Passport Canada
Encyclopedia
Passport Canada is an independent operating agency of the Government of Canada
with bureaucratic oversight provided through Foreign Affairs Canada. It operates under the auspices of the Canadian Passport Order which defines the agency. Prior to March 2005, it was known as the Passport Office.
Passport Canada is responsible for issuing, revoking, withholding, and recovering Canadian passport
s, and it is the sole issuer of them (except for emergency and temporary passports that may be issued by a Canadian mission abroad).
Due to the agency's status as a Special Operating Agency
, Passport Canada is financed through the fees collected for issuing passport
s and other travel documents. It does not receive direct funding from the federal government.
.
The Order establishes who is eligible for a Canadian passport
, as well as the procedure and application process for obtaining one. The Order also establishes Passport Canada. Under the Canadian Passport Regulations that were previously in force, residents of Canada could obtain a passport by completing an application and sending it in by mail to the Department of External Affairs, without having to prove their Canadian citizenship.
Under the Canadian Passport Order, Passport Canada may revoke or refuse to issue a passport on grounds specified in the Order. A passport may not be refused or revoked on grounds not specified in the Order (see Rights to a passport).
Sheila Fraser
gave a scathing report on Passport Canada, claiming that employees of the agency lack proper security clearance
. Prior to the Auditor General's report, Passport Canada had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Corrections Canada to obtain a full list of inmates' names, as they are ineligible for a passport.
Follow-up reports were issued in 2007 - which noted continuing control issues - and 2009 - where satisfactory progress was observed, especially in light of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
introduced by the United States.
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
with bureaucratic oversight provided through Foreign Affairs Canada. It operates under the auspices of the Canadian Passport Order which defines the agency. Prior to March 2005, it was known as the Passport Office.
Passport Canada is responsible for issuing, revoking, withholding, and recovering Canadian passport
Canadian passport
A Canadian passport is a passport issued to citizens of Canada for the purpose of international travel; allowing the bearer to travel in foreign countries in accordance with visa requirements; facilitating the process of securing assistance from Canadian consular officials abroad, if necessary; and...
s, and it is the sole issuer of them (except for emergency and temporary passports that may be issued by a Canadian mission abroad).
Due to the agency's status as a Special Operating Agency
Special Operating Agency
A Special Operating Agency is a Canadian government designation given to government organizations that have increased management flexibility in order to improve performance. Objectives include better overall management, improved operational results and greater focus on demand.- External links :*...
, Passport Canada is financed through the fees collected for issuing passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
s and other travel documents. It does not receive direct funding from the federal government.
Canadian Passport Order
The Canadian Passport Order was passed in 1981, and has been amended several times. It is made under the authority of the Royal PrerogativeRoyal Prerogative
The royal prerogative is a body of customary authority, privilege, and immunity, recognized in common law and, sometimes, in civil law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy as belonging to the sovereign alone. It is the means by which some of the executive powers of government, possessed by and...
.
The Order establishes who is eligible for a Canadian passport
Canadian passport
A Canadian passport is a passport issued to citizens of Canada for the purpose of international travel; allowing the bearer to travel in foreign countries in accordance with visa requirements; facilitating the process of securing assistance from Canadian consular officials abroad, if necessary; and...
, as well as the procedure and application process for obtaining one. The Order also establishes Passport Canada. Under the Canadian Passport Regulations that were previously in force, residents of Canada could obtain a passport by completing an application and sending it in by mail to the Department of External Affairs, without having to prove their Canadian citizenship.
Under the Canadian Passport Order, Passport Canada may revoke or refuse to issue a passport on grounds specified in the Order. A passport may not be refused or revoked on grounds not specified in the Order (see Rights to a passport).
Auditor General's Report
In April 2005, the Auditor General of CanadaAuditor General of Canada
The role of the Auditor General of Canada is to aid accountability by conducting independent audits of federal government operations. The Auditor General reports to the House of Commons, not to the government...
Sheila Fraser
Sheila Fraser
Sheila Fraser served as Auditor General of Canada from 2001 to 2011.Ms. Fraser was born in Dundee, Quebec, Canada. She earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University in 1972. She then became a chartered accountant in 1974 and FCA in 1994...
gave a scathing report on Passport Canada, claiming that employees of the agency lack proper security clearance
Security clearance
A security clearance is a status granted to individuals allowing them access to classified information, i.e., state secrets, or to restricted areas after completion of a thorough background check. The term "security clearance" is also sometimes used in private organizations that have a formal...
. Prior to the Auditor General's report, Passport Canada had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Corrections Canada to obtain a full list of inmates' names, as they are ineligible for a passport.
Follow-up reports were issued in 2007 - which noted continuing control issues - and 2009 - where satisfactory progress was observed, especially in light of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is a law of the United States that requires all travelers to show a valid passport or other approved secure document when traveling to the U.S. from areas within the Western Hemisphere. The purpose, according to the U.S. Department of State and U.S...
introduced by the United States.
See also
- Canadian PassportCanadian passportA Canadian passport is a passport issued to citizens of Canada for the purpose of international travel; allowing the bearer to travel in foreign countries in accordance with visa requirements; facilitating the process of securing assistance from Canadian consular officials abroad, if necessary; and...
- Canadian nationality lawCanadian nationality lawCanadian citizenship is typically obtained by birth in Canada, birth abroad when at least one parent is a Canadian citizen and was born or naturalized in Canada, or by adoption abroad by at least one Canadian citizen. It can also be granted to a permanent resident who lives in Canada for three out...
- Canadian Security Intelligence ServiceCanadian Security Intelligence ServiceThe Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
- Canada Border Services AgencyCanada Border Services AgencyThe Canada Border Services Agency is a federal law enforcement agency that is responsible for border enforcement, immigration enforcement and customs services....
- PassportPassportA passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....