The US State Department is reporting that passport service has been restored to the standard six to eight week processing time for routine passport applications, and no more than three weeks for expedited service.
To date, the State Deptartment has issued over 16 million passports in fiscal year 2007, which ends on Sept 30, compared to 12.1 million issued in fiscal year 2006. Throughout the summer, their staff in Washington and at the nation's 18 passport agencies have worked to catch up and eliminate the delays in processing that had developed earlier in the year.
Also reported are plans to expand passport facilities and continue to hire more passport specialists in order to increase production capacity and meet the rising passport demand expected in coming years, as passport requirements are extended to land and sea borders. By Jan 2008, they will have hired hundreds of new employees, and production capacity at the National Passport Center in New Hampshire, the nation's largest passport facility, will have doubled. Longer-term expansion plans include new passport facilities strategically located to enhance customer service around the country.
Your tax dollars at work... however, the best advice remains to apply early when you are planning your next cruise.
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