Passport lines vanish after new measures in place for would-be travellers

New measures have eliminated ridiculous queues outside the Sydney passport office of people chasing answers about applications submitted up to 15 weeks ago.

Those ridiculous queues outside the Sydney passport office are finally gone.

Until recently, from before dawn until after dusk, desperate would-be travellers were lining up to seek information about their applications lodged up to 15 weeks earlier.

They had chosen to chase answers in-person because the passport office had given up on responding to phone calls or emails, leaving applicants clueless as to whether they would get their documentation in time.

There was also a second long line each morning comprised of people queuing to collect passports.

Instead, this was the scene outside the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Haymarket headquarters on Monday at 1pm.

Before and after images of queues in outside the Sydney passport office.

Changes aimed at eliminating both of these lengthy queues were first revealed by The Daily Telegraph three weeks ago.

The changes included moving the collection point from level 7 of the DFAT building to the foyer.

This move was designed to ease congestion on level 7, where there is limited space.

Freed from dealing with pick-ups, the upstairs staff were able to focus on the frazzled folk who had lined up simply to make an inquiry about their application.

In another significant but overdue change, hundreds of extra call centre workers have been employed, meaning more applicants are getting their questions answered over the phone or online, thereby eliminating the need to stand for hours and hours at chilly Henry Deane Plaza.

People are seen queuing up outside the Passport Office in Sydney on 28 June, 2022. Picture: Gaye Gerard

The pick-up line meanwhile moved “reasonably quick,” Mr Hicks said.

His new passport was ready in less than five weeks – without paying extra for priority processing – giving him plenty of time to spare before travelling to Thailand next month.

On social media, others have recently reported short or non-existent queues in Sydney and interstate.

Some people who have queued outside the Sydney passport office have reported being told by DFAT staff that they shouldn’t have booked an overseas trip without valid travel documents.

However, many have responded that they applied more than six weeks before their departure date – in accordance with official advice on the passport office website.

Pictured are people waiting in line outside the Sydney Passport Office before new measures were put in place to skirt gruelling waiting times. Picture: Tim Hunter

It’s understood application volumes have been at least twice the levels of the heaviest of five post-pandemic scenarios DFAT prepared for.

DFAT did not respond to questions about average processing times, but said that last month, 314,000 applications were received and 266,000 new passports issued.

In a statement, Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister said: “While we still have work to do to get through the backlog of applications, I’m pleased with the progress the Albanese Government has made in addressing queues at passport offices.”

Similar problems are being experienced in comparable nations. The Canadian government currently advises applications will take up to 13 weeks if sent by mail.

New Zealand is warning its citizens to expect to wait for up to six weeks for a new passport.

Originally published as Passport lines vanish after new measures in place for would-be travellers