If you recently applied for a Canadian passport, you may have to wait a while for it to be delivered amid the ongoing Canada Post strike.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) said Wednesday that Service Canada put a temporary hold on mailing out passport packages after November 8, 2024.

As of November 19, the agency said about 85,000 passports that were printed and ready to be mailed are being held by Service Canada.

1/ Due to a Canada Post labour disruption, you may experience delays receiving your passport by mail.
If you requested delivery of your passport and need it urgently: pic.twitter.com/wZWcjQrlOa

— Passport Canada (@PassportCan) November 18, 2024

"By holding residential mail several days in advance of a work stoppage, Service Canada has reduced the risk of having any passports held in Canada Post distribution centres," stated ESDC spokesperson Maja Stefanovska.

Over 55,000 employees represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW)  began a nationwide strike last Friday.

"Canada Post had the opportunity to prevent this strike, but it has refused to negotiate real solutions to the issues postal workers face every day," reads a statement from the union.

Mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered during the national strike, and some post offices will be closed.

Additionally, service guarantees will be impacted for items already in the postal network, and no new items will be accepted until the strike ends.

What you should know if you recently applied for a passport

ESDC said the tens of thousands of passports on hold will be mailed out once the labour disruption is over and regular mail service resumes.

According to Canada Post, once operations resume, the postal service says all mail and parcels in the postal network will be secured and delivered as quickly as possible on a first-in, first-out basis.

However, services may take time to fully return to normal, no matter the length of the disruption.

ESDC advises Canadians who have already submitted an application and are in urgent need of a passport to request to pick it up at a Service Canada location. You can do so by contacting the Passport Program at 1-800-567-6868 or visiting a Service Canada Centre.

If you mailed your passport application just before the start of the Canada Post strike, Service Canada might not have received it.

"In these cases, Service Canada will not be able to process the application until mail service resumes," explained Stefanovska.

ESDC also suggests Canadians check Canada Post's website for updates on service interruptions before sending a passport application by mail.