Get your passport now: backlog has travelers waiting for months

Travel experts cite several reasons for the backlog. With pandemic fears abating, there’s a pent-up demand for trips. In addition, a favorable U.S. exchange rate has encouraged international

travel. On the supply side, the federal government has had trouble meeting the demand, Blinken told Congress. “With COVID, the bottom basically dropped out of the system,” he said. Passport

processing workers were reassigned, and contractors let go. Now the government is playing catch-up. “We’re really digging in on this. We’re authorizing overtime. We’ve opened satellite

offices.” PROVIDE APPROPRIATE PHOTO TO MINIMIZE DELAYS Meanwhile, the department urges travelers to check their applications carefully. Any problems will add to the delay. “Our number one

issue with passport applications are passport photos,” said Rodriguez. Guidelines, which are listed on the department’s website, include having a plain white background, clear resolution and

a neutral facial expression. Selfies are not accepted. He said the State Department hopes soon to restart a pilot project for online passport renewals. But in the meantime, the passport

crunch has added even more complications to what’s expected to be a busy travel season. Andrea Joines, who arranges trips for Tekton Ministries in Carmel, Indiana, said she’s already seen

the delay disrupt plans. One client applied for a passport in December, but it didn’t arrive until March 20, the day of her flight to Rome. She had to reschedule, arrange for her own

transportation in Italy, and arrived late for the trip. “It was a stressful situation,” Joines said. FLIGHT DELAYS? What to Do if Your Flight Is Canceled or Delayed CONGRESSIONAL

REPRESENTATIVES MAY BE ABLE TO HELP Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) told Secretary of State Blinken she and her colleagues know about the problems firsthand. “I’ve been really alarmed by the

extended wait times,” she said. “Every single day in my office … we are receiving frantic calls.” Indeed, several experts suggest contacting your congressional representative if you’re

facing a passport delay. Most have a page on their websites to help constituents. The Points Guy’s Hull admits did this herself. “In the dark days of COVID, mine was just taking forever. And

coincidental or not, after I did that, within a couple of days it was on its way to me.” But she says the best cure is prevention. Travelers should do everything they can to avoid a

passport emergency. “It’s very stressful,” Hull says, “and it’s unfortunate that after so many years of on-again, off-again travel, travelers have this hurdle.”