Isle passport office works OT to combat long delays
The passport office staff in Honolulu is working mandatory overtime, including Saturdays, to address a backlog in applications that has extended the normal processing time from six weeks to up to 10 weeks.
The nationwide backlog results in part from a surge in applications due to new requirements for air travel, a State Department spokeswoman said.
As of Jan. 23, passports are required for travel from the United States to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and other Western Hemisphere countries, spokeswoman Janelle Hironimus said by telephone from Washington, D.C.
Some 1.1 million applications were received nationwide in November, up from 648,000 in November 2005, she said.
The January-March period is normally heavy as Americans prepare for travel over spring break, she said.
Hironimus said the normal waiting time for passports is now eight to 10 weeks for regular applications and three to four weeks for expedited applications. The department has added staff to handle the increased volume, and the national passport center is working in three shifts 24 hours a day, she said. "The best advice for Americans is to apply early."
The increase in applications also has jammed up the national passport information number, (877) 487-2778, and Web site.