A federal minister is advising Canadians to expect long lines at passport offices this week as the public service resumes work following a 12-day strike.
Families minister Karina Gould says the job action did not create a significant backlog, as the federal government received only about 20 percent of the typical volume of passport applications during the strike.
Gould says a higher volume of applications is expected this week as a result, but is reassuring Canadians that those with urgent travel will be prioritized.
Meanwhile, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says about 100,000 decisions regarding immigration files were not processed during the strike.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has been catching up in recent months from significant backlogs created in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic….