How Indian nationals in Canada renew their passport, per members who had done it:
- Apply through BLS International. The Indian embassy/consulates outsource processing to BLS ('BLS India International'). Start on the BLS site — the flow is similar to applying for a PCC, just with different documents. Requirements vary by consulate jurisdiction, so check the office covering your province.
- You surrender the old passport, and you get it back. The old passport must be submitted with the application. It is returned with the new one, physically cancelled, marked to the effect of 'this passport is cancelled but the visas remain valid.'
- Valid visas in the old passport survive. Any unexpired visa stamped in the cancelled passport stays usable — you travel carrying both passports (old one for the visa, new one as the live travel document). If the old passport holds no valid visas, it's just a keepsake.
- Timelines vary widely by location. One family received the new passport in about 4 weeks (2022); another applicant waited 2-3 months, with the application stuck at 'printing' past the quoted 4 weeks. Members' takeaway: the advertised time is optimistic — don't schedule travel tightly around it, and renew well before the old passport (or any linked document) becomes a problem.