Graves: Plan Ahead If You Need A Passport

Press Release

U.S. Congressman Sam Graves is advising constituents to plan ahead if they will need a passport this year. New travel regulations took effect in January that required passports for travel to countries that previously accepted birth certificates. This has resulted in a spike in the number of people who are applying for passports.

"Right now we are seeing a huge increase in the number of Americans applying for a passport," said Graves. "I don't want anyone to be surprised by the wait time. If you know that you are going to need a passport in the near future it is better to apply now."

The normal processing time for a passport is now 10 weeks and expedited service is 4-5 weeks. The number of calls is expected to increase throughout the year as a January 2008 passport deadline for those driving to Mexico and Canada nears.

"From a security standpoint it makes sense that everyone has a valid passport," said Graves. "As the deadlines for these new travel requirements are met, I expect that the demand will go back to normal."

The United States Department of State has a website for those applying for a passport at www.travel.state.gov. Should you run into difficulty, please contact Congressman Graves' offices in St. Joseph (816 233-9818) or Liberty (816 792 3976) for assistance.

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