Australian passport delay 2022: how applicants are ensuring they get their travel documents in time

Exasperated people waiting up to 17 weeks for a passport have found a solution that works every time. And it doesn’t involve paying an extra fee.

Desperate would-be travellers left waiting on passport applications for up to four months are turning to their federal MPs for 11th-hour help — and it’s proving to be a successful strategy.

Assistance with delayed passports is the number one request to new northern Sydney independent Sophie Scamps, as DFAT fails to cope with demand and a growing number of Australians are miss flights and forgo accommodation as they wait.

Fifteen per cent of applications are still not being finalised within six weeks, a Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman told The Daily Telegraph.

“DFAT is continuing to face unprecedented demand for passports as Australians start travelling again,” the spokesman said. “We regret these delays and are investing energy and resources to address these.”

The good news is local parliamentarians are getting results.

Sophie Scamps is averaging more than one request a day at her office. Picture: Supplied

For the past three months, Liberal Julian Leeser has averaged more than one passport help request per day.

All those who have turned to the Berowra MP have got their travel documents in time for their trip.

Kate and Thomas Schlosser with Olivia, 5, and Anna, 7, whose renewal took 17 weeks. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“We have been able to help everyone,” Mr Leeser told The Telegraph.

His office immediately escalates a constituent request — provided the applicant has been waiting at least six weeks, which is the minimum amount of time DFAT advises people to allow between submitting paperwork and their departure date.

Most people who turn to Mr Leeser and his team for assistance only do so in the week before they are due to fly out.

Dr Scamps is also averaging more than one request per day.

She said: “I know the staff at the passport office are doing their best, however chronic underfunding and understaffing has left thousands of people in this position and we need to look at how we can improve resourcing to ensure Australians aren’t left in the lurch.”

The Mackellar MP was recently able to successfully petition on behalf of the Schlossers of Elanora Heights, who are due to fly to Austria on Saturday to visit elderly relatives.

Mrs Schlosser lodged her seven-year-old daughter Anna’s renewal on April 11. The passport only came through this week, following Dr Scamps’ intervention.

“With no transparency as to the stage the renewal is at or the likelihood of getting the passport creates huge stress for those families who were doing the right thing by lodging early,” Mrs Schlosser said.

“There is a Facebook group with 3600 members on the topic of passport delays with many similar stories including people who were unable to travel and lost their flights/holidays due to this issue.”

Liberal member for Lindsay in western Sydney Melissa McIntosh has received about 100 requests for passport help since May.

She said: “It is incumbent on the Albanese Labor government to address these issues and ensure adequate resourcing is made available.”

Sydney-based Labor ministers are also known to have raised constituents’ cases with the passport office.

Originally published as Australian passport delay 2022: how applicants are ensuring they get their travel documents in time