Passports Delays for Travelers

Washington, DC - Matthew Lee of the Washington Post reports that approximately 1 million people are applying for passports a month. (Washington Post, 2007) The crack down on the new immigration laws has created a significant increase in the number of people applying for passports.

Why is there a sudden increase in the number of people that are applying for passports? Before the new immigration laws, travelers could fly outside of the United States without a passport. Travelers that frequent border countries, Mexico and Canada now will have to drive across the borders or have a passport to fly.

Another popular place to travel without having a passport was the Caribbean. Travel by air to the Caribbean now requires a passport.

Many travelers are planning their summer vacations. The new regulations requiring a passport to fly outside the United States has increased the number of passport applicants. To meet the anticipated increase of applicants, staff was increased. However, the demand is so high that delays are already occurring.

Passport applications have risen from 12 million in the year 2006 to a projected 15 million for 2007. (Washington Post, 2007). Currently, there are about 74 million United States citizens with valid passports. (Washington Post, 2007).

With the significant delays in passport applications and processing, travel plans for many United States travelers will be altered. If scheduled vacation schedules are before the passports processing can be completed, many travelers will be forced to either drive across the borders or not visit areas outside of the United States. It is imperative that travelers who have not applied for passports and wish to travel abroad this summer to make plans now.

Application and processing of passports is taking approximately ten weeks to complete instead of the previous six weeks time frame. In addition, passport applicants that pay the rush fee for processing are waiting an additional two week delay from previous passport processing times. (Washington Post, 2007).