Service Canada Centre - Passport Services

This is a well-organized passport office that I'd like to write a review for.There is a security booth on ground entrance lobby to distribute ticket. You take a number and go to second floor seating area to be waiting for flowing into 3rd floor office. While on 2nd floor a staff will come and pre-check your application.When you go the 3rd floor you give your ticket to security and wait for pre-screening staff to give you the queue number, which will be used to display on the big screen. Wait and listen for a chime for your number showing in the screen, and go to the specified window.Staff here are professional and friendly. I was greeted by every staff and I felt being respected. If you arrive by 8:00am to be the first batch, your chance of completion at 11:00am is very high.If you live/work in Richmond or nearby, this is the recommended place to get passport done.

I arrived the Richmond passport office at 8:35 am this morning to apply for my passport renewal. Now, it is 1:30 pm and I’m still waiting to hand in my application after 5 hours. There is really a management problem in the federal government services. Glad IC BC office is much better.

Needed to renew my passport so I came in at 9 am on a Friday. You go to the second floor in the first waiting room and get a number. All they do is check to make sure you have your photos and the form is filled properly. This took about 2 hours and 30 minutes. You then go back to the waiting room and wait for the security guard to tell you to go upstairs, this took about 15 minutes.Once you can finally go up to the third floor, you are then met with another small line to get another number. You then proceed to sit in the waiting room on the left again. This took about 45 minutes. Once it's finally your turn, you give the worker your documents and then return to your seat. They then call you back in 10 minutes and then you can finally leave.Whole process took about 3 hours and 30 minutes.. I kind of expected it but it is extremely tiring.

I am in my 30s and this was honestly the BEST experience I've ever had with a government office in my entire life.I managed to make a rare passport appointment a couple months ago, so I realize my opinion may be biased due to my fortunate circumstances.I arrived about 5 minutes before my appointment time and was greeted kindly by a pair of check-in workers at the door. They gave me a ticket and clear instructions about the office being on the 3rd floor and directed me to the elevators. Upon arriving at the 3rd floor, I was greeted again, asked to show my ticket, and then led into the line for those with appointments. Within 3 minutes I was then seen by the Pre-Screening worker who checked over my documentation.I was given another ticket and directed to sit and wait for the official assessment. I waited less than 5 minutes before my number was called. All of my documentation was in order so after a quick review I was told to sit back down for 15 more minutes as they entered everything/processed it all in the system.In less than 15 minutes, perhaps 10, I was called back up, given my recipet, and told my expected delivery date. As passports are protected pieces of documentation, I was made aware if I was not home to sign for the delivery then it would go to the post office closest to my home for a verification pickup.I was in and out in a half hour. Everyone was wonderfully friendly and extremely helpful, clear and informative throughout the entire procedure as well as with what to expect for the delivery process.I was genuinely shocked at how quickly and kindly I was attended to. I know times have been very difficult lately for both Service Canada workers and the public, especially when it comes to passports. There's a lot of negativity and frustration in many reviews, understandably so, but I really wanted to share that wonderful experiences can still happen.I feel extremely fortunate, but I am also very thankful. The speed of my service may have been luck based, but the kindess and clarity of that service is purely based on the employees at the Richmond Service Canada Centre.

For those looking for realistic expectations in March 2023, here’s my experience with renewing my passport.Some quick tips: bring headphones and a portable charger. You’re going to be here all day.I arrived at the Service Canada location at 9:30 AM and was given a ticket number and sent up to a waiting room on the 2nd floor. They have you in a musical chairs style line, moving up a few seats around the room as the line moved. They have a few staff members going around and verifying you have the correct documents, but they don’t get to everyone. I was in this room for 3.5 hours, until about 1:00 PM.Upon arriving at the 3rd floor, you get put into another line for pre-screening. This took about 15 minutes, where the agent reviewed all documents and gave me another ticket number. Then you’re sent to wait until your number is called. This took another 2+ hours. I spent a grand total of 4.5 hours renewing my passport.There were only a handful of agents at their booths, with many booths empty. Staffing seems to be an issue, along with the speed at which they operate. We pay our taxes just to have our government drop the ball time and time again.There needs to be a better process in place. You would think that after operating in this manner after several months, they’d have the necessary procedures and staffing in place to be more efficient. Alternatively, introduce a better appointment booking system online because the existing system clearly isn’t working. Trying to book an appointment at any Service Canada location is impossible. People need to take an entire day off work just to renew a document. This isn’t right.Throughout the wait, we were told by different staff members varying wait times, from “just 30 more minutes” to 2 hours. I understand they can’t control wait times, but telling people it will only take another 30 minutes when it would take another 3 hours is frustrating. This is an example of a Canadian government office at its finest.The staff members were friendly all things considered, and did a decent job handling a lot of frustrated and stressed out people. But there is a severe need to hire more staff and update the archaic operations.

Amazing service here. What a great location this is. The commissionaires Gursharn and Gurvinder were so professional and kind. I really appreciate their work ethic and positive attitude. I arrived at 4:45am and was first in line. Got my son’s passport processed in 5 minutes. Amazing. Thank you Passport team.

Nothing can be done with the passport wait, took me 3 hours long from start to finish.Some tips based on what I heard while in line that cost people time as they had to leave mid line and come back.The photo you bring needs to have your name at the back AND the Guarantor's SignatureEither be super early at like 7 so you are done in like an hour, or arrive when it opens and you are in line for 3 hours but at least you are indoors.When you enter from the main entrance tell the kiosk/booth you are there for passports and they will give you a number. If you go straight to the third floor where the office is you will be sent back down to get a number.If you choose to pickup your passport it will be available earliest on that day. If you have it mailed, it may arrive faster because they mail it as soon as they process it.I hope this helps those that are looking to get new passports/ renewals done.If the line wasn't so long, I think the whole process would only take around 30mins to 1hr.

2023/01/23 Renew my Canadian Passport in Richmond, B.C.Arrived at 7:00am. In the entrance lobby, (good it’s inside) there’re already about 10 people lining up waiting. (The earliest people arrived at 6:00)At about 7:20, the first group of 5 were given a number each and directed to the second floor waiting. About every 10 minutes, a group of 5 are given numbers and moved up to the second floor waiting.By 8:25, the first’s group of 5 was moved to the third floor. The officers start working at 8:30.Got my passport renewed at 9:30.I chose urgent service, will pick up the new passport the next day by 12:00 at Vancouver office.Very well managed!

Workers are very professional and pleasant. Doors for lineups are actually open at 7am. The only reason why the lineup is slow, is because people don't read! Many patrons filled their forms incorrectly, had the wrong forms or had the wrong ID's. Ps if you need a translator, you must bring your own. I am giving it 4stars because the security guards can do a better job on the crowd control. Plus the old guard sure is one grumpy guy