| Washington, DC – Congressman Bill Shuster would like to update his constituents on the current delays the State Department is experiencing in processing passport applications. This is important information for many residents of the 9th district who may be planning on traveling out of the country this Spring and Summer.
“According to the State Department, the number of passport applications has increased sharply from this time last year,” Shuster said. “To deal with mounting delays, the passport office has changed their approval schedule and increased their staff to improve their processing procedures.”
Due to the record demand for passports resulting from new requirements concerning travel to Canada and Mexico, the State Department is now telling travelers to allow eight to 10 weeks for routine processing and three to four weeks for expedited processing. This is an increase from the usual wait time of six weeks for routine and two weeks for expedited service. Residents of the 9th district in need of passports are strongly encouraged to plan according to this new time schedule.
The passport office has also expanded its customer service system by hiring more staff to its Washington, DC call center as well as by opening a satellite office. Customer service representatives are available from 7:00 a.m. to 12 midnight, ET, Monday-Friday, except federal holidays at 1-877-487-2778.
If constituents are traveling or need their passport in order to get a visa within the next two weeks, they should call us at 1-877-487-2778 or go to http://www.travel.state.gov/ to check the status of their application online.
“I encourage my constituents to be aware of the delay and take advantage of these new services,” Shuster said. “If anyone is experiencing difficulty in reaching the passport office, or would like more information, I encourage them to call my district office toll free at 1-800-854-3035.”
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