Need Help! Medical Emergency in Canada

[J&K 0]

As my topic indicated, my passport expired in January, and I've been having a heck of a time trying to get Canadian style passport photos....I've been to countless places (either the don't do them, or they lie, take the photo and it's incorrect).

Yesterday, my mom got the call for a lung transplant (she's in surgery as we speak) and I'm going to need to go up there.

What do I need to do? The only proof I have is my expired passport and birth certificate(s) (short and long form).

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Go to epassportphoto.com they do all sorts of country passport photos. Use a digital camera and do it yourself.

Good luck

[Golden_State 2]

I second epassportphoto.com - it's great! You can get 5 photos for as much as it costs to print a photo at a self-serve kiosk (typically 29 cents or so).

[Jo&Si 9]

Hi

Sorry for your mom...hope everything will be fine!

I think you can enter in Canada with your birth certificate if you travel with Air Canada...Someone stole my friend's passport when she was in Caribbean and she asked her family to send her birth certificate by Fedex and she could come back with Air Canada.

Don`t know if this is helpful for you...

Good luck

jo

[trailmix 77]

I assume you are flying, you have a couple of options.

You can contact your local Canadian embassy, they may be able to issue you a temporary travel document. You can drive up to Canada and that way you will only need your birth certificate. Or you can do as someone else mentioned and try to fly with Air Canada.

Good luck to your Mom!

[Udella&Wiz 325]

At least if you have to go to the embassy, you can hit DC pretty quickly. Why not give them a call?

Good luck to your mum!

[Spoom 8]

A Canadian Consulate (or Embassy) will give you an emergency travel document or a temporary passport on demand.

Emergency travel documents

Canadians stranded abroad may be issued emergency travel documents by Canadian Government offices abroad on behalf of Passport Canada.

...

Temporary passport

Selected Canadian Government offices abroad may issue temporary passports on behalf of Passport Canada to Canadians with an urgent and proven need for a passport, while they wait to receive a regular passport.

Here's a list of Canadian Government offices abroad, including in the United States.

Worst case scenario, the government offices may have an area to take passport photos.

Edited April 20, 2010 by Spoom

[J&K 0]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

My mom is doing great, despite having a double lung transplant

We'll be driving up, so I'll just go ahead and use my birth certificate. John was able to go into DC today and get his passport expidited (he picks it up at 2pm).

Probably won't be on here much to update.

Thanks for your help!

[Flames9_RN 358]

Safe trip and hope ur mom is doing well!

[Leafgal 3]

J & K, good to hear your mother is doing good. Safe drive and while you are in Canada make sure you swing by somewhere and get some passport pics taken (I am sure you would do that anyways) I know you must feel scattered right now, but soon you will be at her side. Good luck in her recovery.

[J&K 0]

Thanks flames and Leafgal

I'm going to actually get my passport done completely while I'm up there. I'll do the expedited process at the Scarborough office. Can't be at the hospital every minute.

When I get there, I believe the visiting hours start at 11am, so I'll hit Scarborough before I head into downtown.

I SHOULD have done all of this when I went to visit at Christmas, but me being the dummy, I didn't get the photos done.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Hospital secret--visiting hrs may be posted say from 0900 to 2000--but if ur quite and not too many people in the room, we let it slide!! At least we do at our hospital. Then again each patient has private rooms!!

[shawna7 4]

Thanks flames and Leafgal

I'm going to actually get my passport done completely while I'm up there. I'll do the expedited process at the Scarborough office. Can't be at the hospital every minute.

When I get there, I believe the visiting hours start at 11am, so I'll hit Scarborough before I head into downtown.

I SHOULD have done all of this when I went to visit at Christmas, but me being the dummy, I didn't get the photos done.

Just so you know..the Scarborough office is a nightmare! a total zoo..lol..go REALLY early..I got stuck waiting there for 3 hours once..just to hand in my docs..so glad your Mom is doing well! have a safe trip and make sure to grab some timmys for your wait at the passport office!

[J&K 0]

I've been to the Scarborough office before. Know all about the zoo

flames, thanks for the 'secret' but here, in the transplant area, they have specific visiting hours...no breaking them

I was going to see if the Whitby office could do the "urgent" request, but it looks like they only do the Express in which you have to go to Scarborough to pick up anyway.

So I go to Scarborough early (visiting hours probably won't start until 11am....so early we go!