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Casework Corner - What To Do If You Have Passport Problems
07/06/07By Joshua Dieker
District Representative
In recent months, Rep. Boyda's Topeka office has heard from over 400 Kansans who have experienced major delays in their applications for a U.S. passport. If you, too, are encountering passport problems, my coworkers and I are glad to help you.
As you may know, in January of this year, the State Department issued a rule requiring American citizens to present a passport for air travel to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. As a consequence, the number of new passport applications climbed dramatically, creating a major backlog and increasing the average processing time from 10 weeks to 14-18 weeks.
If you are planning to leave the country within 14 days and you have not yet received your passport, Rep. Boyda's office can can request that the State Department expedite your application. Even if you haven't yet reached the 14-day window, our office can contact the State Department on your behalf to determine the status of your application.
In general, we offer three tips to anyone planning international travel:
Due to this rule change, the passport backlog is slowly disappearing, and we're hearing fewer and fewer complaints of passport delays. But if you find yourself approaching your departure without a passport in hand, please don't hesitate to contact us. We'll do everything we can to help!
District Representative
In recent months, Rep. Boyda's Topeka office has heard from over 400 Kansans who have experienced major delays in their applications for a U.S. passport. If you, too, are encountering passport problems, my coworkers and I are glad to help you.
As you may know, in January of this year, the State Department issued a rule requiring American citizens to present a passport for air travel to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. As a consequence, the number of new passport applications climbed dramatically, creating a major backlog and increasing the average processing time from 10 weeks to 14-18 weeks.
If you are planning to leave the country within 14 days and you have not yet received your passport, Rep. Boyda's office can can request that the State Department expedite your application. Even if you haven't yet reached the 14-day window, our office can contact the State Department on your behalf to determine the status of your application.
In general, we offer three tips to anyone planning international travel:
- If you’re planning to travel abroad any time this year, don’t wait to file a passport application. Send it in now.
- If you file a passport application and do not receive a passport by 14 days before your departure, please call Rep. Boyda’s Topeka office at (785) 234-8111.
- If you are forced to cancel your travel plans due to passport delays, contact your airline’s customer service number. You may be able to reschedule your flight or receive a refund.
Due to this rule change, the passport backlog is slowly disappearing, and we're hearing fewer and fewer complaints of passport delays. But if you find yourself approaching your departure without a passport in hand, please don't hesitate to contact us. We'll do everything we can to help!