A new and more secure ten-year ePassport is now available to Canadians, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced on Tuesday.
ePassports are the international norm in travel documents. They contain technologically-advanced features, including an embedded electronic chip, to prevent fraud. The chip stores the same personal information as that which is recorded on the information page of a passport (except for the signature) as well as a photo and a digital security feature that proves that the passport was issued by the Government of Canada. To combat fraud, once the personal information is stored on the chip, it cannot be modified without invalidating the passport.
“The new, ten-year ePassport provides more convenience for Canadians, and facilitates safe, secure travel which, in turn, helps create jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for Canadians,” said Minister Kenney. “The Canadian passport is not only a privilege of citizenship, but a reflection of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.”
The new ePassport features iconic images that celebrate Canada’s history and culture, such as: Robert Harris’s painting of the Fathers of Confederation; a depiction of the last spike completing the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885; and a picture of Pier 21 in Halifax – one of the most significant ports of entry for newly-arrived immigrants between 1928 and 1971.
At CDN$160, a ten-year passport provides better value for money for Canadians, as it costs less per year than the previous cost of a five-year passport. It also means that Canadians will not have to renew their passports as frequently.