OTTAWA, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Canadians hoping to spend the March break holiday in the Florida sun may be out of luck if they have failed to apply for passports by now.
Passport Canada says there is a 60-day wait, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported. Applications are coming in at a rate of 21,000 a day.
The backup is caused by new U.S. regulations requiring everyone arriving by air to have a passport. In the past, Canadian and U.S. citizens traveling from Canada needed only identification and proof of citizenship.
Francine Charbonneau, a spokeswoman for the passport agency, said applications can be speeded up in case of emergencies like family illness or death, or a sudden business trip. But she said a last-minute urge to vacation in Miami would probably not qualify.
"It's up to the discretion of the passport officer," Charbonneau said.
