by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:50 AM ET, Tue October 3, 2023
The United States Department of State announced it had
issued a record number of passports last year, while also reducing wait times
by two weeks.
According to the State Department’s official website, the
government agency revealed it had issued more than 24 million passport books
and cards between October 2022 and September 2023, the most ever in U.S.
history.
In addition to record-breaking numbers, State Department
officials reduced the wait time for passports by two weeks. Processing times for
applications received on or after October 2 will be 8-11 weeks for routine
service and 5-7 weeks for expedited service.
Processing times begin the day the government receives an
application and does not include mailing time.
“Our dedicated staff have worked countless hours to reduce
passport processing times,” a State Department spokesperson said. “We are
continuously reassessing our operations to maximize efficiencies and are
introducing innovations to our customer service and processing models.”
To continue improving the passport process, federal
officials said they are investing in supporting and modernizing technology, increasing
staffing levels by ten percent and adding hundreds of staff members from the
hiring pipeline.
To ensure travelers get their passports on time, Americans
are asked to apply well in advance of potential trip dates and at least 6-9
months before the passport’s expiration date.
In August, a report claimed that the State Department’s passport
wait times ballooned to thirteen weeks as renewals reached an average of 430,000
per week. The government said the difficulties began during the end of the
pandemic, when staffing shortages and increased demand caused delays.
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