December 8, 2023 Courtenay, British Columbia Employment and Social Development Canada
Improving passport service quality, accessibility and timeliness remain top priorities for Service Canada. That is why Service Canada expanded the 10-day passport service to the Comox Valley Service Canada Centre in Courtenay. Since August 23, 2023, Canadians can apply for their passport on-site and have it ready within 10 business days (not including mailing time). This location continues to offer other services, such as Employment Insurance, pensions and Social Insurance Numbers. As of December 7, 2023, the Comox Valley Service Canada Centre has processed over 2,600 passport applications.
With the holiday season upon us, Canadians in northern and central Vancouver Island can take advantage of other Service Canada Centres that offer 20-day passport service, including locations in Campbell River, Port Alberni, Nanaimo and Duncan. If they need their passport in less than 10 business days, they must visit a passport office that offers express or urgent pick-up service, for an extra fee, such as the Victoria Passport Office in the Bay Centre. For more details, Canadians are encouraged to visit the Find a Service Canada Office webpage.
Since April 1, 2023, nearly all passports have been processed within the 10- and 20-business day targets respectively, with approximately 96% of passports issued within service standards regardless of intake method. Also, Canadians have been using the Passport Application Status Checker for real-time updates on their applications since the launch in March. To date, more than 1.6 million Canadians have used it to receive the status of their application in real time.
