FAQs

More information is available at the following website: http://www.victimsfirst.gc.ca/

A passport costs $87 and is valid for five years. You will need a valid passport to travel abroad in most cases.

As of January 23, 2007, passports will be required for all air travel to the United States. As soon as January 1, 2008, passports will also be required for all land and sea travel into the United States. For more information, please view the following websites: http://www.passportcanada.gc.ca/index.aspx?lang=e

You can pickup a passport application at our constituency office in Abbotsford or at any Canada Post outlet. Currently, passport applications can take 3 months or more to be processed. This is due to the heavy workload resulting from the new U.S. air travel requirements.

As of April 11, 2007, Abbotsford has had its own Passport Receiving Office. Thislocal service is a receiving office, not a full service passport office.In other words, staff are limited to doing a preliminary review of the application and ensuring that the required supporting documents are enclosed.The completed application is then sent to Ottawa for processing.Staff do NOT approve applications, they simply make sure that the application is complete.

The Abbotsford office has informed us that it presently can only process approximately 70 - 90 applications per day.Staff likely won’t be able to accommodate everyone, but this may change over time as staff members adapt to the increased work load.

What benefit do we get from having a local receiving office?The most common reason for passport applications being rejected is that the application has either been filled out wrong or is missing some required supporting documentation.Delivering the application to the Abbotsford office will reduce the number of deficient applications.It also ensures that the Passport Office has received your application, rather than relying on letter mail.

Here are some suggestions to make your experience a more pleasant one.Those wanting to ensure service are encouraged to arrive early in the morning.Unfortunately, line-ups outside are inevitable at this time.If you do not want to surrender your existing passport or birth certificate for 2 to 3 months (photocopies are not permitted at this time), or need a new or renewed passport in less than 3 months, please use the Surrey Passport Office. Finally, make sure you apply for your passport well in advance of any future travel date (at least 3 months).

We realize that some of our residents have found their recent experience with Passport Canada downright frustrating.Our office is working very closely with Passport Canada staff to explore ways of delivering improved passport services in Abbotsford.

Thank you for your ongoing patience as we work to resolve an overwhelming workload at Passport Canada.

The most important thing you can do is to try and reduce your debt before the loan is sent to a Collections Agency. When that happens, there is very little an MP's office can do to assist a constituent.

Some key telephone numbers to keep in mind: 1-888-819-2516 for the National Student Loan Centre; 1-888-815-4514 if a student has attended a public post-secondary institution and 1-888-587-7452 for a private post-secondary school.

Further information is also available here:
 

Applications are available in our constituency offices, HRSDC offices and on the federal government's website by clicking here . You must include a primary document (e.g. a birth certificate) in the application.

The federal government will charge you $10 to replace your card. It's faster and more convenient for you to apply in person at an HRSDC office (e.g. Abbotsford), and you won't have to part with your valuable identification documents.

Your card should be received by mail within three weeks from the date you submit your application, providing your application meets all relevant criteria.

Applications are available at our constituency offices, on-line by clicking here or at any HRSDC office. It takes 4-6 weeks for an application to be processed with all necessary documents, including your Record of Employment (ROE) from your last employer.

You'll also need your Social Insurance Number (SIN), personal identification such as your driver's license and your complete bank information.

You can apply for EI benefits if you've paid into the EI account and you are unemployed. You can receive regular benefits, maternity, parental and/or sickness benefits, fishing benefits and compassionate care benefits.