Gatineau, Québec - The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Foreign Affairs today announced a new guarantor policy for Canadian passports. This new policy allows most Canadian adult passport holders residing in Canada or the U.S. to act as guarantors for passport applications. Today's announcement is the next step in the continued efforts by Canada's New Government to improve passport services.
"Canada's New Government is taking positive action to improve passport services for Canadians. And unlike the previous government, we are delivering results. In only a few months, we have increased Passport Canada's capacity by 40%, we have launched the simplified passport renewal process and we are announcing today the new guarantor policy," said the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Under the new policy effective today, an eligible guarantor must:
* Be a Canadian citizen 18 years of age or older;
* Hold a five-year Canadian passport that is valid or has been expired for no more than one year;
* Have been 16 years of age or older when they applied for their own passport; and
* Have known the applicant personally for at least two years.
Demand for Canadian passports has more than doubled over less than a decade. In 1999-2000, Passport Canada issued 1.7 million passports. In 2006-2007, it issued 3.6 million passports and this fiscal year, the figure is expected to reach more than four million.
Now, any family member as well as any individual residing at the applicant's address may act as guarantor, provided he or she meets the requirements noted above. To simplify the verification of guarantor eligibility, Passport Canada will use its own database, thereby increasing the security and efficiency of the process.
For more information on travel documentation required for travel to the United States and upcoming changes due to the U.S. Western Hemispheric Travel Initiative, please visit: http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/agency/whti-ivho/menu-e.html.
the reason for the previous rules was that if you choose to be a guarantor for someone, you better think hard about it because you can lose your job (lawyer, doctor, professor). Now, I can open a gurantor service because i have a passport?
crazy!
Oct-06-2007 15:45
tatgirl
The Oracle
Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Washington DC
In the US u dont even need a guarantor. The whole thing is retarded, especially when:
A) you need to do this every time you renew
B) your passports only last 5 yrs
ON a side note, I just got a new US passport yesterday- it feels so 'thick'- I swear there's some serious hardware hidden in those pages now.
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Oct-06-2007 16:48
devnull
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Feb 2006
Location:
quote:
Originally posted by StereoPrincess
this is absolutely ridiculous!!
any joe shmoe can sign your applications!?!
the reason for the previous rules was that if you choose to be a guarantor for someone, you better think hard about it because you can lose your job (lawyer, doctor, professor). Now, I can open a gurantor service because i have a passport?
crazy!
you still have to know the person for 2 years.
The only reason the gov had higher requirements for guarantors is because they could revoke somthing worthy from the person signing.
For example, P.eng can loose their license, lawyers unable to practice etc etc
Now anyone with a passport can sign....should they fuck around...their passport will be revoked.
Oct-06-2007 17:05
chinamon
el shit disturbo
Registered: Nov 2000
Location: Markham, ON
quote:
Originally posted by devnull
you still have to know the person for 2 years.
The only reason the gov had higher requirements for guarantors is because they could revoke somthing worthy from the person signing.
For example, P.eng can loose their license, lawyers unable to practice etc etc
Now anyone with a passport can sign....should they fuck around...their passport will be revoked.
that dont mean shit. i can go up to apu at kwik-e-mart and pay him $50 and he will sign my application.
the old process worked fine. if it aint broke, dont fix it.
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Oct-06-2007 18:40
Yohan
Champion of Deep&Nu-disco
Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Kitchener, Ont, Soviet Canuckistan
quote:
Originally posted by devnull
you still have to know the person for 2 years.
The only reason the gov had higher requirements for guarantors is because they could revoke somthing worthy from the person signing.
For example, P.eng can loose their license, lawyers unable to practice etc etc
Now anyone with a passport can sign....should they fuck around...their passport will be revoked.
Question is how vigorously will this passport fraud thingy be investigated.
This would work if CSIS or RCMP can devote resources to investigate every case of possible fraud but right now, seems there's much security issues with this change.
Why not make the process of getting passport more strict, but increase the validity of passport to 10 yrs?
Originally posted by chinamon
not true. i say "ugh"
but i am a tranny.
quote:
Originally posted by kotsy
lol colour me retarded
Oct-06-2007 18:40
DigiNut
You kids get off my lawn!
Registered: Dec 2002
Location: Toronto, Self-proclaimed Centre of the Universe
It's about time that they did away with the ridiculous antiquated notarizing policy. It really didn't make much sense that I had to get my passport validated by a doctor who's seen me maybe 15 times in total for 10 minutes at a time (over several years of course), as opposed to my Dad who's a CGA and a Canadian citizen and has known me my entire life.
The point of a guarantor is just to prove to the government that you're really, truly a Canadian citizen. There's no valid reason why they should have to be a member of a specific profession for that. If the supposition here is that their license could be revoked if they are dishonest - when was the last time you ever actually heard of that happening?
Passports just identify you as a citizen. It's not like you're applying for assault weapons.
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Oct-07-2007 00:13
Nicolas Oliver
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Jul 2006
Location:
I need a passport.
Oct-07-2007 01:54
chinamon
el shit disturbo
Registered: Nov 2000
Location: Markham, ON
quote:
Originally posted by DigiNut
Passports just identify you as a citizen. It's not like you're applying for assault weapons.
im not? passports are fucking useless then.
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Oct-07-2007 02:13
tatgirl
The Oracle
Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Washington DC
We dont have guarantors in the US and yet we dont have a problem w/passport fraud as far as I know.
___________________
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Oct-07-2007 09:01
kotsy
Avatar Superstar
Registered: Jul 2006
Location: Underground
quote:
Originally posted by chinamon
that dont mean shit. i can go up to apu at kwik-e-mart and pay him $50 and he will sign my application.
