Canadian Passport Order

12 (1) Subject to subsection (2), the Minister may authorize the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development to exercise any of the following administrative powers:

• (a) receiving passport applications, determining whether all required information has been provided, and checking the information provided on the application forms for consistency with materials and declarations required, prior to sending the applications to Passport Canada for processing;

• (b) ensuring that any documentary evidence of citizenship submitted with a passport application is valid and regular on its face, and returning the originals of documentary evidence of citizenship to applicants;

• (c) collecting any valid or expired passports, and accompanying materials, as required by the application process;

• (d) collecting the applicable passport fees and remitting a receipt to applicants; and

• (e) forwarding, including by electronic means, applications and all accompanying materials and declarations, including any originals, and the fees to Passport Canada for assessment, processing, approval, entitlement decision and issuance of passports.

(2) The Minister may specify circumstances in which the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development may not exercise a power referred to in subsection (1).

(3) The authorization under subsection (1) may be made

• (a) in respect of powers referred to in paragraphs (1)(a) and (c) to (e), for up to 200 selected points of service; and

• (b) in respect of powers referred to in paragraph (1)(b), for up to 60 points of service selected from the points of service referred to in paragraph (a) based on the geographic distribution of passport applications and passport offices and with a focus on small communities.

(4) A point of service is jointly designated by the Minister and the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.

(5) This section ceases to have effect on March 31, 2010.