Q: I live on the Sunshine coast and I have to take the 6:20 am ferry, I won't be downtown till about 8:00am, is this too late, will I even get in? How are the lines?
A: I went to the passport office in Laval, Quebec. Yes - I know that is not BC but I am pretty sure it will be the same or worse across Canada. I got there at 7:15am and they open at 7:30am. I waited in the queue (I was going to moo like a cow but thought they may not get the humour) and got up to the front, gave my info (all forms filled out okay and all papers in order). By the time I paid the $87 fee and got out of the building, it was almost 10am. I spoke with the security guard at the office and he explained to me that they usually have two rushes...one early morning when they first open, and another around 10am when they have business from commercial passports that come in. Typical wait times are 3 hours. I would urge you to take the earliest ferry you can and try to get at the passport office BEFORE they open. This will cut down on your wait time. Also, be prepared that they may reject your passport application. A few people I saw had problems with the dates not matching when they signed their application vs when the guarantor signed, with the signature of the applicant when applying for your children. One lady tried to be both a witness and the guarantor for her child, which is not allowed. Read the forms very carefully and be sure everything is in order and ready before you wait 3-4 hours in a line.