A Canadian passport application from the USA is a mail-in process. You fill out form PPTC 153, add your citizenship certificate, two photos, a guarantor and two references, then mail it all to the Passport Program in Gatineau, Quebec.
IRCC says it takes 20 business days in most cases, plus mail time. A first adult passport from outside Canada costs CAN$194.25 for 5 years or CAN$266.25 for 10 years.
This guide is based on IRCC’s pages for Canadians in the United States, checked on 11 October 2026. It is written for Americans who have just been confirmed as Canadian citizens by descent.
If your certificate has not arrived yet, stop here for now. You cannot apply for a passport without it. Our citizenship by descent document guide covers that first step.
Am I a Canadian citizen by descent?
Trace your family line one generation at a time. Each link is tested against the law in force when that person was born, so you see exactly where your chain holds and where it breaks. About three minutes, and no account needed.
Check my family lineWho can make a Canadian passport application from the USA?
Any Canadian citizen aged 16 or older who lives in the United States and is applying for a new adult passport can use this route. For most Americans who claimed citizenship through a parent or grandparent, this is their first passport, so they cannot use the simpler renewal form. They file the full PPTC 153.
Your proof of citizenship is your Canadian citizenship certificate. A US birth certificate does not prove Canadian citizenship, even if it names your Canadian parent. Our post on what your citizenship certificate does and does not give you explains where the passport fits among the other next steps.
What documents do you need for the application?
You need five things in the envelope: the signed PPTC 153 form, your citizenship certificate, one ID document, two identical passport photos, and the fee. Your guarantor and your two references go on the form itself. If one piece is missing, the file can come back to you, and you lose weeks.
For a paper citizenship certificate, IRCC’s US page asks for the original, not a photocopy. If you were issued an e-certificate, print it and attach the printed copy. When you send an original, IRCC mails it back to you in a separate envelope from the passport. IRCC says this can take up to 6 weeks.
Your identity document can be the original or a photocopy. If you send a copy, copy both sides. Your guarantor must sign and date it.
Who can be your guarantor if you live in the US?
Your guarantor must be a Canadian citizen, aged 18 or older, who has known you for at least 2 years. They must hold a 5-year or 10-year Canadian passport that is valid or expired for no more than 1 year. They must also have been 16 or older when they applied for that passport.
This is where most Americans get stuck. Your Canadian parent may have died, and your Canadian cousins may not hold passports. Your US friends do not count, however long you have known them.
The guarantor signs your form, one of your photos and every copy of your ID. They also write their own passport details on your form. IRCC may contact them, so pick someone who will answer.
If you cannot find a guarantor, IRCC has a form called a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor. It is not online. In the US, you get it from a Canadian embassy or consulate, or by contacting the Passport Program. You swear it before an official who can give an oath, such as a notary. You also need two different references for it, not the ones on your passport form.
What are the rules for your two references?
You need 2 references who are 18 or older and have known you for at least 2 years. Unlike the guarantor, IRCC’s US page does not say they must be Canadian, so American friends, coworkers or neighbours can fill this role. They must agree to share their name and contact details and be reachable.
Some people cannot be references. Your guarantor cannot, and neither can your spouse or common-law partner. Close family is also out: parents, children, brothers and sisters, grandparents, grandchildren and in-laws. Other relatives, like an aunt or a cousin, can be a reference only if they do not live at your address. A boyfriend or girlfriend you do not live with as common-law partners is allowed, and so is a former spouse.
IRCC suggests you avoid references who will be travelling abroad, since time zones can slow a call back. It may also ask for more references at any time.
Why do US passport photos get Canadian applications returned?
Canadian photo rules are not the same as US rules, and IRCC returns applications with photos that do not meet them. A photo taken for a US passport at a pharmacy counter will often fail. Ask the photographer for Canadian passport photos and show them IRCC’s passport photo and document rules before they shoot.
You need 2 identical photos. On the back of one, the photographer writes or stamps the studio name, the full address and the date the photos were taken. Your guarantor signs that same photo.
Where do you mail a Canadian passport application from the USA?
You mail it to the Passport Program in Gatineau, Quebec, at an address on IRCC’s US application page. IRCC says to use a courier or a mail service you can track. Use one of the two addresses below.
Courier: Government of Canada, Passport Program, 22 de Varennes Street, Gatineau, QC J8T 8R1, Canada.
Regular mail: Government of Canada, Passport Program, Gatineau, QC K1A 0G3, Canada.
If your travel is urgent, IRCC tells US applicants to contact the nearest Government of Canada office for help.
How much does a Canadian passport cost and how do you pay?
A 5-year adult passport costs CAN$194.25 and a 10-year one costs CAN$266.25 for people living outside Canada. Fees rose on 31 March 2026, from CAN$190 and CAN$260. IRCC’s passport fee changes page lists the amounts, and the date IRCC receives your application decides which fee applies. Check IRCC’s US payment page before you pay, because the amount must be exact.
You can pay by Visa, Mastercard or American Express in the payment section of the form. You can also send a certified cheque or a postal or bank money order in Canadian funds, payable to the Receiver General for Canada. IRCC does not accept cash or personal cheques.
How long does it take to get your Canadian passport?
IRCC says that in most cases it takes 20 business days to process a passport application from the US, plus mail time both ways. See its US passport page. That clock starts when the Passport Program receives a complete file. A missing signature, a bad photo or a reference who never calls back can add weeks.
Compare that with the citizenship certificate itself, which took far longer. Our breakdown of proof of citizenship processing times in 2026 shows why the passport is the quick part.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for a Canadian passport before my citizenship certificate arrives?
No. IRCC needs proof of Canadian citizenship with every first passport application, and for someone born in the US that proof is the citizenship certificate. Wait until the certificate or e-certificate is in your hands, then line up your guarantor and your two references so you can mail everything in one go.
Do I need to give up my US passport?
No. Canada allows dual citizenship, and IRCC does not ask you to give up your US passport to get a Canadian one, so you can hold both. Many dual citizens use the Canadian passport to enter Canada and the US one to enter the United States, but check the US rules for your own case.
Can an American be my guarantor?
Only if they are also a Canadian citizen with an eligible Canadian passport. Your guarantor must be a Canadian citizen, 18 or older, who has known you for 2 years and holds a valid 5-year or 10-year Canadian passport, or one expired for no more than 1 year. A US citizen with no Canadian passport cannot sign as your guarantor.
Will I get my original citizenship certificate back?
Yes. IRCC says it returns an original proof of citizenship document once it has checked it, and by mail it comes in a separate envelope from your new passport. So do not panic if the passport arrives first, and keep your tracking numbers until both envelopes are home.
If your family situation makes the guarantor or the documents hard, we can map it out with you before you mail anything. Read more on our citizenship by descent service page or check the official rules on the IRCC website. To plan your application with Amir Ismail, RCIC #R412319, Book Your Strategy Consultation.
