Renewing Cdn passport WHILE residing in the USA

[Flames9_RN 358]

Simplified Passport Renewal for Canadians in U.S. / Renouvellement de passport simplifié pour Canadiens aux É-U

From Connect2Canada / Lien Canada

Today at 11:43am

Canadians living in the United States will now be able to apply for a Canadian passport by mail 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.

In widening the eligibility for the simplified renewal process, Passport Canada aims to improve accessibility to Canadian passport services and increase client satisfaction.

A full list of eligibility requirements and the new form are available at www.passportcanada.gc.ca.

[Krikit 1,164]

Woot! Mine's up for renewal next year! Thanks Flames.

[warlord 73]

I'm still debating on if I'll even bother to renew the Canadian one now that I have a US passport. I hate to have two laying around all the time and the hassle of applying every 5 years for the Canadian one sucks.

On the good side that removal of the guarentor is definatly a huge plus. It was getting so hard to get anyone to sign mine since everyone in Canada that was valid to sign for mine have long dissapeard. Last time my dad had to find a vet that goes to their church to vouche for me even though he had only met me once or so in my life.

I don't even think anyone here qualified as dentists and doctors I haven't had for x many years. So good to see they removed that #######...

[Marilyn. 340]

wow that is awesome.. mine expired last November .. I haven't renewed it yet mainly because of money but partially because of that stupid guarantor thing...

[thetreble 19]

Sweeeeeett! I'm so thankful they decided to make it easier for me.

[antda 13]

Hi Flames9 and Everyone,

Thanks for the information about the Canadian passport. Good to know that they got rid of the stupid guarrantor rule that they had before, as frankly, what makes a person with the following professional credentials (insert some high paying job/employment position here listed on the general application form) that one has to know for at least 2 years (gee, one has to be "friends" with a "professional" for that long?), think that they are better than any other person with a lesser paying job/employment in terms of having the "qualifications" to be a "guarrantor" for verifying one's identity?

Still, it's one good step that passport Canada has taken in terms of making the passport application process easier, to get rid of the guarrantor requirement for most applications.

However, compared to other countries, they still have a long way to go in terms of making the application a lot less complicated and a lot less costly overall.

By the way, there are "restrictions" as to who can use this "simplified form", so read read carefully Everyone, as to if you can renew the process with this form without any problems. Otherwise, you'd have to go do the "general application form" and re-apply all over again (with the stupid guarrantor rules). For example in order to used the "simplified form", from what I've read: the expired passport cannot be damaged, not be reported stolen or lost, issued after August 2003 if you're in the USA, be valid for 5 years, be issued in Canada, and in the exact name as it was issued in.

However, for my situation, I think I'll just gamble for a year with an an expired Canadian passport in my maiden last name (which expires in a few weeks), wait for American citizenship (next year or the year after) to do the easier (no guarrantor and less restrictions) and more cost-effective/less expensive ($100 book or $20 card for 10 years in the USA, vs. $97 book (and no card option) for 5 years in Canada) solution of applying for an American passport in my married last name.

And yes, I would still like to get my Canadian passport renewed if they had a less restrictive and more cost-effective way of doing such!....Oh well, hopefully Passport Canada will learn and change more of its rules later.....

Good luck to Everyone, on the rest of your immigration journeys!

And to all of you who are renewing your Canadian passports, good luck with that too in getting your new passport as quickly and as problem-free as possible!

Ant (Still waiting at the VSC, Still waiting for Baby!)

Simplified Passport Renewal for Canadians in U.S. / Renouvellement de passport simplifié pour Canadiens aux É-U

From Connect2Canada / Lien Canada

Today at 11:43am

Canadians living in the United States will now be able to apply for a Canadian passport by mail 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.

In widening the eligibility for the simplified renewal process, Passport Canada aims to improve accessibility to Canadian passport services and increase client satisfaction.

A full list of eligibility requirements and the new form are available at www.passportcanada.gc.ca.

Edited December 19, 2008 by AntandD

[Emancipation 2]

This is good news I was dreading the renewal in 2010...

I think this has set my track for Naturalization.. I'll probably wait to file for naturalization until my 10 year card is almost used up now.. the timing all looks good to just wait.. of course the fees will probably go up again, but I can't win 'em all.

bummer just saw Ant's note about has to be issued before 2003.. gah.. oh well.. i know loads of physicians here, so guarantor won't be an issue on my end

Edited December 19, 2008 by Emancipation

[antda 13]

Hi,

Lol..Thanks for reading my note/post. But I thought it was "after 2003", that it mentioned on the Passport Canada website (either that, or my eyes are playing tricks on me again...I swear, pregnancy does funny things to one's body..lol...)

Ant

P.S. By the way, I forgot to mention another "restriction" when using the "simplified form": the passport applicant's former passport must issued when they are over the age of 16, in order to use this form. In other words, if you have a child and you want to renew their Canadian passport, you can't use the simplied form either.

bummer just saw Ant's note about has to be issued before 2003..

[Emancipation 2]

Ant.. I read what you wrote above to be if the passport was issued before 2003 it was okay.. but not after if you were living in the US.. but if it's after.. than I'm golden (2005 issue on my passport).

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Ok, here is the Passport Canada link where I found regarding the specific "restrictions/conditions" of the "simplified passport renewal process": http://www.passportcanada.gc.ca/cdn/ren.aspx?lang=eng

Hope this helps and clears up any further misunderstandings. Good luck everyone, on the rest of your immigration journey. And good luck too, if you are getting your Canadian passport renewed soon.

Ant (Still waiting at the VSC, Still waiting for Baby...)

[Krikit 1,164]

Bah. So that means I can't use the simplified process unless I keep my former name.

Oh, btw, congratulations, Ant, on your pregnancy!

[Marilyn. 340]

I got my passport in 2002 ..

also my passport is in my maiden name but I added my married name after...

[antda 13]

Hi Krikit and Everyone,

Likewise, I feel that I can't use the "simplified process" to change my passport from my former maiden last name to my married last name. So yeah, I can totally understand where you are coming from there...

Gee, don't they understand that women "have to" (ok, so maybe they don't have to, but a lot of women still do anyways) change their last names when they get married? And why can't Passport Canada make this process "simplier" for women with new married last names too? Isn't a copy of a marriage certificate sufficient enough for a "simplified process"?....

Lol...I guess I've come to the conclusion that Passport Canada seems to not favour "simplicity" for the following people and in regards to the following issues:

-Married women with married last names

-Children

-People with passports issued more than 5 years (in the USA) and 6 years (in Canada)

-People with lost and/or damaged passports

-Canadians in America (what gives with the $97 fee vs the $85 fee?)

-Non-Professionals (referring the guarrantor rule, which a "professional" is needed to prove identity)

-Non-Family members (they can't be used as references? what?)

-People who want a longer-lasting passport, and are tired of renewing their passport every 5 years, and wasting time and money because of this constant need of it to be renewed frequently

Again, Passport Canada has a long way to go to better improve their passport application process to make it more fair and more cost-effective for Everyone!

No wonder not too many Canadians want to renew their Canadian passports!

Ant (Waiting for an American passport instead...)

P.S. Thanks for the "congratulations" regarding my pregnancy. So far so good, (yes, even the all-day sickness is good), and I hope it will continue to go well for the rest of the pregnancy too....

Bah. So that means I can't use the simplified process unless I keep my former name.

Oh, btw, congratulations, Ant, on your pregnancy!

Edited December 20, 2008 by AntandD

[antda 13]

Hi Marilyn and Everyone,

Likewise, I did the $20 "married surname notation" in my maiden name Canadian passport too, so that it would correspond with my US Green Card and other documents/identification in my married last name. However, they don't offer that option anymore, as after June 2007 Passport Canada stopped issuing this notation to married women.

As well, that "married surname notation" is only valid as a "notation", as it is not in a machine-readable format, and therefore any travel bookings/reservations must still be made in the original "maiden name" in machine-readable format which the passport was issued in...

So if one needs to travel internationally with their married last name, they would have to re-apply all over again for a new Canadian passport...(using the 'difficult' general application process)...grrr....

Ant (Waiting for an American passport instead...)

also my passport is in my maiden name but I added my married name after...

Edited December 20, 2008 by AntandD

[Marilyn. 340]

Hi Marilyn and Everyone,

Likewise, I did the $20 "married surname notation" in my maiden name Canadian passport too, so that it would correspond with my US Green Card and other documents/identification in my married last name. However, they don't offer that option anymore, as after June 2007 Passport Canada stopped issuing this notation to married women.

As well, that "married surname notation" is only valid as a "notation", as it is not in a machine-readable format, and therefore any travel bookings/reservations must still be made in the original "maiden name" in machine-readable format which the passport was issued in...

So if one needs to travel internationally with their married last name, they would have to re-apply all over again for a new Canadian passport...(using the 'difficult' general application process)...grrr....

Ant (Waiting for an American passport instead...)

also my passport is in my maiden name but I added my married name after...

I was fine using my passport and my ticket was in my married name....