Boozman Urges Arkansans to Apply for Passports Early

Press Release

Boozman Urges Arkansans to Apply for Passports Early

Congressman John Boozman is urging all Arkansans to apply for passports far ahead of the dates they need to travel. The new laws that went into affect in January require all U.S. Citizens to have passports to fly to Mexico, Canada, and other popular locations where they were not previously required.

"It is a difficult situation for everyone," Boozman said. "We have people who planned their summer vacations in February, applied in plenty of time, and have done everything right, but the national backlog is creating a lot of last-minute headaches."

Officials at the U.S. Passport Service are working around the clock to process all of the new applications. However, the overwhelming demand has caused an extensive backlog. Officials at the Passport Service tell Congressman Boozman's office that several million applications are currently pending. Standard processing for a new passport is taking as long as 12 to 14 weeks.

"My office is working with people in the 3rd District who are running out of time to get their passports. Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee success right now because of the nationwide problem. However, we have helped a lot of people and we are going to keep doing our best to get these passports to Arkansans who need to travel."

"I am grateful for the hard work being done by Passport officials across the country. A U.S. Passport is a legal proof of citizenship and, therefore, a very valuable document. Passport officials are working hard to help travelers, while also ensuring that these documents do not go to people who are not eligible to have them."

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