SW Indiana News

WASHINGTON – On June 16, 2023, U.S. Representative Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-Ind.-08) released the following statement urging Hoosiers to renew or apply for their passports with significant lead time ahead of planned international travel. Currently, the Department of State (DoS) is experiencing significant delays in processing passport applications and renewals. 

“One of my privileges as Congressman of Indiana’s Eighth Congressional District is to help constituents with casework and ease their interactions with the federal government. Right now, Hoosiers are experiencing passport application and renewal wait times that are significantly longer than normal, which could impede an individual’s ability to travel internationally. Hoosiers should apply for their passport as early as possible ahead of planned international travel to ensure that your passport application or renewal can be processed in enough time.  If you or someone you know is experiencing these difficulties, know my office is ready to do everything in our power to ensure that your passport is delivered to you so that you can travel as planned,” said Dr. Bucshon. 

With the onset of the summer travel season, the demand for passports has never been higher. The Department of State (DoS) is predicting that this will be the busiest travel season on record. Last fiscal year, the State Department processed 22 million passport and are on pace to beat that number. Consequently, Congressman Bucshon’s office has seen a steady rise in the number of constituents needing assistance with passport issues.  It is critical that Hoosiers needing passports apply well in advance of when the passport is needed.  

Information about Passport wait times and other information:

For passport inquiries, the State Department generally completes routine service within 10-13 weeks and expedited passport processing is 7-9 weeks (shipping is not included). After applying for a passport, it can take 2-4 weeks before the application will show “In Process” on the DoS website. 

Some of these delays may be due to processing errors with the application such as incorrect photos being submitted. If a problem does arise from your application, the Department of State will notify you. Please respond to the DoS as soon as possible to ensure your application process will resume. 

For minor passports issued to persons under the age of 16, passports will expire after 5 years. Many countries also require 6 months of validity for entry.

Should you be traveling out of the country, check and make sure your passport is compliant with the country’s entry and exit rules. If your passport expires in the next year, it is recommended you renew it even if you do not currently have travel plans. 

Please be mindful of current processing times when applying and waiting for delivery of your passport. It is important to remember to not book non-refundable travel before verifying your passport is good to travel. 

Please remember that each case we receive is different and we cannot guarantee results due to workload at the various agencies. 

Other resources to help:

• Important Updates on Passport Processing
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Bureau of Consular Affairs at the State Department Twitter

 

If you have questions or concerns regarding passport processing and what the office can do to help please visit my website or contact my Evansville office:

 

20 NW Third Street
Suite 1230
Evansville, IN 47708
Phone: (812) 465-6484 

Hours: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm CT

Original source can be found here.