As we continue to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are beginning to feel more comfortable making travel plans, which has many travelers realizing that they need a new passport.

"I want to go to Australia,” Whitney Ivy said.

Like Ivy, more people than usual are ready to travel after a long year of uncertainty.

But some are realizing their passports are expired or that they just need one in general, which doesn’t come at a convenient time."This is a real challenge, Congressman French Hill said. "The challenge is because the passport agency did not keep up with staying open and processing applications during the pandemic.”With that in mind, there's now a large back log. What typically would be four or five weeks to receive a passport, now taking up to three months according to Hill. Ivy is planning to travel abroad, so she gave herself ample time to get passports for her children."It would be stressful if you were waiting to the last minute. It was a longer wait time, but I knew that going in,” Ivy said.Congressional Offices are working to help people get their passport expedited as quickly as possible."So far this year we've helped 70 Arkansas families to obtain their passport. We've opened up 90 cases in just the first half of this year," Hill said. "That compares to doing 215 passports for the past five years, so this is a real challenge.”The department of agency is working to help people with emergency travel first."So, this is must travel for a funeral, health emergency, or something of that nature,” Hill said.If you have a leisure trip planned, you’re encouraged to apply for your passport at least 6 months before travel.To get a passport, many post offices and local libraries schedule appointments.If you need one expedited, you are encouraged to reach out to the congressional offices.

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