Question Period Note: Passport Services

Service Canada is currently experiencing a seasonal peak with higher than forecasted passport applications resulting in an increase in line-ups for in-person service.

• Service Canada Centres experience seasonal peaks throughout the year, with the main peak usually occurring around common travel times. During those periods, it is possible to see longer lineups at passport offices and Service Canada Centres.
• Sites that see longer lineups implement an Integrated Client Experience Strategy that ensures consistent line management practices, including:
o Triaging clients in line based on travel need and/or appointment
o Offering extended hours of service and week-end appointments
o Promotion of appointments
o Promoting alternative service options (e.g. 20 day service at nearby Service Canada Centres)

Service Canada is continually exploring strategies and processes to improve the client experience and wait times, including:
• exploring and piloting new queuing technologies to provide clients greater flexibility when visiting an office
• exploring feasibility of offering online wait time estimates for all Service Canada Centres, to help clients prepare for visiting an office

In response to the 2022 passport surge, Service Canada introduced a variety of new measures to improve passport service delivery and decrease wait times for Canadians.
• expanding the simplified renewal application to any adult passport issued in the last 15 years
• launching the appointment booking tool that directs clients to the right location for service
• providing online wait time estimates 3 times per day for all passport offices and select Service Canada Centres, to help clients prepare to visit an office
• launching the Passport Application Status Checker, allowing Canadians to easily track the status of their application online
• expanding the delivery of passport services to select scheduled outreach sites and conducting Passport clinics to help meet the passport needs of rural and remote communities.
• increasing access to 10-day service to 22 Service Canada Centers across the country

For 2023-2024 fiscal year, the overall service standard for the total fiscal year closed at 92%, above the 90% performance target.

For 2024-2025, as of the week starting April 15, 2024, Service Canada has received almost 110K applications compared to 52K in 2023 for the same period and issued over 119K passports compared to 56K in 2023 for the same period; of which 73% of all applicants received their passport within the 10- or 20-business day service standard (the target is 90%).
For 2024-2025, for the week starting April 15, 2024, 73% of Canadians who have applied for a passport received it within service standard compared to 99% in 2023 for the same period.
• 79% who applied in-person at a specialized passport office received their passports within 10 business days compared to 99% in 2023 for the same period.
• 67% of Canadians who applied by mail or at a Service Canada Centre received their passports within the 20-day service standard compared to 98% in 2023 for the same period.

The lower service standards starting in 2024-2025 stem from higher out of standard inventory carried over from fiscal year 2023-2024 resulting from Service Canada receiving higher than expected volumes since the beginning of January 2024.

While the 90% service standard was not met last week, the 90% standard was only missed by four days for in-person (90% provided within 14 days) and four days for mail (90% within 24 days) services, and was met for the last fiscal year in average with 10 days for In-Person and 20 days for mail

• Intake volumes are over 50% higher than they were the same period in 2023.

• Passport services are available in 585 points of service across the country.

• The average wait time is less than an hour and a half in Passport offices.

• Average wait times have decreased by up to 30 minutes since a peak in January.

• While seasonal peaks affect all offices, the majority of offices have the capacity to manage the volumes with low wait times. It is only in select urban centres, such the Greater Toronto Area and Ottawa, which have wait times that exceed an hour and a half.