04/02/2023
You no longer have to phone a call centre to check the status of your passport application.
The federal government launched a new online portal Tuesday that allows recent applicants to see where their applications stand.
Passport offices became overwhelmed with applications last year as the government began to ease pandemic-related travel restrictions. The result was a backlog that hobbled the application system.
Karina Gould, the minister responsible for government services, said the centre received more than 15 million calls in the last year. Seventy per cent of them were from Canadians asking about their application status.
Gould said the government is working on a new online application process for those renewing their passports, but she didn't provide a specific timeline.
To read more about the online passport status tracker, tap the link in our bio.
(Photo: Sabah Rahman/CBC News ; Reporting: Darren Major/CBC News)
