Question:
I am canadian citizen working in US on Green Card.
It's time for me to renew canadian passport.
In the application there is a section for 1 guarantor
and for 2 references. What are the requirements for references,
do they also have to be doctor/lawyer/policeman/... ?
Answer:
I think you may be looking at the wrong form. There is a different
passport application form for use if you are applying from within
the US. That version of the application does =not= ask for any
references -- just a guarantor.
Go back to the Passport Office's web site. On the page with the
on-line forms (http://www.ppt.gc.ca/online_forms/index_e.asp), you
will see three rows of links -- one if you are residing in Canada,
another if you are residing in the US, and a third row if you are
residing somewhere other than Canada or the US. You want the "US
resident" version of the application.
The list of possible guarantors doesn't include as many occupations
if you are applying from within the US. On the other hand, your
guarantor can be either a Canadian citizen or a US citizen (whereas
only a Canadian citizen can be your guarantor if you are applying
from within Canada).
If you DID need references (because you were applying for your
passport from within Canada) . . . . References do =not= have to
be selected from the list of occupations for guarantors. They
just have to be two people who have known you for at least two
years, and who are not related to you. AFAIK, they don't even
need to be Canadians. . . . But, again, you don't need references
if you're using the passport application form for Canadians living
in the US. Make sure you're using the right form.
Soon I will apply for my Canadian passport from within Canada.
My question is: the two persons for references can be relatives
between them?
I want to put as references two friends which are husband and wife.
The form PPT044 it is not very clear about that: "Provide the
following information with respect to TWO persons who are not
relatives and ..."
They are not your relatives, so you can use them.
