Ugh Passport Woes

the only way to get it rushed is if i do it in person, which I can't do.

I was under the impression from what I've read online that I don't need a passport to enter canada by land.

I wouldn't know-haven't done it in over 10 years as a child. Has anyone done it? If so is it easy?

If you are a Canadian citizen and if you have a copy of your birth certificate, you Do NOT need a passport to enter Canada. Yet. As of June 1, 2009, you will need a passport for just about everything.

Windsor would be pretty easy. The hardest part would be getting to downtown Detroit from the Airport, about 40 km.

There is a city bus that runs between Downtown Detroit and Windsor. Once you clear customs in Canada, (similar to the Greyhound), you could easily walk the 5 minutes from the customs office to the Passport office as well.

I have a few questions about getting a new Canadian Passport. Does anyone know if.
1. Can we apply in person in Canada, but have the passports sent to the US
2. Has anyone ever done an "in lieu of guarantor" and if so, does it take a lot longer or present any other problems?
3. Can my adult son and daughter act as guarantors? They meet the other criterion.
4. Can the Canadian Consulate in Chicago help us with any of this?
5. If we mail them from the US, will we be able to visit Canada and return without them if it's before June, 09?
Thanks all.J

I think, generally, getting a passport is really a pain in the neck. You just joined the club.

The guarantor policy is a pain. I am a Canadian citizen working in Asia, and I was not originally from this Asian country either. I do not completely understand why a guarantor of specific profession(s) is required to sign our passport applications. This is the clause from the adult passport application for Canadians residing outside of Canada that I am referring to.

"A guarantor is a person other than yourself who confirms your identity. Your guarantor must perform free of charge the following
THREE (3) tasks:
1. Complete and sign the "Declaration of Guarantor" section. (Ensure you have completed and signed the form before submitting
it to your guarantor.)
2. Write "I certify this to be a true likeness of (your name)" on the back of ONE (1) of your photos, and sign.
3. If applicable, sign and date a copy of each document to support your identity (see instruction no. 5 "Documents to Support
Identity").
Your guarantor:
• must have known you personally for at least TWO (2) years*;
• must be included in ONE (1) of the following groups:
– dentist, medical doctor – notary public
– judge, magistrate, police officer – practising lawyer, notary
– mayor – signing officer of a bank.
The list above is not a recognition or endorsement by Passport Canada of professional status or superior qualifications.
• must live within the jurisdiction of the Canadian government office providing passport services;
• must sign the "Declaration of Guarantor" section on your application form;
• must sign the statement on the back of ONE (1) of your photos; and
• must be accessible to Passport Canada for verification.
If you have not known an eligible guarantor for at least TWO (2) years, complete a "Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor" form
PPTC 132, available from any Canadian government office providing passport services. This form must be completed at your expense
before a person authorized by law to administer an oath or solemn affirmation. This may delay the processing time of the
passport."

1. Many developed nations like US and Japan, do not have a requirement for a guarantor, why is Canada still adopting this practice?

2. I know that this policy has since change for Canadians applying for passports within Canada. There is no longer a requirement of profession. A Canadian over 18, living in Canada, with a valid 5 year Canadian passport could be a guarantor. Will this ever apply to Canadians abroad?

3. The clause above states that "The list above is not a recognition or endorsement by Passport Canada of professional status or superior qualifications", but that IS exactly what it is implying - some professions are more qualified for this than others.

4. There are many people just working hard at non-professional jobs, odd jobs, part-time jobs within and without Canada. They do not "personally" know people who are lawyers, doctors, dentist, notaries, magistrates or signing officers of banks. Their lives and social domains just do not extend that far and wide. Not to mention some people are more introvert than others. Doctors in the Far East do not take time to talk other than the specifics of the consultation with their patients. This is by far more so in Asia than in Canada. It is a fundamental difference in culture that will not change. Doctors in Asia do not usually socialize with their patients to the extent they do in Canada. Also, people overseas do not understand the guarantor requirement and finding a qualified person to act as a guarantor is tough because their values, when it comes to responsiblity and trust, are different from those in Canada. "Personally" means that one has to be friends with their doctors or lawyers?

I have been abroad 5 years; and was told at the passport office that filling out a PPTC132 form (Declaration in lieu of Guarantor) "may not work because it is not acceptable in the eyes of Canadians that one does not know anyone of such description for over 2 years who could act as a guarantor". This is not a complaint of the officer but an inquiry on the policy. So, in other words, one may not be issued a passport because he/she does not know people from the right profession? I am now on a quest to find this guarantor.

Do we not trust the ability of the consulate officials to determine that the photos and identifications provided are able to "certify [that] this to be
a true likeness of" the applicant? There are many others who could attest that the person travelling on the passport is indeed the person represented in the passport. If a traveller turns out to be not the likeness of the photo/description in the passport, I am sure he/she will be picked up by foreign immigration.

This requirement does imply that we need to know people of certain profession to be issued a passport. It does imply that certain professions are more superior than others. It also encourages people to falsify information. This could be difficult for the travelling Canadian. This is a global economy, travelling will only become more prevalent. So, how can normal citizens like us lobby this issue? I read that the medical association lobbied this in Canada and that was why the policy in Canada was simplified. Why does it not apply to Canadians overseas?

That sound's terrible. I have to get a new passport and I live abroad too. I don't have any elegible guarantors so I'll have to sign the in Lieu of guarantor form under an official of the Canadian Embassy. It's gonna cost me 50 bucks for the signature. If my passport gets rejected because of the photos Would I have to pay the fee again? I have all my documentation necesary.