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Ottawa’s 30-days-or-free policy for issuing passports now in place
Applicants will get automatic refunds if passport processing exceeds 30 business days, as Ottawa says most files are completed in 10 to 20 days.
- On Wednesday, April 1, 2026, the federal government launched the "30 days or free" guarantee, mandating automatic refunds for passport fees if processing exceeds 30 business days.
- Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced the policy on Tuesday to strengthen accountability, while Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said the move reduces burden on Canadians.
- Processing time begins when authorities receive a complete application and ends when the document is printed and verified, though the 30-day countdown excludes mailing time.
- The guarantee excludes urgent or express applications with separate timelines, alongside administrative services like replacement fees or exceptional circumstances that disrupt operations.
- Typical service standards for passport applications range between 10 and 20 business days, and the government notes most documents are processed within these established timeframes.
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Canada Launches 30-Day Passport Guarantee to Speed Up Processing
Ottawa is introducing a “30 days or free” guarantee for Canadian passport and travel document processing effective April 1. Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced the new policy in a March 31 press release. “If processing exceeds 30 business days, refunds will be issued automatically,” the statement said. Processing time begins when a complete application is received by the Government of Canada Passport Program and ends when the passp…
·New York, United States
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Winnipeg Free Press+9 Reposted by 9 other sources
Ottawa's 30-days-or-free policy for issuing passports now in place
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
·Winnipeg, Canada
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From April 1st, you will be fully reimbursed if your passport application takes more than 30 working days to process.
·Montreal, Canada
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Total News Sources24
Leaning Left10Leaning Right2Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution56% Left
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources lean Left
56% Left
L 56%
C 33%
11%
Factuality
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