptable third party at a Passport Canada office in Canada. Please note that you must be 16 years of age or older in order to submit an application in person.

Passport delivery or pick-up

Regardless of the method and place of submission of the passport application, the passport is returned to the address of the applicant in the US by private courier service (overnight) from Passport Canada in Gatineau, Canada.

You also have the option of picking up the passport at a Passport Canada office in Canada. If you choose to pick up the passport in Canada, you must do so yourself. You cannot have a third party pick up your passport on your behalf.

[trailmix 77]

I have already moved your topic from the Adjustment of staus forum to the Canada forum

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/251223-renewing-passport-for-canadian-citizen-holding-a-us-green-card/

[RebeccaAndPhil 5]

I'm moving your thread from Adjustment of Status from Work, Student to the Canada forum.

But the answer is yes, you can apply for it in person and have it couriered to a U.S. address: link

You may submit an application in person or have an application submitted on your behalf by an acceptable third party at a Passport Canada office in Canada. Please note that you must be 16 years of age or older in order to submit an application in person.

Passport delivery or pick-up

Regardless of the method and place of submission of the passport application, the passport is returned to the address of the applicant in the US by private courier service (overnight) from Passport Canada in Gatineau, Canada.

You also have the option of picking up the passport at a Passport Canada office in Canada. If you choose to pick up the passport in Canada, you must do so yourself. You cannot have a third party pick up your passport on your behalf.

Ahh ok, thanks very much! That makes it much easier for us then

Any idea if we should go to a service center, passport center or either?

Out of this list here:

http://www.ppt.gc.ca/service/offices.aspx?lang=eng&chkSCC=on&chkCPC=on&postal=K1e1s9&chkPPTC=on&distance=25

we'd either go to the place on Ogilvie or Sparks St, are either OK? The post office charges $20 extra it says so forget that! lol

[Inky 1,110]

How long is he going to stay in canada? the passport renewal at a counter is aprox 2 week processing (not including mailing times)

I dont see anything on the website that says you cant apply if your in canada, I would assume as long as he has all the papers and forms etc he would be able to do it. But someone here may have experience in trying to do it.

[Hugglebuggles 60]

I know of one VJ user Ant+D+BabyA who did this fairly recently. Where in Canada is he from? I know for a fact the passport office in St. Catharines is used to seeing Canadian citizens who are now residents of the US, since it is one of the closer stations to the US border.

The one issue is that you will probably want to try very hard to have the passport in your hand when you cross back into the US. I know technically according to the CBP website a Green Card is enough to cross into the US, but they often ask to see your passport as well. If you are in need of your passport sooner than processing times suggest, they do offer expedited services for an extra fee. If you want next day service it's an extra $70 (owch!)

Take a look here: http://www.ppt.gc.ca/cdn/service.aspx?lang=eng&region=Canada

[Flames9_RN 358]

I submitted the paperwork for my Cdn passport from the USA last spring. Think I had it back in like 19 days,and I just sent it to Canada via snail mail, many courier the paperwork to canada.

[trailmix 77]

Any on that list would be fine - silly that the post office charges extra!

[antda 13]

Hi RebeccaandPhil,

Lol..I am the 'Ant+D+BabyA' that Hugglebuggles speaks about...And here is my reply to your post...

Yes, you can apply in person at ANY Passsport Canada office..

That's what I did last year in 2009...I applied to renew my expired Canadian passport in-person in St.Catherine's, Ontario, at the Passport Canada office there..

No problems.....

In fact, they returned the original documents back a few mins later, with no additional waiting...lol....

It was definitely easier to apply in person!

No need to worry about a lost Citizenship Card, lost Green Card, or other lost and hard to replace documents!

(besides, I needed my green card to get home to the USA too....lol..they definitely couldn't keep that!)

Turn around time for applying in-person in Canada and then having the passport sent to the USA: 2 weeks.... Via DHL....

Also, this is what I used, as identification....

1) Canadian Citizenship Card (in maiden name, and was of me when I was a child...)

2) Former Expired Canadian Passport (in maiden name)

3) US Marriage Certificate (in maiden name and married name)

4) US Green Card (in married name)

5) US NYS Driver's License (in married name)

And they had no problems with that either....

As well, you can read more about my Canadian passport application experience here too...

AntandD's Bad Luck and Good Luck Story (Part 2 of 2)... With US Immigration, Passport Canada, and Vehicles...

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/180242-antandds-bad-luck-and-good-luck-story-part-2-of-2/

Hope this helps too. Good luck with your passport application, travels, and immigration journey too...

Ant

Edited April 10, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[Krikit 1,164]

Duplicate threads merged.

Hi Rebecca. I went in person to a passport office to have mine renewed while I was visiting. A week later I picked it up. (They asked when I needed it.) My Mum renewed hers at the same time and didn't request expedited service. Her new passport was delivered to her home the day after I picked mine up.

Here are the questions they asked my references.

[RebeccaAndPhil 5]

Wow thanks for the great replies everyone! My husband is from Ottawa Canada and we'd probably go to the Passport Canada at this location:

240 Sparks Street, Level C, East Tower

Ottawa ON

Reading through the replies reminded me that we'd better make sure they don't take his passport or else we might have trouble getting back into the US Can't believe I hadn't thought of that one!

Is it a guarantee that they won't take your documents if you apply in person? I suppose if they say they need to keep anything we can always change our minds and mail in the application once we return to the US. We're only going to be in Canada for less than 1 week in May so we probably won't have time to wait and pick it up while we're there, eh?

Oh yeah and in case it matters, my husband is eligible to apply for the simplified renewal application and all it says to mail in with that is the application, fee, photos, and old passport. Does this mean he shouldn't need all the identification you brought Ant+D+BabyA? We can always bring it along just in case though..

Either way, as long as he has the new passport by our cruise in September then we are golden!

Edited April 11, 2010 by RebeccaAndPhil

[Inky 1,110]

When I applied in person they took all my stuff even my passport, they gave me a tracking slip and said I should pay the extra fee to see that I get everything back because if I didn't they may not send back the old passport. This was before my interview and I needed all the stuff back for the interview incl the old passport with the entry stamps. At the time I applied in person in hopes they wouldnt take them because I was worried I would have my interview and not have the papers. Got them JUST before the interview. I Haven't applied as a LPR yet for my name changed passport.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

If you are applying at the passport center they shouldn't need to keep your documentation - you are showing them the originals and they verify them at that time, then return the originals to your possession. They will keep his still valid passport so remember to ask for it to be returned as well - you will need to keep it for proof of immigration history - they will cancel it and return it to him with the new passport. Bring all of the documents suggested just in case they don't allow him to do the simplified form. I can't see why not, however, you don't want to run the risk of not having something you might need available so it is easier to bring it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

[Hugglebuggles 60]

When I renewed my passport I used the Simplified Renewal form, but they still wanted to see documentation from me- If I remember correctly they just asked to see prof of citizenship (my birth certificate) and a photo ID (my Ontario DL) and then returned them to me immediately. I asked for the old passport back and they returned it to me on the spot after cutting off the one corner to invalidate it.

If you'll be in Canada for a week I think that should be enough time. Just tell them when you're applying that you absolutely need your passport within the week because you'll be returning to the US. When I renewed they asked me specifically if I needed my passport within a certain time frame for travel, so they are aware of the different circumstances that might dictate a little bit of an emergency.