Changes make getting Canadian passport a little easier

By Ken Johnston
Editor

Haven’t applied for your passport yet? Well the Canadian Government has recently implemented some changes to the process to make getting it easier.
For those who presently hold a valid Canadian passport they will be able to renew it much easier. In the past they basically had to reapply, submitting the same documents as a first time applicant. As of August 15, 2007 all they will have to do is fill out a shorter form, get two new photos and send in the same fee as a new applicant.
New applicants will also find the process of obtaining a passport a bit easier. As of October 1, 2007 the guarantor policy has become much easier to follow. Before that date the guarantor had to be a professional approved by the government (i.e. a doctor, pharmacist, accountant, etc.). Now the guarantor can be another passport holder such as a family member or a friend. They must hold a five year passport that is valid or expired for no more than one year. They can reside at the same address as the applicant and must have known them for at least two years. They have to be at least 18 years of age and had to have applied for their passport at 16 years of age or higher.
The government expects that this latest change for guarantor declarations will allow them to save time by verifying guarantor information from its own database rather than occupational directories.
While governments on both sides of the border have talked about developing another acceptable form of identification at the border, nothing concrete has been proposed or accepted by the United States. At present they are still saying all people will need a passport or a NEXUS card to gain entry into the U.S. in the near future. Dates for full implementation of that requirement keep getting changed as passport offices in both countries are swamped with applicants.
The NEXUS option is designed to expedite the border clearance process for low-risk, pre-approved travellers into Canada and the United States.
However, it is much more indepth of an application process and applicants must be approved by both countries, submit to an interview by the customs agency of their opposite country (i.e. Canadian applicants will be interviewed by US Customs and visa versa). They will also have to be fingerprinted and cannot have any convictions for criminal offenses in either country that are not pardoned.