This message is not really related to any citizenship queries, and hence posting it under "general" category.
In case you are applying for a Canadian passport, you can use their online services. This does not mean PRINTING THE PDF, but actually logging into their site and filling in all the details online. The only thing you need to take care, is to make sure that your printout is as per their requirements. You may have to adjust your margin settings. But a good look in print preview should be OK. I used IE on my work computer. Not sure if it works with Firefox.
The advantage of online application??? After waiting in line on Saturday morning for few minutes, once I was called inside, I was given a separate waiting number and was then called immidiately. No waiting for your number to get called. It is good feeling to be get bumped ahead of 100 odd waiting people. I was out of passport office in 15 mins
Meghal
Location: Brampton, ON - Canada
Posted on: 31-07-06 12:18:46
Can you please tell me how to do that?? what is the website and what do u mean by online application and then what is taking a printout u mean we have to fill an application online print it and then submit it physically I am confused can you please guide me thru. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Parag.
Location: God's own country
Posted on: 09-08-06 12:08:48
Hello CD's,
I applied for my Canadian passport today.
Since i did not know anyone who can sign for me as a guarentor for free, i used an African notory to sign for me in the guarentor form (PPT 132) for $25 @ Islington and Albion intersection. He also signed the back of my passport photo's certifying that it is a true likeness of me.
Today i went to submit the application form. My agent was an Asian lady with a headcovering. She told me that i was not supposed to bring the form PPT 132 signed by a guarntor but that i should have found someone else to have signed it to me for free (like a family doctor, dentist etc..). I told her that even though i was in Canada for 4 years that it was very hard to find a job and even harder to keep it. I also told her that my employer was exploiting me by making me work long hours and not paying overtime and this in turn has curtailed my time to interact with the Cdn. society. She was not convinced but she told me that she will accept it this time but not the next time. She also asked me if i did not know a dentist by this time. I said no. (the actual reason was that my dentist took my $1500 insurance in just 3 months last year and i paid $300 for the 20-80 ratio insurance. She used to call me every week asking me to come again to have my teeth fixed. I then told her that i have moved to USA.)
I was pretty peeved. In the 4 years that i was here, i had tried so hard to come up in life but i could not. Was it my fault that i could not find anyone to sign for me? Do CD members think that my experience at the Mississauga passport office is an harrasment? Is the Cdn. govt. justified in pushing for passport applicants to have the application form signed by a guarentor known to the applicant?
Just my experience and views.
TK A
Sidenote -> One thing i was happy was that even though my pic. came out dark, the agent took it with out a single question. I donot know why most of the passport pictures taken come dark. When i took my photo for my PR card and citizenship, it came back asking for a brighter one. Though i used Black's , it still came out very dark. I belive that a good photo studi recommendation by senior desi's will help other junior CD's applying for Citizenship, passport etc....
Afternote to Desi # 1 -> The face looks very dark in all the photo's and not the cloths. Light colored cloths can make you look brighter too, i guess. My friend took pictures at walmart and he had them take it 7 times before he was satisfied with one. Even that one, the passport office rejected it. He then spoke to the supervisor and told him that it was the 7 th. round of picture that he had brought. The supervisor then asked the agent to accept it.
I was a member of Etobicoke Costco but i did not find a photo studio in it. Which branch of Costco are you talking about?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I am a Gents and not a Ladies.
Quote:
Originally posted by PARAGMEHTA
Can you please tell me how to do that?? what is the website and what do u mean by online application and then what is taking a printout u mean we have to fill an application online print it and then submit it physically I am confused can you please guide me thru. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Parag.
It is ppt.gc.ca or canada.gc.ca and go to passport applications
It is called epass, where you are required to fill in lot personal information for authentication. Once you complete your application, take that to passport office. All people who have filled in application in advance are given priority over people sitting there. It is jumping the queue
TK wrote "Sidenote -> One thing i was happy was that even though my pic. came out dark, the agent took it with out a single question. I donot know why most of the passport pictures taken come dark. When i took my photo for my PR card and citizenship, it came back asking for a brighter one. Though i used Black's , it still came out very dark. I belive that a good photo studi recommendation by senior desi's will help other junior CD's applying for Citizenship, passport etc...."
It all depends on clothing you are wearing. If your face is clear, passport office is not bothered for your shoulder width or color of your shirts.
Costco - $5.67+taxes.......provided you have membershio otherwise spend $ 50 for membership
Location: God's own country
Posted on: 09-08-06 14:19:39
Hello CD members!
Just now the Canadian passport office people called me.
I had to give two references who were not my relatives. I gave it but one of them was our distant relative. I was introduced to these distant relative by an Adult female memeber. So i told the Adult female member to tell them that i was giving their name as reference and told the Adult female to specifically tell them that when the cdn. passport officials called , that this individual should tell them i was a family friend. The passport officials called them now and by mistake the distant relative told them that we were related.
So the cdn. passport officials called me and said that i could not use that name as a reference and told me to give another one. They said just the name and phone no. was sufficient. I gave them a desi co-workers number in my office and put the cdn. passport officials line to HOLD. Then i ran to the desi co-worker and told him the situation and quickly wrote my full name , DOB in a paper and told him to pick the line.
What the cdn. officials asked him was :
Where was i born, when did i get married, how many kids do i have, what work do i do, how did we know each other and for how long, what was our company doing? Please note that many of this info. is not on the passport application form and the desi co - worker could not answer many of the questions. But the Cdn. passport officials did not say anything more.
This experience is just to inform other Desi CD members the potential risks involved if giving a checkable reference.
TK A
Sidnote : Cdn. passport officials are so fast. I submitted the application form at 8:45 am and i got this call at 2:05 pm. Canadian people are so fast and efficient in their work , even though this is a Cdn. Govt. office.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I am a Gents and not a Ladies.
Good running commentary!
