For my new job, I'll need to go to California for training. For the first time in my life I'll need a passport. I've never gone through this process before and it was surprisingly painless. A form, various forms of identification, and a guarantor (the rules for which have been greatly relaxed).
I got my passport photos done a couple weeks ago, got the form filled out, and this past friend my friend Remy kindly signed on as my guarantor. The most delayed part of the process was waiting for my new provincial identification card. My old card had my previous address, which wasn't a good thing since I moved more than a year ago. As I understand it, there's a hefty fine for not having it updated. I considered myself mildy fortunate amid my bigger problems that the police who took the information after the break-in didn't ask for exactly how long I'd been living at my current address.
First thing this morning, David dropped me off near Canada Place and off I went. I wasn't sure what to expect. I know when the new rules about passports came into effect last year the wait times could be several hours, that the rest of the new rules came into effect in the last couple months, and government offices don't have a reputation for short and speedy queues. I walked into Canada Place at 7:50, stopped at the information desk for directions, walked all the way to the other end of the building, then went to the pre-screen wicket. I waited for about one minute, was pre-screened, and sent to wicket 8. The agent was as completely devoid of personality as he was efficient. I walked out of there at 8:02! Twelve minutes after entering the building! And I should have my passport via registered mail by June 30. Talk about painless.
Sometime in July, I'll be off to the City of Angels!
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