‘It’s chaos’: Passport office delays throw travel plans into disarray | pwhatch
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says processing times have doubled since October and now advises applicants to allow at least six weeks to get their passport. But some hopeful travellers say they have waited eight weeks or more and still have no idea when their documents will arrive.
“I’ve had no communication and I’ve been ringing for two weeks, so eight weeks in I just want to see what they say,” Handley said while waiting in the blistering cold outside the Melbourne passport office.Amanda Handley said she was worried whether her son’s passport would arrive before her family’s trip to Denmark in two weeks.
Long queues starting in the Australian Passport Office at Collins Square, Docklands snake outside onto the footpath and around the block.Most applicants received their passports within six weeks but some would take longer, she said, particularly first-time applications for which each document needed to be verified.
Travel agent Peter Alysandratos said there had been some close calls among his clients at Prahran Travel, which was “crazy busy” as many Australians prepared for their first overseas holidays since the start of the pandemic.One family received their passports on the day of their flight out, he said, and another still had not received their son’s passport after applying three months ago.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Strike threat circles RexRegional Express is staring down possible pilot strikes that could throw its business into chaos after the carrier failed to appease the union during pay talks.
Read more »
Expect submarine delays, Marles says as he plans for defence capability gapAustralia could need a new fleet of conventional submarines to avoid a major gap in the nation’s defences amid doubts the nuclear subs will meet the deadline of 2038.
Read more »
Ryanair forces South Africans to do Afrikaans test to prove nationalityAirline accused of discrimination after it introduces test due to ‘high prevalence of fraudulent passports’
Read more »
Expect submarine delays, Marles says as he plans for defence capability gapAustralia could need a new fleet of conventional submarines to avoid a major gap in the nation’s defences amid doubts the nuclear subs will meet the deadline of 2038. auspol
Read more »
'From a standstill to 500 miles an hour': Travel industry fights to keep up with demandLocal travel agents struggle to keep up with a growing market for COVID travel advice amid chronic staff shortages.
Read more »
The swearing in was sweet, now ministers may find themselves in a world of painThe new Labor government comes in with few expectations except those it now chooses to describe for itself, and no Messiah complex. But it's already sending signals about what it could and would look like, writes Laura Tingle.
Read more »