Even more Canadian passports are in limbo almost one month into the Canada Post strike.
In early November, Service Canada put a temporary hold on mailing out passport packages after November 8, 2024.
“By holding residential mail several days in advance of a work stoppage, Service Canada has reduced the risk of having any passports held in Canada Post distribution centres,” Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) spokesperson Maja Stefanovska told Daily Hive.
Just days after 55,000 employees represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) began the nationwide Canada Post strike, the agency said 85,000 passports were already being held.
In an update on Wednesday, Stefanovska told Daily Hive that as of December 1, approximately 185,000 passports that were printed and ready to be mailed are being held by Service Canada.
In a release on Wednesday, Canada Post said it reviewed the latest offer from the CUPW and “determined that the union’s demands are unaffordable and unsustainable – adding billions of dollars in long-term fixed costs.”
“Added up, all the demands in CUPW’s latest offers would cost more than $3 billion over four years, at a time when the postal service is already recording large financial losses,” stated the postal service. “Some of the big-ticket items include wage increases and staffing changes.”
The union’s latest statement from Tuesday said it just wants its members to “have good collective agreements, with their rights protected.”
What to do if your passport is being held during the Canada Post strike
ESDC said the hundreds of thousands of passports on hold will be mailed out once the labour disruption is over and regular mail service resumes.
According to Canada Post, once operations resume, all mail and parcels in the postal network will be secured and delivered as quickly as possible on a first-in, first-out basis.
However, services may take time to fully return to normal, no matter the length of the disruption.
ESDC advises Canadians who have already submitted an application and are in urgent need of a passport to request to pick it up at a Service Canada location. You can do so by contacting the Passport Program at 1-800-567-6868 or visiting a Service Canada Centre.
If you asked to have your passport delivered to you and need it urgently, please call 1-800-567-6868 or visit a passport office to request a transfer of your passport to one of the 60 Service Canada points of service offering pick up service. https://t.co/y9EYYRtWhO pic.twitter.com/ggF1Scvnhi
— Passport Canada (@PassportCan) December 10, 2024
“Passport offices may not be able to respond to requests on a first-come, first-served basis due to a high volume of requests and are therefore contacting clients based on the date of travel or need,” explained Stefanovska.
For anyone requesting a transfer, the pickup date is arranged based on their travel date or need. ESDC says the pickup could even be arranged for the same day for urgent situations.
“If the processing time for the application is now outside service standard, Canadians can request a file transfer at no additional fee,” said Stefanovska. “If the application is still within service standard, Canadians will need to pay the fees for a file transfer ($45) and standard pick up service ($20).”
According to the agency, as of December 1, there have been requests for about 6,500 passports to be transferred for pick-up at a Service Canada office. This includes requests for passports being held due to the Canada Post strike and for other reasons.
Canadians travelling in more than six weeks can visit a Service Canada Centre that offers 20-business-day service, or a scheduled outreach site to submit their application.