For those Canadians living in the United States, Passport Canada has announced a Simplified Passport Renewal process. Previously the mail-in renewal process required that the application be verified by a specific type of person (such as an attorney). Called a “guarantor”, that person had to sign the form and attest to knowing the applicant for a specified period of years. For those individuals who could not locate the requisite qualified person, or if that guarantor did not know the applicant long enough, renewal using the previous mail-in system could be impossible.
Despite this era of increased security, Canadians living in the U.S. will now be able to apply for a Canadian passport by mail using a new, simplified passport renewal process. Eligible applicants can now apply using a shorter application form, without a guarantor, and without submitting proof of Canadian citizenship and supporting identification. Renewals are still subject to all of the other current security verifications, and two new photos and the most recent, expiring passport must still be supplied with the fee and completed form. More information is available on www.Connect2Canada.com.