Our passports expire later this month so yesterday we got them renewed. It is a much simpler method now than it was in the past when we had to get our lawyer friend to sign off that he knew us for however many years. Now we just have to list a couple of character witnesses, hard as they were to find.
First job was to download the applications off the Internet and fill them out. Then it was off to get photos taken. Norma made me wear my white Guayabera shirt and she wore her fancy white Mexican shirt as well. We drove down to PhotoTech, a local camera store with a photo studio in the back. The first thing the photographer said was, "No white shirts"! He then handed Norma a camo colored photographer's vest to put on which she refused. "Camo!, she said. Do you want me to look even MORE like a terrorist?" He retreated to the camera store and returned with another vest, this time solid black.
"Glasses off and no smiling" he said as he quickly took two shots of her. My turn was next. The vest was too small but what the heck, the photo was only from the neck up. We were both hollow eyed and frowning in the photos, not the kind of people any civilized country would want as visitors. The photographer said they were "just right" and we would not be sent back for retakes. He stamped and dated them. The next shock came when he handed me the bill. $18 each after tax! It wasn't that long ago they were offering passport photos for $9.99. Oh well, we pay what we have to pay.
Then we drove down to the Canadian Government office in Courtenay, 40 or so kilometers away where we got the applications approved, forfeited our old passports and paid the bill. $160 each, double what we paid last time! At least these are ten year renewals, something new for Canada as they were always five years in the past. She said they could take a month to five weeks but are usually mailed out in three weeks. In the meantime we can't leave the country. We are prisoners.
You probably could have gone to the Shoppers Drug Mart in Courtenay. I think passport photos are still $11.99 there.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, a camo vest? Did they supply fake beards?
ReplyDeleteProbably. Maybe cardboard Uzi's as well. ;)
DeleteI have bangs and for my last passport photo, I had to push them to the side and remove my eyeglasses as you did and not smile. Horrid experience and even worse photo. I don't look like me, makes no sense whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteYay! Croft can't come to the US! Yay.
ReplyDeleteCome on, you know I'm kidding. I want you and your foreign dollars here so maybe I won't have to pay as much. HA! Funny guy huh?
we probably spent as much in our six months in the USA than the average American spent in twelve months.
DeleteCamo vest?! LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteThe new passports are not double the cost since they are valid for twice as long. ;)
I paid $18 for my picture as well (in Lethbridge in 2011). I went to a Shopper's and the photos were being taken by a teenager who probably had little idea what she was doing. I did like you instead and went to a photography studio where the pictures were guaranteed.
And they made you forfeit your old passport?! I did the mail in renewal last time and my old passport was included with the new one. I hope this isn't a new rule since I like to hang on to the old ones.
They will return our old passports when they mail out the new ones. It is an option on the application. We are simply without them until then.
DeleteCharacter witnesses? Wow, that' a pretty tough system. But again, we know how hard Canada can be on foreigners.
ReplyDeleteWe should have asked you guys.
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