‘I’m the only one’: Toronto man still waiting for passport 6 months later
Posted January 30, 2023 6:02 pm.
Last Updated January 30, 2023 7:13 pm.
It has been six months, and Virgil Quiogue still has not received his passport.
The Toronto resident says he applied in person back in July 2022. At the time, he was told he would likely have it by November. In January, there was still no word on when it would arrive.
Quiogue applied at the height of the massive passport backlog when interest in travel surged following a pandemic slowdown. Last Tuesday, federal officials declared the backlog “virtually eliminated,” which left Quiogue wondering what happened to his.
“I’m the only one who doesn’t get a passport,” he said. “Everyone got it except me.”
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He paid the $160 fee for a 10-year passport. It would be his first one despite being a Canadian citizen since the early 90s.
“I never even thought about having it because I’ve been very frugal with my income,” he explained, saying he wanted to focus on building a life and family in Canada. He and his wife now have five kids and are now retired, and he thought he could finally take that family vacation to the Philippines that his kids have been requesting for some time.
Those plans, however, remain on hold.
When CityNews reached out to Employment and Social Development Canada, the agency confirmed Quiogue’s passport has now been printed and will be mailed out by Jan. 30.
In a statement, they write, “We deeply regret the circumstances that resulted in the inconvenience to this client due to this situation. We are committed to improving our processes and timelines to prevent such situations in the future for all passport clients.”
If you are still waiting for your passport, the agency added you do not have to reapply. Still, applicants are encouraged to check their status online on the Passport Program website or in person at a passport office or Service Canada location.
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