Are you planning a family trip, or a quick getaway?
You may need to apply for a passport or renew your current passport. Before you do so, make sure that you are not wasting your time and money and getting denied at the end.
Passport Canada can and may deny you from getting a passport for the following reasons:
- You did not fill out the form correctly.
- You have been charged with an indictable offence in Canada or another country. In other words, no passport for you if you've been charged with a crime that you could be sentenced for more than 2 years while you're waiting for a trial. Even if you're completely innocent, until a judge finds you not guilty, you will likely be denied a passport. Even if the offence is a minor one in the other country, if it is indictable in Canada, it's treated that way while applying for a passport.
- You're in prison, or in prison part-time.
- You're on parole, probation, work release, alternative measures, conditionally discharged, or not allowed to leave the country for some reason determined by a judge or the Parole Board of Canada.
- You've committed some crime involving passports, like forging a passport or lying on a passport application.
- You got stuck in a foreign country, and the Canadian embassy/consulate loaned you money which you have not paid back.
One must also remember that just because you have a passport does not mean you can travel into another Country. For example, in the United States of America; even though one may have a passport or even a Record Suspension they may still be denied entry because the U.S does not recognize a Canadian Record Suspension.
They have their own application that needs to be compiled and processed called the U.S Entry Waiver.
If you believe that you may be denied for any of the reasons listed above; do not hesitate to contact our offices and inquire about getting a Record Suspension or US Entry Waiver.
Passport Canada Processing times
If you plan to travel within the next 20 business days, please apply in person at a Passport Canada office.
- In person at a Passport Canada office: 10 business days
- In person at a receiving agent (Service Canada or Canada Post): 20 business days
- By mail in Canada: 20 business days
- By mail from the United States: 20 business days
- In person at a Government of Canada office abroad: 20 business days
