Hamiltonians can check wait times before visiting passport office
Hamilton residents can now check the wait times ahead of their visit to a passport office.
Passport Canada has launched a new tool on their website, letting people watch over the long wait times for walk-in services at various Service Canada locations across the country.
Both Hamilton locations - Hamilton East and Hamilton Main - are updating their estimated wait hours three times a day - at 9:30 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. - to let people know about potential delays.
On Wednesday, for instance, waiting hours at the two Service Canada offices ranged between three to five hours.
Service Canada saw an unprecedented increase in demand for passport services" in April and May after the pandemic-related restrictions lifted - leading to long lineups and longer wait times.
To fast-track the process, the federal agency had stepped up with immediate measures last month, including pre-pandemic in-person service capacity, opening all passport services counters across Canada and hiring additional 600 new employees across Canada.
Since April, Service Canada has received over 542,000 applications seeking passport services, which are currently being processed based on the urgency of travel.
Those travelling within two business days can request an urgent pickup at any of the 35 specialized passport offices across Canada.
The processing time for those travelling within three to 45 days is two weeks, the agency said. Service Canada expanded this window for applicants - which was earlier prioritizing travels within 25 days.
Under the revised requirements, Service Canada is asking applicants to bring proof of travel if their trip is scheduled within 45 days.
The agency is still experiencing very high call volumes right now," and is advising residents to wait" if they do not have travel plans in the next two weeks."
Those not travelling within 45 days will also have to wait up to nine weeks for their applications to get processed.
At Hamilton Main Service Canada on Upper James Street, residents can sign up for express and urgent passport pickup services, while the Hamilton East office only offers standard pickup.
Service Canada had earlier told The Spectator that although processing times are currently longer than prior to the pandemic, 85 per cent of Canadians who apply for passports currently receive their passports within 40 business days."
During 2020-21 fiscal year, the average wait time for applicants applying via mail was within 20 days, while those applying in-person got their requests processed within 10 days.
Ritika Dubey is a reporter at The Spectator. rdubey@thespec.com