U.S. Passport Services Back to Standard Processing Time, State Dept. Says
The Department of State announced that it has restored passport service to the standard six- to eight-week processing time for routine passport applications, and to no more than three weeks for expedited service.
To date, over 16 million passports have been issued in fiscal year (FY) 2007, compared with 12.1 million issued in FY 2006. The Department said it plans to expand passport facilities and to hire more passport specialists to increase production capacity and meet rising demand expected in the coming years, as passport requirements are extended to land and sea borders. By January 2008, production capacity at the National Passport Center in New Hampshire, the largest passport facility, is expected to have doubled. Longer-term expansion plans include new passport facilities around the country.
