Your Canadian Passport Application Will No Longer Just Be A Black Hole Of Uncertainty

Canadians can now check the status of their passport applications in just a few clicks — no need for lengthy phone calls or headache-inducing hold music. The federal government has introduced an online tracker so you can plan your next trip without having to worry whether your document will arrive in time.

"[It's an] easy-to-use tool that allows Canadians to check the status of their passport applications online, 24 hours a day," Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould said in a statement.

Anyone seeking a status update must indicate where, how and when they applied for their passport. A file number is required to access the tracker.

"Providing Canadians with a convenient option to obtain timely information about their passport application is one of several ways we are improving the client experience for passport applicants," said Gould.

Service Canada is now exploring the feasibility of adding its 10-day passport pick-up service to more Service Canada Centres across the country. If so, more Canadians would be able to apply for a passport in-person and pick it up from the same location without having to travel to a specialized office.

Gould added that the national passport backlog, which was "virtually eliminated" in January, has now been fully processed. That means standard passport processing are back to taking around 10 days for in-person applications and 20 days for mail-in requests.