Young: 48,000 passports are ready

SAYING the Immigration Division has cleared its entire backlog of pending passport applications, Minister of National Security Stuart Young said 48,000 passports now await their applicants.

He spoke on Tuesday at the Immigration Division Head Office in Government Campus Plaza, Port of Spain, at the launch of the New Passport Delivery System to be offered by TTPost. With him were Chief Immigration Officer Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews and TTPost managing director Francis Delpesh.

Young said TTPost will now deliver new TT passports to the homes of applicants for a $25 fee using a track-pack envelope, to reduce the number of people visiting the Immigration Division from where passports have hitherto had to be collected in person.

“There are 48,000 passports ready for delivery and the production unit at immigration is processing passport applications in a much faster period.

“The appointment process has also been vastly improved with appointments being available within one to two weeks. The entire backlog has been cleared and systems have now been put in place to have passports ready for issuing within five to ten days.”

He said complaints about a backlog had all been addressed. Young claimed 600-800 applications for TT passports were received daily.

“The next move is to a full online application, so you no longer have to physically come in. I look forward to that day.” He said citizens will have to visit the passport office only once to submit their initial application.

Newsday asked about reports that for the past ten weeks or so the passport office has only been offering renewals of passports but not first time issues. Gandhi-Andrews did not offer an explanation of that but just gave the latest details. “Right now there is no distinction between first time and renewals.”

She said first time applicants must visit, to do a live capture of their facial details for their passport photo. “Both first time and renewals can come in.” She said renewals might be faster than first time issues.

Young said he hoped the past was the past, even as the covid crisis has seen new software installed to lead to a more efficient process of passport issuance. Newsday asked how soon citizens could look forward to making applications online. Young opted to not give a date but simply said, “not too distant.”