Canadians scrambling to obtain passports before a March break holiday may be out of luck, with waiting times now stretching to 60 days, says Passport Canada.

Passport Canada spokeswoman Francine Charbonneau said the office is receiving high volumes of applications, averaging about 21,000 a day.

Passport Canada's printing offices are working around the clock to meet increased demand.
(CBC)

Charbonneau said people hoping to get their passports before March break could still try to mail in applications, but advised they should apply in person. If an application has recently been submitted by mail, people can call a 1-800 number to have their passport application returned to them.

In the case of an emergency such as a death in the family, illness or a last-minute businesses trip, passport officers can fast-track applications.

"It's up to the discretion of the passport officer," Charbonneau said, noting that a last-minute flight to Florida would not qualify as an urgent situation.

While the office hired 200 new officers in November to help with the deluge, they're still having trouble meeting the demand.

"We're doing everything we can," she said, noting that the office's print centres in Mississauga, Ont., and Gatineau, Que., have boosted their production.

"Our print centres are running on 24-hour clocks, which is something that's never been done before," Charbonneau said.

A U.S. law that took effect on Jan. 23, 2007, requires all Canadians flying to the U.S. to have a valid passport.