Schumer Urges State Department to Shift Personnel to Clear Post Pandemic Visa/Passport Surge

Schumer Urges State Department to Shift Personnel to Clear Post Pandemic Visa/Passport Surge
A U.S. Passport cover in Washington on May 25, 2021. Eileen Putman/AP Photo
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Sunday urged the U.S. State Department to bring in emergency personnel to clear the passport backlog caused by high numbers of vaccinated Americans wanting to travel. Even if someone pays the expedited fee, the State Department said on Wednesday that the wait time for a passport or visa is between 3 to 4 and a half months.

“Unfortunately, we have a real problem. And that is that the State Department has been so backlogged because of COVID. People didn’t apply for any visas and any passports while COVID happened, and now there’s a deluge and they don’t have the personnel to do it,” said Schumer during a Sunday press conference from New York.
Masooma Haq
Masooma Haq
Author
Masooma Haq began reporting for The Epoch Times from Pakistan in 2008. She currently covers a variety of topics including U.S. government, culture, and entertainment.
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