The Canadian government has announced new changes coming to our beloved passports very soon. From redesigns and updates to new ways to get your passport, here are all the changes coming to the Canadian passport later this year.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser and Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould, shared the announcement today and unveiled the new Canadian passport. Sporting a new look, according to the Federal government, the passport has been redesigned with “state-of-the-art” security features and new artwork.
“These new passports are going to start to be produced this summer and roll-out details will be announced very soon, in the near future,” said Fraser during a press conference. “The current passport remains secure and reliable and Canadians can still use it until its expiry date.”
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And if your passport expires later this year, you may soon be able to skip the lines at Service Canada and apply to renew online.
Here’s a breakdown of the new changes coming to Canadian passports:
New Look
The totally updated passport includes new additions like a polycarbonate data page, a technology similar to Canada’s driver’s licenses, that ensures the safety of Canadians travelling, an updated, tamper-proof data page, metallic foils in the shape of a maple leaf on the covers and a debossed maple leaf on the back.
“On the inside of the front cover, we’ve added colour-shifting ink in the shape of a deer and snowflake, and a visible passport chip and antenna on the opposite page,” states the release.
These added features will be used to confirm if your passport is valid. They also added a kinegram that changes colours and “appears to move” when looked at from different angles. According to the government, the same page would also have a photo of you and your date of birth that will appear and disappear the same way.
“The page with your personal information is now made of polycarbonate, which will last longer, and is less likely to be damaged by water than before. Your personal information is also now laser-engraved, rather than printed in ink on the page,” according to the Canadian government.
“The pages for your visas have seasonal art that changes when you look at it under ultraviolet light.”
More details regarding the roll-out of the new passports will be shared at a later date.
Online Renewal
Now as for rewnewing your passport, you may soon be able to forget the pains of Service Canada lines and submit your passport application online.
“Starting this fall, Canadians will be able to renew their passports from an online application which will include payment processing and uploading their passport photo as well,” said Fraser.
It won’t necessarily speed up the process for passport filings so if you’re impatient like us, you may want to use the Passport Application Status Checker that was launched back in March. Canadians who have recently applied for a passport can now check the status of their application at any time of day.
