PSAC Strike: How the passport renewal pause may disrupt upcoming travel plans

Most passport renewals are suspended during the PSAC strike, with only urgent requests being processed at this time.

Passport services are only available for the following reasons:

• Clients at risk of financial hardship
• Clients who rely on travel as a source of employment, and their income security will be jeopardized
• Clients who must travel for medical reasons, or have death or illness in the family
• Clients whose situation is deemed urgent on compassionate grounds

“What is not an emergency, is a planned family trip,” clarifies travel expert Martin Firestone. As the federal strike drags on, Firestone is particularly concerned for people who have passports expiring within the next six months.

“Many countries will not accept that as being a valid passport. If I only have four months to my renewal, can I go away tomorrow? The answer in many cases is no.”

Firestone estimates Service Canada roughly receives 25,000 passport renewal requests per day.

His concern is we may see the return of long lines at passport office if the strike continues — similar to when pandemic travel restrictions lifted last year.

“The damage is done,” Firestone said. “Seven, eight or nine days of passport closure is going to result in a long delay regardless.”