A trip to Italy is an exciting adventure for many, but for Rosalba Malagon, the trip had an extra layer of importance: a retirement gift from her daughter and a dream vacation to celebrate 33 years of service.
Her dream, however, started to fade when her renewed passport didn’t arrive.
"I feel so frustrated and I feel so sad now," Rosalba told NBC6 Responds.
As the clock ticked closer to her departure date, the 73-year-old retiree found herself in a race against time.
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"When you call in, nobody answers, and nobody cares," she said, describing her efforts to expedite her passport renewal process.
Rosalba applied to renew her passport back in March, in advance of her June trip. But after nearly three months, it had not arrived.
Despite paying extra to expedite the process, her passport was nowhere in sight. When she attempted to secure an appointment at the nearest passport agency, she was told no appointments were available and that she might need to cancel her trip.
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"I cry, you know. I started crying and crying because I said, you know, it's very hard to lose all that money," Rosalba said.
That’s when she turned to NBC6 Responds for help. Our team immediately reached out to the State Department.
The following day, Rosalba says a department’s representative contacted her and told her they would send her passport overnight.
Delays reported nationwide
Rosalba is among many who have faced delays, long wait times, and the inability to secure in-person appointments in recent months.
The State Department told NBC6 Responds the delays are the result of an unprecedented demand for passports, driven by more Americans traveling internationally.
The agency said it issued 22 million passports in 2022, a record it anticipates breaking this year.
The backlog has prompted lawmakers, including Florida Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, to send a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging him to take immediate action. They wrote the situation has forced many families to cancel their trips.
Blinken said the department is hiring agents as quickly as possible, opening more appointments and trying to address the situation in other ways.
The department recently began hosting fairs across the country - mostly for people applying for the first time. So far, there is only one upcoming event scheduled in the state of Florida: July 15 in Okeechobee County.
You can check a list of all upcoming events here.
Passport processing times
The State Department says routine passport processing takes about 10 to 13 weeks, while expedited processing reduces this to seven to nine weeks, but with an additional $60 fee.
It’s important to keep in mind these timeframes start once the State Department receives the application and exclude mailing time.
For expedited service at the passport agency, international travel must be scheduled within 14 calendar days, although in-person appointments can be quite challenging to secure.
Travelers are advised to renew their passports well in advance of any planned trips and to stay informed about current passport processing times.
For more information about passport processing times and how to check the status of an application, you can click here.
Rosalba, fortunately, was able to embark on her dream Italian vacation after NBC6 Responds intervened. She recently shared photos enjoying her trip with her family.
“You listened to me, and that’s why I’m so grateful,” she said.
