Can I appear at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in Canada to obtain my passport?
Question: Hello, I am currently living in Canada. I am an American citizen and I have been living in Canada undocumented for a number of years now. Recently, a close childhood friend of mine became terminally ill in the states and I will need to travel to the U.S. I will need a passport for this. I would like to know if I can appear at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in Canada to obtain my passport without ever being documented in Canada?
Answer: Unfortunately, being that you have never been properly documented in Canada, you may run into some problems. You must provide proof that you are indeed of legal status in Canada. This must be before you apply for a U.S. passport. You can submit documents from the following as acceptable proof of legal status in Canada. These documents are Employment or Student Authorization, Visitor’s Visa, Minister’s Permit, Report of Birth Abroad of a Canadian Citizen, Canadian Land Immigrant document, and/or Certificate of Canadian Citizenship.
Though there is no expediting service outside of the U.S., passport processing abroad can take a lot less time than passport processing in the U.S. Regular processing time in the United States is 4 – 6 weeks. Best of luck!
The following link can help you find the nearest United States Embassy or a United States Consulate in Canada.
