Jul 28, 2023

0 Summer is the peak travel season for Americans, but this year many are unable to cross borders due to a massive passport processing backlog that is likely to drag on into the winter months. . NBC 5 Responds first reported the huge backlog last April and since then there has been progress. The US State Department’s Consular Affairs Division has been working through the backlog and a spokesperson said demand had fallen slightly but remained a concern through the end of the year. Evelyn Branch of North Austin knows this firsthand. Branch said she loves to travel and is always counting down the days until her next vacation, including this fall. “We were going to go to the Canary Islands,” Branch said. A visit to the Canary Islands was part of his next trip to Spain. But sadly, Evelyn said a delay in renewing her passport caused her to miss the booking deadline, through no fault of her own. “I was pissed. I really was,” Branch said. “I was so looking forward to this trip.” Branch said she applied for a passport renewal in April, anticipating she would have it back by June 15.ethe last day she could book her trip. When she learned about the backlog, she said she called the State Department, eventually getting in touch with an employee who told her he would help expedite the renewal. “We can speed it up, but it’ll cost you an extra $60,” Branch said. “And if you want it back a day or two later, you have to pay another $20. So I did this. But even after paying the expedited renewal fee, the passport did not arrive in time. “I was happy, I knew it was coming,” Branch said. “But he didn’t come.” The State Department said it receives 400,000 new requests each week, up from 500,000 requests the agency received last April. Those numbers make it difficult to track demand, said Andres Rodriguez of the Office of Passport Services. “Processing times are longer now, and we’re doing our best to let the American public know that you should gauge your expectations and apply as soon as possible,” Rodriguez said. Currently, State Department officials say it can take up to 13 weeks to receive a passport. And if you speed it up, it can take up to nine weeks. The State Department said if you need a new one, the best advice is to apply as soon as possible. Understand that wait times are longer than usual and will likely remain so until the end of the year. If you have travel within 14 days and are still waiting for a passport, the State Department says the only option is to get an appointment at one of their offices, although these appointments may be difficult to obtain and you may need to plan to travel. out of town for one. With the backlog, travel experts are advising consumers not to book plane tickets or hotels without having an up-to-date passport in hand. The State Department also said it would refund any fees paid for expedited processing if the agency fails to meet its end of the bargain. (To learn more about the refund request process, click here) In Branch’s case, she said she was never charged the fee because she did not receive her passport in time. Branch said she shares her experience in hopes of preventing others from missing out on the trip of a lifetime. “I would definitely tell you to just check your passport and renew it as soon as possible,” she said. “I don’t care what day you travel. Renew as soon as possible. Because you never know how it will turn out when you submit your application. Do you have a consumer complaint? Call 1-844-NBC-RESP or click here to let us know so we can help you. NBC Chicago Not all news on the site expresses the point of view of the site, but we transmit this news automatically and translate it through programmatic technology on the site and not from a human editor.