Document T045

Public Consultation on Passport Policy and Procedure Changes

Report presented to the Canadian Passport Office, June 2000

The Canadian Passport Office was gearing to introduce various changes in its passport offering and in the process to obtain a passport. These changes aimed essentially at improving upon passport security while maintaining good value for money for the passport client. The contemplated changes were as follows:

• the full implementation of the IRIS computer system which automates several passport production functions;
• the modification of passport features to make passports more difficult to counterfeit;
• the immediate return of citizenship documents after they have been analysed at the Passport Office counter;
• a six-month carry-over period upon renewal of a passport;
• a simplified passport renewal process which does not require the presentation of citizenship documents or the support of a guarantor;
• the systematic return of the new passport by express post delivery;
• the collection of a fee to deliver the passport at the service counter;
• express passport issuance within 24 or 48 hours.

This research analysed the reactions of Canadians to these proposals; it was conceived and implemented as a consultation of the general public on policy change and service improvement issues. A few peripheral issues related to communications were also investigated. Results are based on 1,554 interviews conducted by telephone by Echo Sondage in May 2000; the response rate was 54%.

168 pages, 668k [PDF format]

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