Service Canada Centre – Passport Services

Went to renew our passport and came around 8am. We were the 19th people lining up outside. We went to second floor and waited only 20 minutes then the nice security lady started calling numbers to go to the 3rd floor. We had a problem with our daughters application since it’s suppose to be new applications not renewal so we had to fill a paper for her, but the nice front desk lady told us she will hold our number/queue, so we didn’t go fall down the queue. After our numbers were called in 30 minutes. We waited another 30 minutes for since they mentions about scanning our application for another mistake we did. The service was super fast and the staff are very friendly.

Advice to parents.

Make sure you check the age limit of your child if they needed renewal or new application.

Here is my passport renewal experience today.

We made it to the building entrance at 07: 45am, there were five people in front of us. By the time we were let into the building by a staff around 08: 30am, there were 30+people behind us. We were sent to the second floor where we got a number slip from a security guard and sat in the waiting room. We waited for less than 20 minutes before the guard called us up and sent us to the third floor in group. Then the other guard on the third floor asked for the slip and let us wait in line for the pre-screening counter. We spent close two hours in total for the whole trip.

- I saw a number people went straight up to the third floor and got sent down to second floor because they didn’t have the number slip. The guard said only those with appointments can go straight up to the 3/F.

Typical Canadian-style inefficiency at work. I suppose we were lucky with the 1.5 hr appointment, even if the appointment was booked online.

This is a well-organized passport office that I'd like to write a review for.

There is a security booth on ground entrance lobby to distribute ticket. You take a number and go to second floor seating area to be waiting for flowing into 3rd floor office. While on 2nd floor a staff will come and pre-check your application.

When you go the 3rd floor you give your ticket to security and wait for pre-screening staff to give you the queue number, which will be used to display on the big screen. Wait and listen for a chime for your number showing in the screen, and go to the specified window.

Staff here are professional and friendly. I was greeted by every staff and I felt being respected. If you arrive by 8: 00am to be the first batch, your chance of completion at 11: 00am is very high.

If you live/work in Richmond or nearby, this is the recommended place to get passport done.

Nothing can be done with the passport wait, took me 3 hours long from start to finish.

Some tips based on what I heard while in line that cost people time as they had to leave mid line and come back.

The photo you bring needs to have your name at the back AND the Guarantor's Signature

Either be super early at like 7 so you are done in like an hour, or arrive when it opens and you are in line for 3 hours but at least you are indoors.

When you enter from the main entrance tell the kiosk/booth you are there for passports and they will give you a number. If you go straight to the third floor where the office is you will be sent back down to get a number.

If you choose to pickup your passport it will be available earliest on that day. If you have it mailed, it may arrive faster because they mail it as soon as they process it.

I hope this helps those that are looking to get new passports/ renewals done.

If the line wasn't so long, I think the whole process would only take around 30mins to 1hr.

Waiting to submit a passport application took about 3 hours. The employees were efficient, but they deal with a lot of people every day.

For those looking for realistic expectations in March 2023, here’s my experience with renewing my passport.

Some quick tips: bring headphones and a portable charger. You’re going to be here all day.

I arrived at the Service Canada location at 9: 30 AM and was given a ticket number and sent up to a waiting room on the 2nd floor. They have you in a musical chairs style line, moving up a few seats around the room as the line moved. They have a few staff members going around and verifying you have the correct documents, but they don’t get to everyone. I was in this room for 3.5 hours, until about 1: 00 PM.

Upon arriving at the 3rd floor, you get put into another line for pre-screening. This took about 15 minutes, where the agent reviewed all documents and gave me another ticket number. Then you’re sent to wait until your number is called. This took another 2+ hours. I spent a grand total of 4.5 hours renewing my passport.

There were only a handful of agents at their booths, with many booths empty. Staffing seems to be an issue, along with the speed at which they operate. We pay our taxes just to have our government drop the ball time and time again.

There needs to be a better process in place. You would think that after operating in this manner after several months, they’d have the necessary procedures and staffing in place to be more efficient. Alternatively, introduce a better appointment booking system online because the existing system clearly isn’t working. Trying to book an appointment at any Service Canada location is impossible. People need to take an entire day off work just to renew a document. This isn’t right.

Throughout the wait, we were told by different staff members varying wait times, from “just 30 more minutes” to 2 hours. I understand they can’t control wait times, but telling people it will only take another 30 minutes when it would take another 3 hours is frustrating. This is an example of a Canadian government office at its finest.

The staff members were friendly all things considered, and did a decent job handling a lot of frustrated and stressed out people. But there is a severe need to hire more staff and update the archaic operations.

3 hr wait to get to prescreening. Everyone was pleasant to deal with. They seem to cut people off around noon, assuming a 4 hrs processing.

Went for my son Mehtab Singh 's passport. Amazing experience and amazing service. Thanks a ton.keep up the great work

I don't usually have good experiences at government offices, but this time, I did. I showed up at 8: 00a to wait in line. Passport Canada had a designated room for waiting. Everyone had a seat. There were about 50 people in front of me. I was applying for a passport for the first time. I was done by 10: 15. Little less than 2 hours since they are open at 8: 30am. Not bad

I arrived the Richmond passport office at 8: 35 am this morning to apply for my passport renewal. Now, it is 1: 30 pm and I’m still waiting to hand in my application after 5 hours. There is really a management problem in the federal government services. Glad IC BC office is much better.

Arrived at open time 8: 30 am on a Tuesday.
3 hours 45 minutes total processing time for a simple passport application.

It is the longest waiting time I have experienced. I arrived at 8: 40AM and paid 4 hours parking for 12.5 dollars. It is worse than DMV in the States. However, I don't have a choice.

New passport application
Arrived at 7: 30 on a Friday, they allow people to wait inside and you will be able to sit. Staffs handed out tickets and brought people to the 2nd floor by groups. More waiting in the room (also seated) until they start serve people at 8: 30. They then allow people by group of 5 to go to the 3rd floor for pre-screening and finally you wait for your number to be displayed on the screen for service. It was organized and smooth. It took me 3 hrs in total, which is considered reasonable in my opinion. I am able to pick up the passport in 2 wks from the same location. I was scared of the long wait and unpredictable processing time as I did plan for traveling soon. But the whole process is not bad at all.

Passport renewal. I went in today (Tuesday) and it took 5.5hrs, from the start in the lobby (9: 10am), to the finish (2: 30pm ish).
Process
1. You check in with Security in the lobby. You are seated the lobby waiting area (~30 chairs) for passport renewals. At some point a staff member will do a pre-pre check of your application. Make sure you read it all and complete everything as instructed on the application form. There were many people don’t have things signed or have not completed sections correctly.
2. You will get a ticket and move up to the 2nd floor waiting area. You will see chairs along the wall that you will seat in, maintaining your order from downstairs. You will spend most of your waiting time here. There are water bottles. Washroom is on the 3rd floor; You won’t lose your place in line.
3. YOU MADE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL! This is where you now queue to do the pre check of your application, get a number, and wait for your number to be displayed on the TV screens. You are now waiting with people who are also visiting Service Canada.
4. YOUR NUMBER IS UP, AND IT IS A GLORIUS MOMENT! Off to the counter you go where you application is reviewed and hopefully approved. They ask you to write down your CC information, as they are going to mail the application away for processing elsewhere. ETA 15 business days to get your passport. ETA for mail in applications at the time was ~3 months.

Pros - They are pretty organized, very friendly and helpful staff.

Cons - Parking, pricey and limited. It is mostly reserved spots; The waiting.talk to the person next to you, bring something to read, watch something/work remotely.
Good luck!

The process was fairly smooth reached at 6: 15 am 4 people were ahead of me, the security let us in the Sinclair center at 6: 55 escorted to waiting room where our documents were checked and color tickets were given as per passport priority, then 2 guys from SC escorted us to passport office as per color tickets batch where there are almost 25 counters.whole process was done in 30 mins inside office

Staff were very friendly

Tip: reach before 7am

Nov. 29,2022 Tuesday

I wanted to arrive at 8.30 am but weather was -4, so I
walked in @11.30am & left 1.30pm, all done no issues

The security in Lobby was very helpful. Both gents were great listeners and super friendly

I was sent to 3rd floor, beautiful Indian girl at the door guided me to pre-screen line up

I waited about 20 mins and was pre-screened by Mr TC Yeh with utmost courtesy, professionalism, super nice attitude and an incredible communication skill. Took him 10 mins tops to verify my app. He was very diligent, checked every box. I had a few questions, he was really polite, patient and quick. After he was satisfied with my docs, he told me to wait and relax

I waited 45 minutes for my turn

Mr Tony at window #11 wrapped it in about 15 minutes. He was also amazing, kind and thorough. Gave me a piece of paper to write a statement which he actually dictated. Unbelievable gentleman. He made it possible for me to get my New PP 3 days ahead of schedule and I cannot thank him enough.

Tips:
Park for 1 paid hour or for 3 hours free in Lansdowne Mall
Go inside, ask security their take on wait time.
Get a number and go to 3rd floor.
See how many ahead of you in the waiting room.
Pay attention to people in groups of 2 or 3 or more, which means they all get served at the same time.
Ask door lady if you will get your turn before they close
If she says yes, get in the pre-screen line and get your docs checked. Once that is done, go back and buy more parking time

Come back and wait for your turn on 3rd floor. Relax, don't panic. This is a tedious job that requires diligence otherwise you will lose time and may have to go back another day.

The most important thing is
1. YOUR APPLICATION must be filled right and complete, You need 2 pp pictures (1 of 2 pictures) must be signed by guarantor.
2. Be nice, kind and they will treat you like gold.

Thank you kindly PP office, Richmond BC
You made my day. 5 stars for all mentioned above

I went to this location for my urgent service. The passport service worker who works outside the door is very helpful. I forgot to ask those two ladies names. (it’s cold day today but they are so friendly and professional) I need to fully recommend this place for passport pick up. Save me a lot of time

I came to this office today to get my passport renewed 25 business days before my planned travel. It was a long and arduous process, but ultimately I was able to get a renewal that suits my travel time frame. I was told I’d receive the passport by Oct 19th, 12 business days from now.

I arrived today (a Tuesday) at 6: 30 am with 20-25 people ahead of me in line already. When the office opened at 8: 30, people with 24-48 hour urgent travel needs were triaged first, and the wait was long for the rest of us. I highly recommend bringing a camping chair unless you fancy standing for 4 hours. After I finally got inside the building at 10: 30, things moved more quickly. I was through pre-screening by 11: 00, and I left by 11: 30.

All in all it was a fairly unpleasant 5 hour process to get my passport renewed that I’m not keen to repeat, but I’m leaving 5 stars because the office was run sensibly, and the delayed were outside their control. All the service Canada staff were polite and supportive, graciously answering questions and even handing out bottled water. The experience would’ve been much worse without such great staff!

Timeline
6am: arrival, we were 10th in line. The person first in line was waiting since 4am
717am: 2 individuals from service Canada came to let us know they would be talking to us individually to discuss our purpose for being there
730am: was asked by 1 of them “when do you need it by? ”, following the triage regulations. Tickets were given to those who were flying in 3 days. People who needed to just do their sin/cpp etc were asked to wait on the other line.
830am: doors open, need pp by 3 days ppl were allowed entry first
845am: we were let into the indoor waiting area
945am: directed to go to the 3rd floor to line up
1020am: completed prescreen with attendant
1039am: finalized application with attendant
1059am: processed and paid
11am: completed and done!

It was not an unpleasant experience. We felt that the process was smooth and easy. The wait wasn’t so long that it felt like we were waiting forever, you know that feeling you get when you’re waiting for a ride at the pne? This was much better, not sure if it’s because we were half awake. Staffs were very helpful, sympathetic, and were doing their best.

Tips: bring a folding chair, bring a jacket or blanket, bring water, make sure your application is complete and you followed the instructions to the T (we saw many who were sent home with more info on how to properly complete the application/missing info or docs), if you paid parking use the hang tag app to buy per hour instead of 24 hrs at the machine, bring a portable charger for your phone or a book, Starbucks 4 mins away opens at 530am for coffee or washroom, once the office opens there’s washroom at the 3rd floor.

REMEMBER to not yell/argue/ be impolite at the staffs at service, they are just doing their job and the triage regulation is far beyond their paycheque. You can disclose your dissatisfaction with the municipal or city mayor or Wtv. Just try not to project your frustration onto the staffs, how much power do you think they hold in this gongshow. Bring it up with the decision makers.

Line was long but once inside it was pretty fast. Richmond office is the way to go.friendly staff.thank you all

The service for new passport application was very smooth and efficient. Got it done in 2.5hrs
Reached at 7.30am and the lineup was long but at 7.45 they started asking for travel dates and if you want to book appointment. They took out people who were travelling in 48hrs and also for non passport services into 2 other lines. This way the line got shorter. At 7.55 another lady came to check if we have all forms filled out and have necessary documents. At 8.45 I got in and took a seat. I was called upstairs for pre screening around 9.10 and everything was completed by 10am.
I would suggest to bring a chair if you can and also wear warmer clothes as it was freezing in the morning. Bring water and snacks.

I wanted to review this so people know how things are July 25. I made sure to print my application, fill out as per all instructions, printed my travel itinerary for Aug 19th (although they only took a quick glance and that was it). I suggest you leave any boxes blank that you maybe unsure of. But if your form is properly filled out and good to go it will be that much faster.

We arrived at 6 am and there were only 10 people in front of us. By 8 the line was pretty long. Also at 7: 30 two staff with clipboards started to triage the line. By the time the office opens the line is separated into three. For non urgent passport applications and SIN they have a separate line. For those travelling within 48 hours they pull them out of the line and they all go first. Once those people are done they start letting in the 48hrs-25 days pf travel. If you are traveling beyond 25 days they will offer for you to do an appointment and come back. The clipboard people came out of the office building often and you can ask them questions at any point.

Oh also they brought out water just in case. At 8: 45 I was brought in to sit just inside and wait to be called. Once you go up to the passport floor there is a bathroom so don’t worry about that. At 9: 45 I was completely finished. However, I noticed most people didn’t have all their documents (or the emergency travel people) so they had to sit and wait for their number to be called.

Also there is a starbucks and a blenz coffee around the corner. You will need to purchase something but the bathroom is available once you do. All in all I do suggest coming early because the clipboard people say some days it’s nice (I got lucky) and other days the lines go on forever. All the staff and security were super nice, just be patient and you’ll be fine. Bring a mask for once inside too.

The wait times, stress on all employees and customers/citizens is totally unacceptable. Please hire more staff or extend your hours to get through this backlog. Perhaps the Federal Government can put some tax dollars to better use and start hiring some of their staff back?

For your information:

Apparently everyone from Surrey and Vancouver are being redirected to Richmond so the Richmond office line is pretty long now. As of currently, May 25th, they are taking appointments and walk-ins for people travelling within 25 business days.

If you arrive for walk-in after they open at 8: 30am or later, don't even bother lining up because you won't get in before they close; you will just waste your time. You should arrive at 5am to have a slim chance of getting in.

There were 4 counters open and it takes on average 20mins per application. Accounting for breaks, there may be 3 counters open at a given time.

You should also trust the security guards. The security guards will come out out at around 2: 30 to tell everyone beyond a point to go home. You can obviously stay if you want but there's a 99% chance you won't be let in. If you're 1 to 2 after the cutoff point, you should try staying just in case some people get deferred.

Edit: I just got my passport in the mail on May 31st. I went to the Richmond office and applied for my passport on May 25th. My flight is scheduled for the middle of June and I asked for it to be mailed. It surprisingly only took 5 business days to arrive by mail.

Guard/receptionist was very rude. He was chewing his snacks while talking to people and was really impolite. He think that he’s got the upper hand over us just because he was sitting in the front desk. I waited in line up since 4 AM only to find out that they do not entertain renewal or any passport applications if you don’t have proof to travel anytime soon. I explained to him that I did not really care if it takes 3 months for the passport to process, and will make plans to travel once it arrives but he said “NO, you have to book for flight first! ”, Ridiculous! So don’t go to that location if you just want to renew or to spply for a new passport.

I was 25-30 people back when I got in the line at the Richmond office at 6am on Wednesday, June 8. Service Canada employees queued us efficiently once the doors opened at 8: 30am, bringing 10 people inside at a time before sending them upstairs to the pre-screening counter. Other than having the unfortunate experience along with others within earshot of a man who, accompanied by his two small children, spent the entirety of his time ranting about the govt, yelling at Service Canada employees, and twice having to leave his 11 yr old kids in line while he drove off in a huff to get guarantor signatures all while blaming everyone else for his incompetence, it was a flawless experience. None of the horror stories I had heard in the past came true. My first attempt was a success despite it consuming 4.5 hours of my day. I was done by 10: 30. I have a mid July travel booking (which I didn’t have to show) but to my surprise the agent at the desk said I would receive my passport in the mail by June 24. All things considered, I was happy enough with how it all played out. Best advice: Fill out your passport online in all-caps. Dot the i’s, cross the t’s, get the signatures, and don’t forget to bring your ID’s. Bite the bullet and get up early for a decent spot in line. Bring a chair and a coffee. Choose the Richmond office.

1.5 hour wait and counting. Yes it’s lunch time but having 1 counter open out of 12 is just in acceptable. Not mentioning the auto line up system is not working but making people wait and having 3 kids melt down in the waiting area make people mad. Not at the parents nor the kid but the people over the counter! This is furious.because it’s now 1 hour and 47 min and I’m still waiting! Time is money, I know waiting for about an hour is the norm but 2 hours! I would give negative star if I could!

Very quick and smooth renewal passport place in Richmond. I’ve been coming here for the last 12 years. Went around 10: 30 and I was done by 11: 15. They are very well organized and the security guard is very friendly.

Quite crowded location but the staff are very friendly.hate it when parking is not free especially its richmond!

*No cash accepted here*
*Make sure your forms are filled out correctly and you have all supporting documents*

Very fast service compared to the downtown branch. The prescreening was quick and I was in and out within 40 min on a Tuesday morning. There are lots of seats and it was a smooth process handing in my passport application as a Canadian citizen with previous passports. Just make sure you have all your documentation in order.

Cordial and efficient staff. Prefer this location to the Vancouver location. Lunch time hours tend to be slower/busier.

I arrived on the third floor about 5 mins before opening and there was a already a 6-person a line up just to enter through the passport doors. They opened their doors right at 8: 30 sharp and saw the first counter quite quickly to get my number. As soon as I got my number, I was already up to see the second counter. In total, my process to get a new passport was done in 20 minutes including the wait time before the doors opened. Both counter staff were very nice. For those who complained about being turned away for missing info, that's policy and you should have checked online or called the passport phone number, which I did to ensure I wouldn't have to wait to see an attendant and then be turned away for missing or incorrect information.