Service Canada Retains 185,000 Passports Amid Canada Post Strike

Since November 8, Service Canada has held approximately 185,000 completed passports ready for mailing, according to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the department overseeing the federal agency.

Individuals whose passports are being held can request in-person pickup by contacting the federal passport program or visiting a Service Canada location, ESDC stated. So far, around 6,500 requests have been made to transfer passports to Service Canada offices for pickup.

However, for those whose passports were already in transit when the strike began, such as Kamble, solutions are less clear.

A spokesperson for the federal Minister of Citizens’ Services noted that few Canadian passports should be stuck in the postal system since the agency began withholding passports a week before the strike. Individuals who haven’t received their passports are encouraged to contact Service Canada for assistance.

“We are addressing cases individually due to the very low number of passports mailed before November 8 that remain undelivered,” the spokesperson added.

For foreign nationals, like Kamble, who are waiting for foreign passports, the situation is more challenging. Several have reported having no choice but to wait until postal services resume. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada referred inquiries about foreign passports to Global Affairs Canada, which has yet to respond.

Shiv Bhatt, 27, an Indian citizen, is one of many affected. Bhatt, who lives and works in Dallas, Texas, traveled to Vancouver to have his work visa stamped at a foreign consulate. Although the visa was processed and sent back to him, the postal strike has left him stranded in British Columbia.

Bhatt has joined a WhatsApp group called the “Passport Pickup Group,” connecting over a dozen foreign nationals from countries like China, India, and the UK, who found each other on Reddit. While the group can offer little practical help, Bhatt says it provides emotional support.

“It’s been emotionally and financially draining,” Bhatt shared, noting he has had to extend his stay in Vancouver at significant expense due to surge pricing from Taylor Swift’s concerts in the city.

Still, some have managed to avoid passport troubles.

Lindsay Malloy, an American-born university professor in Whitby, became a Canadian citizen on October 15, just weeks before the postal strike began. While her and her son’s passports arrived in early November, her husband had to rush to a Service Canada office in Scarborough to retrieve his passport the day before their planned Thanksgiving travel to Michigan.

“We barely got it,” Malloy admitted. “Hopefully, most people can pick theirs up in person if needed.”

Malloy acknowledges she and her family were among the fortunate ones.