The Online Passport Renewal (OPR) System received more than 500,000 requests between August 2022 and February 2023.
However, the system was unable to keep up with demand, and the system closed in February 2023.
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner of Virginia has seen an increase in requests for assistance to his office regarding passport applications and renewals. Constituents are expressing frustration with prolonged and unexplained delays regarding the status of travel documentation. Some constituents have reported receiving little to no information on the progress of their applications for renewal.
Warner sent a letter March 30 to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to encourage the State Department to take steps in clearing the passport backlog and fulfilling renewal requests.
“In an increasingly online age, I welcome the ability for my constituents to renew their passports through a secure paperless process,” Warner wrote. “However, the OPR system seems to be fraught with significant errors that have caused Virginians headaches, stress, and unfortunately in some instances, delayed or missed travel. Simply put, the service my constituents have received is unacceptable.”
Warner’s letter asks the State Department to address several questions:
- How does the agency’s handling of passport applications submitted online differ from those that are filed through traditional processes, either by applying at a Passport Acceptance Facility in person or by U.S. Mail?
- How does the agency determine the assignment of OPR applications to their Passport Agencies across the country? How does this compare to the assignment of traditional applications received?
- What is the current average processing time of an application submitted through the OPR process compared to those submitted through the traditional process? Please indicate the processing time for applications submitted under both expedited and routine processing.
- Does agency data reflect that some Passport Agencies are more successful in processing OPR applications timely than others? If so, what does the agency believe is the source of this imbalance, and how is the agency addressing this problem?
- Members of my staff have been told by Passport Agency officials that “technical issues” can at times impede the processing of an OPR application and that officials must transfer the application into the traditional system for final processing. Can you further explain these technical issues and what steps the agency is taking to fix these issues?
Warner’s constituents are welcome to submit information about problems with new passport applications or passport renewals through the Senator’s website.
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Rebecca Barnabi
