VANCOUVER -Passport Canada will issue an apology --and travel documents -- to three Sikh children whose passport applications were rejected because they were wearing religious headgear. The federal agency will also offer remedial training to passport staff to ensure a similar incident doesn't happen in the future, spokesman Fabien Lengelle said yesterday. "It is resolved," Mr. Lengelle said. "As soon as we became aware of the issue, we called the parents and offered corrective measures." Lakhwinder Kaur Sidhu had mailed passport applications to Ottawa for herself and her husband along with their three children, Gurleen Kaur, 9, Ravneet Kaur, 7, and Gurmant Singh, 4, on May 15. All five had included passport photos in which they were wearing their religious headgear. Although Ms. Sidhu and her husband, Hardip, received their passports last week, the children's applications were denied because their photos did not meet the specifications, as the wearing of a "head covering is unacceptable." Her son was wearing a patka, which is knotted at the top to keep the hair intact, while the girls were wearing head scarves. Sikhs wear head coverings as part of their religious observance after they are baptized.

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