American international travelers beware: Don’t buy that ticket until your passport’s in hand - Updated 3/14/07, 3/30/07 and 4/12/07

By PHK

Note: Please see WV's "The Erratic State of US Passport Issuance: What works and what doesn't," May 16, 2007 for a summary of the actions available to American citizens needing US passports for overseas travel. Please note: we will accept no additional comments on this post as of May 16, 2007 - but comments on the more recent "The Erratic State of US Passport Issuance" are welcome.

On January 23, 2007 the U.S. started requiring passports for air travel to and from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean as a result of a 2004 law passed by Congress upon the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission. By January 1, 2008, passports will also be required for travel to and from the US by land or sea. The number of American passport applications is likely to rise between four and six million just during 2007 as a result of the new law.

Since I have a valid passport, I never thought about the problems of having to jump over this latest bureaucratic foreign travel hurdle – that is until I received an e-mail from someone who had applied for an expedited US passport over three weeks ago and discovered this week that it had not been issued. Only after calling the Department’s help-line (1-877-487-2778) did he learn that it now “takes three weeks for the (passport) application to arrive in the mail – and be logged in.” And then what? State already charges an additional $60 for expedited service which is supposed to reduce the applicant’s wait time to two weeks from the normal six.

So when does expedited service kick in? And how long does it really take from start to finish? And what about the applicant who did not fork over the additional $60 for what should be normal service and thought that State’s leisurely six weeks processing time from start to finish would work for him – or her? How many months does that now take?

Meanwhile, my friend reported that he had checked the State Department’s website – but he found no warning to expect passport issuance delay. I just double checked it myself before this posting and found nothing either that even hints at the possibity.

In fact, State’s November 2006 press release announcing the program's January start date suggests the contrary.

Here is the relevant text: “The Department has dedicated additional resources and personnel to meet the increased demand for passports generated by these requirements. In Fiscal Year 2006, the Department issued a record 12.1 million passports to American citizens, and anticipates issuing 16 million passports in Fiscal Year 2007. U.S. citizens can find information about how to apply for a passport at travel.state.gov or by calling 1-877-487-2778."

It’s quite clear, however, that something is wrong with this announcement.

Two recent New York Times articles – contrary to State’s claims that it was ready to handle the expected surge in applications and is “meeting the unprecedented demand for American passports” – suggest that the State announcement is just wrong. The January 22 article "Tighter Passport Rules for U.S. Citizens Start Tuesday" is in its restricted section.

But this one by Jane Levere is not. In it she reported major snafus with the Department’s handling of the American citizen pay-for-fee passport service in a January 23, 2007 article. This was the day the new law took effect. American business travelers, she wrote, after interviewing the executive director of the National Business Travel Association and an executive with CIBT, one of the largest US passport and foreign visa expediters, are particularly hard hit.

Since the State Department had over two years to prepare for the expected onslaught in volume, you would think that it would have geared up sufficiently to meet the increased demand and that it also would have announced the start date far earlier.

In the same NYT article, Levere quotes Deputy Assistant Secretary for Passport Services Frank Moss. He told her that in 2005, State added 250 more “adjudicators who approve and process the applications and more contract workers – and that it has expanded hours at some of the regional passport processing centers.”

Guess that was an underestimate of what is needed.

But that’s been a problem with the State Department for years: too many requirements and too little staff to do the job well and on time. Or maybe I’ve got it wrong and State’s passport issuance system is working as efficiently as its website promises. Readers’ experiences – pro and con – are welcome.

Comments

[PLS]

The Bush administration has just sent a budget message to Congress. It would be nice if one of our readers were able to do the break out that would tell us exactly how much has been allocated to support this vastly increased passport processing traffic.

Meanwhile, State clearly should call in the press or issue a release telling Americans precisely how much time will be required to process a passport application, expedited or otherwise.

[CKR]

Whew! Mine expired in November of last year, and I got it renewed a little before that.

But I had to be satisfied with an ugly photo. I had been so pleased with my old passport photo, in which I'm smiling and confident. When I went to get my photos, the photographer told me that some of his clients had had their photos and applications returned because they were smiling in their photos. So I took some time to compose my face into something other than a smile and he was patient enough to take several before we got a tolerable one.

So that's another potential delay and part of the government's continuing effort to convince us that travel isn't supposed to be fun.

[James]

CKR: or to remind us we're suspects. The passport photo is a mugshot, after all.

[Alison English]

I applied for an expedited passport 3 weeks ago at my local post office. I was told I would have my passport in about 3 weeks. As of today, 3/5/2007, I am not even in the system yet. After calling the toll-free number to the National Passport Information center, I was told that the actual wait for an expedited passport is really about 8 weeks. I think they should tell people the TRUE wait time. I am now out $1,000 for a trip I cannot take because I was lied to regarding processing times. Their website STILL says and expedited passport will take 3 to 4 weeks.

[PHK]

Alison: Thanks for your alert to continuing problems with US passport issuance delays.

I too find it reprehensible that the State Department has not yet updated its website to reflect the current reality although who knows, that page may be contracted out which means less government oversight and accountability.

I don't blame you for being furious about losing so much money - not to mention the trip you had planned. I would be too. One thing you might do - if you have not done so already - is to notify your members of Congress and ask them to look into why the website information is so outdated and also why State's Bureau of Consular Affairs is not living up to its promises. Seems to me even eight weeks is hardly expedited service: does the Department still not have enough money and trained workers to accomplish the increased task? And if so why not?

If you decide to do this, the most effective approach - so I'm told - is a handwritten letter that exlains your recent experience and asks for help.

[sundar]

Whoops..I wish I read this article in time.

I booked my ticket for Mar 15. Applied for the passport on 22nd at oath ceremony.

They mentiond it would take a week to get it on expedited. Noone mentioned, it would take this long, unfortunately.

It's been 15 days. My application (expedited) is still not in the system. I am naturalized citizen. My citizenship certificate is with the application.

That means, I cannot make use of in-person appointment with passport agency. I am stucked now, and have to cancel my trip.

It's natural that passport agency gets overwhelmed. But accurate information is key. They are failing big time on this.
=================
My 2 cents:

If you need passport fast, make use of In-person appointment with local passport agency. I tried the system to get appointment -18774872778. You get appointment fairly within a week.

[Lisa]

I sent out the passport application for my daughter, the First week of January and was assured I need not put a rush on it that she would have it in plenty of time for her trip to England with her classmates on March 21, Well I started checking on line the beginning of March the first time I checked it says she will receive it by the 18th of March I check a few days later it says the 20th, again I check it now says the 26th. I call the number they give you and it says if you are traveling within 10 days to talk to a servic rep. Well days of trying and getting all reps are busy now try again later GOOD BYE. Finally I get through to be told the servers are down try again later hours later I get through and all they can say is give me your credit card we can expedite it. This is today March 13, she says ok now call again on Thursday and we will hopefully be able to say we sent it out. Well we are not Rich I paid over $1,000 for this trip for my daughter who is typically very shy and introverted so when she asked to go we were excited and could not say no. So now we may have to tell her NO she cannot go after she has gotten the host family she is staying withover there gifts, bought new things for herself to go there with and not to mention what it will do to her mentally. Also we cannot get the $1,000 + back. They are a company just like any. They should be responsible and have to pay back any fees if not done on time as well as the costs of the trip when we sent in the application in plenty of time.. NOT to mention there are girls in her class who sent theres out after us and have gotten it back with no RUSH put on it at all who is tracking this...they dont get what they are doing to this child.

[PHK]

Lisa: Don't blame you for being upset but at least you've still got a little time until your daughter's departure on March 26. First, I assume you did what the passport office official suggested you do to expedite the service, that you have that person's name and telephone number and will call back on Thursday as suggested.

If that fails, do you live near enough to any of the 13 passport offices in various US cities where you can make an in-person appointment? Sunar (comment above) wrote that it takes about a week to get such an appointment - and that's what I've also heard from friends in DC.

Finally, another possibility is to get in touch with your Congressional representative's office (House or Senate). They all have staffers who run interference with the bureaucracy and perhaps one of them can help. It's not as if your daughter waited until the last minute to apply.

It shouldn't be this way - but I have a feeling its just symptomatic of what's happening in our federal bureaucracy. In my view downsizing, contracting out, politicization of the federal workforce etc. and adding new requirements just doesn't work very well. And why State can't at least change its webpage announcement to reflect the reality is beyond me.

[Teri Dassing]

I am traveling to Mexico April 4, 2007 and made my reservations Nov 30, 2006, before the announcement was made.
On January 26 I went to our local Passport government office in Palm Harbor, Florida with my filled out application which I got from on-line and they told me they don't process applications that have current passports that need name changes--that I would have to fill out new forms and mail it to the Philadelphia office (which is wasteful and beaurcratic).
So on January 26, I mailed my passport information renewal (for a name change only), marriage certificate, two passport photos, and my still in effect passport with my old name to the Philadelphia Passport Office. They received it on January 29, 2007 according to my mail tracking receipt. As of 3/20/07, there is still no status in the system.
What worries me most is that I'm leaving within the next 13 days and when I tried to call the number stated on the US Passport website 1-877-487-2778, it goes around and around, no matter what number you press, then it says to hold on for the next customer service representative, your call is important to us, then a voice comes on and says thank you for calling, goodbye and you are disconnected. So you cannot check on your passport status.
I tried e-mailing as they state you will receive a response within 4 days. Still no response and it's been 10 days. My trip to Mexico is costing over $3000 and we will have to cancel our anniversary trip because I cannot get an answer from the US Passport Agency. You just can't get a hold of them, no matter what method you use.
Folks - - this is just another example of what our tax money is paying for....nothing!

[drk]

Chalk me up as another fool who paid to go to Mexico and won't be going. I paid for expedited service at the beginning of April for a trip May 18. No passport yet, no way to contact the agency--they don't answer phones--just note high call volume and disconnect.

This is really absurd. Do I get to deduct the expense from my taxes this year?

[PHK]

Drk: Call your Congressional District Office immediately - if you have a tracking number a staffer can help - if not the staffer can set up an emergency appointment for you at the closest passport agency to you and the agency can issue the passport on the spot - but please see my post on May 16 for the documents you will need.