We shoulda seen this one coming. The State Department apparently has a significant backlog of passport applications, which could affect the vacations of tens of thousands of Americans this summer.
Now, everyone expected a slowdown in processing new passports. In January, a new rule requiring a passport to enter the United States by plane from Canada, Bermuda, Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean went into effect. But the State Department site says processing times can be up to 10 weeks.
That may be an understatement. Just yesterday, I received a desperate note from reader Christine Simmons, who had booked an Expedia vacation that was to have begun this morning.
Both she and her husband had sent away for passports back in January. “I received mine three weeks ago,” she wrote. “Based on the government Web site, my husband’s passport was sent March 13. We haven’t received it yet. We have done everything in our power to track it, but to no avail.”
This morning I suggested that she contact Expedia and try to reschedule her vacation. The online agency was very understanding and charged her a modest change fee for a new trip in May.
Meanwhile, I got on the phone to the State Department’s press office. I reached someone who said there was a “significant” backlog of passport applications, to the extent that the State Department had created a special task force to handle queries related to passports.
That sounded very significant to me.
He offered to transfer me to the task force phone line, promising that it wouldn’t take any longer than 5 to 10 minutes before my call was answered. But after 20 minutes on “hold,” I gave up and tried to contact the State Department by e-mail. I reached someone immediately, but was passed along to another spokesman, who, at the time of this posting, hasn’t responded to me.
Based on the conversations with Simmons and the unnamed State Department spokesman, I have a hunch that for some travelers, it may take longer than 10 weeks to get a passport. In other words, if you’re planning a summer vacation overseas, you might want to apply for your passport right now.
I’m happy to report that Simmons’ husband’s passport did finally arrive today — a few hours after they were supposed to leave for their vacation.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Does anyone have a read on whether this delay is also affecting renewals? I submitted my passport for renewal last week and am wondering if I will also get caught in the crunch.
This is my first passport for me and my girlfriend. We’re planning on going on a Caribbean cruise in June. I was very pleased that, after paying the expedited processing and overnight shipping advertised at the post office (at a total cost of nearly $200 each for my new passport), ours arrived in about one week.
We applied Saturday, March 17. Received them in my home Monday, March 26. I didn’t like paying the extra money — actually, it’s kind of outrageous — but like anything else, if you pay enough, they seem to treat you differently.
I saw a story about Iraqis going through the same thing.
On Passports. Monday’s Washington Post had a rundown on the huge lines at the passport office in DC. It is a mob scene. There are three lines. Appointments, off the street and with congressional letter. Guess which one really gets service!
A year ago I was in our Congressman’s office in Rockville, MD and mentioned the passport’s office inertia. The woman at the desk asked if I needed help. No, I replied, but any information would be filed in my head. She said if I needed fast service to bring application to her and it would really be expedited if needed. How? There is a branch office in Longworth building and they would have courrier (a daily run for some one in the office) would put it in the system and with proper fees it would be processes ASAP. For official travel they don’t pay fees, but for ordinary folks the regular fees are collected.
I had an official PP when I worked for the government, and my wife had a diplomatic PP before I met her. That one is the gold standard. It gets one though without examination of luggage, etc.
Just to be sure, I will check later this week and see if they still do this. Because of the six month rules of much of the world, the term of the PP should be extended by six months so one gets what one pays for. So a regular one would be 126 months and the kids and other shorter ones wold have a half year tacked on to give full measure of value.
The backup due to the air travel requirement has really strained an already slow process.
Being in DC area we are spoiled and can get by a lot of red tape that those in many of the states find difficult far from help.
Keep up the great work!!! Thanks a billion or two. (adjusted for inflation)
duke
I may have the passport story of the year. The state department lost my SSN number and birth certificate! I got as far as the name of the person who signed for the packet at the Los Angeles State Dept. but that is all the info I can get. The last person I talked to at Passport help line said I should get another birth certificate and try again. Thats all fine and dandy but what about the birth certificate running around out there with my name on it! Needless to say but Im now a Lifelock customer.