renewing Irish passport in canada under urgent processing service

Niamh84

Hi

I was wondering if anyone has renewed their Irish passport here in Canada under the urgent processing service. Ive tried ringing the embassy and keep getting through to voicemail. I applied for permanent residency under CEC and will hopefully be applying for the new bridging visa in a few months. The current processing time is 8-10 weeks for getting passport which is too long.

Im looking at the document on the embassy website that says you can pay extra and get it in 15 working days but you need to give additional documentation with your application. My question is:

1) the letter requesting urgent service, is this just a letter from myself stating why I need it?

2) confirmation from the witness that he/she is a practising member of the profession they have listed. Is this an additional letter from the witness or just the stamp on section 9 on the application form?

Also regarding the witness to fill out section 9 and stamp the photos, Ive seen on previous discussions that the police wont do it here. Has anyone else had that problem?

Any advice from someone who has done this would be appreciated..

Manitoban

Niamh84 wrote: »

Hi

I was wondering if anyone has renewed their Irish passport here in Canada under the urgent processing service. Ive tried ringing the embassy and keep getting through to voicemail. I applied for permanent residency under CEC and will hopefully be applying for the new bridging visa in a few months. The current processing time is 8-10 weeks for getting passport which is too long.

Im looking at the document on the embassy website that says you can pay extra and get it in 15 working days but you need to give additional documentation with your application. My question is:

1) the letter requesting urgent service, is this just a letter from myself stating why I need it?

2) confirmation from the witness that he/she is a practising member of the profession they have listed. Is this an additional letter from the witness or just the stamp on section 9 on the application form?

Also regarding the witness to fill out section 9 and stamp the photos, Ive seen on previous discussions that the police wont do it here. Has anyone else had that problem?

Any advice from someone who has done this would be appreciated..

I have just this week got the new passport back after applying for it under the urgent processing service. It took 15 days exactly from when I sent it to the embassy until it was delivered to me.
You will need to call the embassy and speak to the receptionist, ask for Siobhan Doran, she is the one who deals with the passports. You will most likely get a voicemail but leave a very detailed message for her, call a few times and leave lots of messages. When she phoned me back tbh I was made feel like an idiot for needing a passport urgently and she wouldn't guarantee helping me out as she was so busy... But she said send in a cover letter explaining why I needed it and proof of expiring visa. I had to pay the extra $45 fee and got a courier to send and collect it in Ottawa. I was then told that because I sent the extra $45 and the cover letter that I have to get the urgent service so hopefully the same will apply to you!

In terms of filling in section 9 I went into the local police station and a sergeant filled it out no problem! He was a commissioner of oaths also so had a stamp and he gave me his business card to send with the application as they will phone and check.
Hope this helps!

ician

15 days?! I for the life of me can not find that on the website. I sent my passport to them 7 weeks ago tomorrow and they still haven't even bothered to scan it and send to Dublin or tell me if something is wrong with it. The secretary who answers the phone there could not be more rude if she tried, and that Siobhan Doran woman replied to my email saying their scanner broke and gave me no indication of how long it will take, only to say they are busy because of people on the CIC visa.

Edit: just found the link to the urgent applications pdf, only offered to those on an IEC visa which is ridiculous.

Manitoban

I was actually reduced to tears by that woman twice. If i could be bothered i would actually make a complaint about her . It really did not give me a whole pile of confidence in the embassy if we ever needed them for something more serious.