Passport Woes and Worries!!
July 20th, 2007 . by Mike KellyPassport Perplexities
One of my clients, with a trip to France scheduled with his family and children for next week, JUST got his passport after over 3 months of nail biting and conversations (some nasty) with our overwrought and overworked Passport folks! So if you’re anticipating leaving the country get your passport at least 4 months before exiting!!
In January, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) imposed new passport requirements on American travelers visiting Mexico, the Caribbean, and Canada. In June, the new initiative was revised temporarily, but only for those travelers with passport applications in place. If you think this is confusing, just wait. This was just the first phase of new border security measures the State Department will introduce in the next few years.
If you’re planning to travel any time in the near future, save yourself the time, money, and hassle and get your passport application or renewal in early. According to the US Postal Service, applicants can expect to wait at least 10 to 12 weeks to get through the entire process. And, considering the fact that less than 20% of Americans actually have valid passports, this problem isn’t likely to go away any time soon. Even expedited service at the Post Office, which adds $60 to the current $97 price tag, may not result in your passport being processed in time to make your flight. Although private expediting services do exist and can produce passports relatively quickly, expect to pay up to $300 or more!
