Scrambling to Get Hold of a Passport
Jane L. Levere, New York Times, 1/23/2007 (excerpted)
The new requirement that Americans use a passport when they fly between the United States and any point in the Western Hemisphere has significantly increased demand for passports, testing the processing capabilities of federal offices, travel industry officials say.
Particularly hard-hit by the new rule, effective today, they say, are business travelers trying to obtain a passport on an expedited, last-minute basis.
The last-minute passports are available through regional offices and passport service companies. But industry officials and the passport service companies say the government has greatly reduced the number of applications these companies can submit. In addition, they say the State Department's appointment system for expedited passports has been so overwhelmed by demand that it is often difficult, if not impossible, to get an appointment in a timely fashion.
These developments pose "a real threat to the ability of American business to successfully compete in international commerce," warned Bill Connors, executive director of the National Business Travel Association, a trade group of corporate travel managers at the largest American companies.
Steve Diehl, vice president of business development for CIBT, one of the largest passport service companies, argued that the United States should allow as many passports to be processed as quickly as possible. "This is how deals are made, when people can travel at the drop of a hat," he said.
Imposed by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, the new passport rule, called the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, was intended to strengthen border security. Until now, air travelers needed only a birth certificate and a government-issued photo identification, like a driver's license, to go to Canada, the Caribbean or Mexico. People who travel on cruise ships or in cars will not have to comply until probably next year.
According to the State Department, an estimated 27 percent of Americans currently carry a valid passport; it expects to issue 16 million to 18 million passports in its fiscal year 2007, ending Sept. 30, compared with 12.1 million in fiscal year 2006. In addition, department officials say, demand for passport processing was up 52 percent in the last quarter of 2006 from the period in 2005.
The State Department insists that its offices are keeping up with the surging demand. Frank E. Moss, deputy assistant secretary of state for passport services, said last week that since late 2005, the department has hired 250 more adjudicators, who approve and process applications, and more contract workers. He said the department has also greatly expanded hours of operation at some regional passport processing offices. Of the 17 across the country, 14 are open to the public. The full list is available at travel.state.gov .
"We've been planning for the new passport requirements for two years, and with those preparations, we are meeting the unprecedented demand for American passports," Mr. Moss said.
The State Department charges $97 for standard processing of a new passport and $67 for a renewal. It says each takes approximately six weeks. Expedited service is an extra $60 and is approximately four weeks quicker. In addition, certain passport offices let travelers who need same-day or next-day passports apply in person; appointments for these can be made by calling 877-487-2778.
Officials from several passport service companies say this appointment system is not working as advertised. "We get calls every day from people who try to go directly to the appointment line and can't secure an appointment that meets their departure date," Mr. Diehl said. "Maybe it works in Norwalk, Conn., but not in New York."
Mr. Moss countered that the appointment system was working, and that in certain offices, appointments to obtain a same-day passport "are not only available, but going unused." He added, "If travelers need a passport for urgent travel, we will work with them so they won't miss their trip."
For fees ranging from $85 to $180 (discounted for corporate customers), passport service companies can help business travelers obtain passports in three days or less, though their ability to do so is becoming increasingly limited.
According to the National Association of Passport and Visa Services, a trade group, the nine regional passport offices most used by its members to process passports in two weeks or less reduced the number of applications each company can submit for such processing by 40 percent from 2002 to 2006.
Asked about these reductions, Mr. Moss said, "We continue to make appointments for last-minute passport applications available, both to the general public and to private passport service companies."
To find a reputable one, Porter Briggs, president of A Briggs Passport and Visa Expeditors in Washington, said it was vital to identify the company's location. "If it's not in a mainstream city, it can't deal with passports and visas," he said.
Atlas Travel International works closely with A Briggs Passport and Visa Expeditors (www.abriggs.com) to accommodate all clients who need quick-turn passports for corporate travel. You may contact them directly or call your Atlas agent to get additional information.