Does lack of guarantor complicate and delay release Canadian passport?
I just did this recently. I went to city hall and got a commissioner of oaths to sign for $25 as opposed to the $70 it would have cost me to get a notary public. You need a special form for your person in lieu of guarantor to sign (PPTC 132). They had this at Kingston city hall, but you can also call Passport Canada and get them to send you one if you’re not within a reasonable distance to pick one up at a Passport Canada office. This form isn’t available at the post office, nor can you submit your passport application at the post office. You have to either submit it at a Passport Canada office or mail it in. I submitted mine at the Ottawa Passport Canada office at the end of October and had it in hand in under 10 business days. (I think there’s a bit more of a delay at this time of year.) The only complications that getting someone to sign in lieu of guarantor were: both my references were contacted as I had no guarantor, and I didn’t realize until the last minute that only attorneys,
Now that I think about it, I should add that you can’t get the PPTC 132 form online. Also, because the person in lieu of guarantor has to write something extra on the back of the passport photo (something along the lines of “this is exhibit A, and I certify that is looks like the applicant, etc”), it can sometimes interfere with the stamp that passport photo places put on the back of one of their photos. What happened in my situation is that the person in lieu of guarantor wrote over the photo place’s name and address (which you NEED) to write this little blurb in. If this happens, it’s alright to have stamp on the back of the second picture (i.e. one picture doesn’t have to be blank on the back). My photo place was very reluctant to do this as they though it would invalidate my application, but the people at Passport Canada said it was just fine.
(The original poster is resident in Canada, but anyone looking at this thread for advice should note that if you are a citizen not resident in Canada, then the list of qualified guarantors is different. For example, if you are a US resident applying for a Canadian passport renewal, a principal cannot be your guarantor. If you live in Canada then a principal can be your guarantor. Always check the government of Canada website for the current rules.
