Theses suggestions by no means will get your passport faster, but it does help you to connect to an operator a bit easier. I've been calling 2-3 times a week for the last month in order to try an expedite my passport. It still does not have a batch number. Anyway, when calling the 1-877 number that everyone in the country has to call you will be told to press "1" to get the instructions in English. After that will be about 2 minutes worth of information that is largely unnecessary if you've called before. To skip all of this information and go directly to the main menu, press "8". You can choose something in the menu, "3" being the choice for checking the status of your passport. Or you can wait until the menu selections are complete. After they complete simply staying on the line is basically the same thing as choosing "3", you get forwarded to an operator. However, after being told by a disembodied voice how important you are and to please stay on the line, you will most likely get a message that sounds something like "Due to high call volumes all representatives are busy assisting other customers . . ." At this point, before the Voice is done talking, hit "9". This will take you back to the main menu and cycle through again. Now, I have sat on the phone choosing "9" for up to 20 minutes, but eventually I'm connected to an agency and then put on hold. This procedure by no means makes the whole process better, but it does save you a lot of time while trying to connect. So, to review, 1-for English, 8-to go directly to the menu, 9-saves you from being cut off and having to go through the whole thing again. I hope this helps a bit.