- Passport Canada
Passport Canada is an independent operating agency of the
Government of Canada andForeign Affairs Canada . It operates under the auspices of the Canadian Passport Order, which defines the agency. Prior toMarch 2005 , it was known as the Passport Office. The office is responsible for issuing, revoking, withholding, and recoveringCanadian passport s. Due to the agency's status as aSpecial Operating Agency , Passport Canada is financed through the fees collected for issuingpassport s and other travel documents. They do not receive funding from the federal government.Canadian Passport Order
The "Canadian Passport Order" was created in 1981 and amended several times. It is an
Order in Council made by theGovernor in Council (theGovernor General of Canada acting on the advice ofCabinet ).The Canadian Passport Order is made under the authority of the
Royal Prerogative , the residual authority exercised exclusively by the Crown. The Order establishes who is eligible for aCanadian passport , as well as the procedure and application process for obtaining one. The Order also establishes Passport Canada. Prior to the making of the Canadian Passport Order, residents of Canada could obtain a passport by completing an application and sending it in by mail to theDepartment of External Affairs , without having to prove their Canadian citizenship.Under the Canadian Passport Order, Passport Canada can revoke or refuse to issue a passport on grounds specified in the Order. A passport may not be refused or revoked on grounds not specified in the Order (see Issuance and Refusal).
Auditor General's Report
In
April 2005 , theAuditor General of Canada Sheila Fraser gave a scathing report on Passport Canada, claiming that employees of the agency lack propersecurity clearance . Prior to the Auditor General's report, Passport Canada had signed a Memorandum of Understanding withCorrections Canada to obtain a full list of inmates' names, as they are ineligible for a passport.ee also
*
Canadian Passport
*Canadian nationality law
*Canadian Security Intelligence Service
*Canada Border Services Agency
*Passport External links
* [http://www.passport.gc.ca Official site]
* [http://www.ppt.gc.ca/passport_office/history_e.asp History of Canadian Passports]
* [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/04/05/passports050405.html U.S. will demand passports from Canadians]
* [http://dan.matan.ca/Get-Canada-Canadian-Passport-Fast-With-Online-Application-Form How to speed up the Canadian Passport application process]
* [http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/otherreg/SI-81-86/ Full text of the order]
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