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Minister Says Passport Application Backlog Eliminated

Families, Children and Social Development Minister Karina Gould says service times for passport applications have returned to pre-pandemic levels

Some positive news if you need to apply for a passport.

Families, Children and Social Development Minister Karina Gould says service times for passport applications have returned to pre-pandemic levels, and the backlog has been eliminated. 

Last summer, Canadians saw extensive wait times, which officials blamed on a spike in demand for travel as COVID-19 restrictions eased. 

Gould says service times at specialized passport offices is now ten business days, while mail-in and Service Canada applications take about 20 business days. 

She also announced a new digital tool to check the status of an application online. 

As well, Gould notes the added capacity at Service Canada locations will help with handling another surge in requests. 

This summer, the first wave of 10 year passports will expire. 

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