The State Department claims that it receives approximately 500,000 passport applications each week, which is at least 30% more than the previous year.
If you’re going to be traveling soon and need a passport, bring some patience. Every week, the State Department receives 500,000 applications.
The official processing time is now 13 weeks, which is one reason why the wait is getting longer.
According to Jay Zagorsky, an economist at the Questrom School of Business at Boston University, demand is also rising in Minnesota.
“220,000 people applied for passports in 2021. Last year, in 2022, 310,000 people applied, and what is my projection for this year? “There will be applications from four hundred thousand people in Minnesota,” stated Zagorsky.
That delay is also caused by a lack of government employees because so many temporary workers were fired during travel restrictions.
According to Zagorsky, “The passport agency has been trying to hire those people back, but it’s hard to find workers because unemployment is so low across the country.” Give yourself some additional time and be ready for perhaps a failure.”
Zagorsky missed a May trip to London because he waited four months for his passport. He said that one way to solve the problem is to let people back into the country even though their passports are expired.
“In the event that I have a lapsed visa and I haven’t changed my name or my location, they ought to permit me back in,” said Zagorsky.
He also suggests that you can continue to use your passport while you wait for it to be renewed—two policies that officials have previously tried.
He also suggests going to Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands because you don’t need a passport. Otherwise, pack your patience because, in terms of the number of passport applications, Minnesota ranks 13th in the nation, in part due to its proximity to Canada.