Passport Renewal / Application - Time Taken?

[travelz]

Submitted child initial passport application 7 weeks ago today at Melbourne GPO - the application portal still states 'Created' under 'applications ready to lodge'.

As it doesn't say 'under assessment', does this imply it still hasn't been received or assessed by the passport office?

Have upcoming family travel booked in 3 weeks which looks like an increasingly unlikely prospect...

Created and then passport issued. no 'under assessment' for child applications

 

[travelz]

applied child applications for renewal on may 14th and Melbourne passport office received them on may 17th. submiited enquiry through enquires and feedlink link from the website and also have sent email to <[email protected]> as advised by others here at the start of week. Got a call from SA DFAT office and asked if i wanted to bump it up to priority processing and agreed for it given the circumstances of lengthy delays as of now as we have fixed travel date in few weeks. passports issued the next day

 

[dylarr]

For those getting new passports, would be great if you can mention what series?

(I’m keen hold out to get new R series that has card like ID page, that’s much more durable)

From this FOI likely to start being issued from June 2022 to June 2023:

The last P series book was manufactured back in February, and since then Note Printing has been installing the new machinery — the last update they provided in late March was that it was progressing well. I'd say R series manufacturing would be commencing very shortly if not already but there would be a lot of P stock to burn through first.

 

[MZFlyer]

I collected ours in person at the Sydney office this morning after the unfortunately inaccurate advice from Australia Post that it would be quicker (and when you've opted for collection you can't change to postal). 200-strong queue at 8am, half an hour before opening. By 11am I had our passports. The system is so broken. PS if you are collecting for a spouse or other adult, you'll need a letter of authority even if you were the person who did the application and received the notification updates. Nice lady behind counter very helpfully suggested I ring my husband and get him to scribble a letter and send a photo of it, which usefully occupied the time it took her to find both our passports in the shambolic and tiny office.

 

[dylarr]

I collected ours in person at the Sydney office this morning after the unfortunately inaccurate advice from Australia Post that it would be quicker (and when you've opted for collection you can't change to postal). 200-strong queue at 8am, half an hour before opening. By 11am I had our passports. The system is so broken. PS if you are collecting for a spouse or other adult, you'll need a letter of authority even if you were the person who did the application and received the notification updates. Nice lady behind counter very helpfully suggested I ring my husband and get him to scribble a letter and send a photo of it, which usefully occupied the time it took her to find both our passports in the shambolic and tiny office.

Thanks for the heads up. Think I’ll be giving the pickup option a miss when I renew mine over the coming months.

 

[SydneySwan]

applied child applications for renewal on may 14th and Melbourne passport office received them on may 17th. submiited enquiry through enquires and feedlink link from the website and also have sent email to <[email protected]> as advised by others here at the start of week. Got a call from SA DFAT office and asked if i wanted to bump it up to priority processing and agreed for it given the circumstances of lengthy delays as of now as we have fixed travel date in few weeks. passports issued the next day

What a scam! You are only supposed to be able to request priority processing at lodgement. Now DFAT are monetising their own incompetence. It is not as if an Australian passport is particularly cheap. I suppose they are getting peeved at MPs making endless requests on behalf of their constituents to accelerate processing for which no additional income is received.

 

[DC3]

Too many renewals for the system to cope. Now we all want our new passports at the same time.

 

[DC3]

I’m not sure why people are choosing the pick-up option. My understanding is that there’s probably no time-saving in this. Oz Post delivers to the pickup location (from Melbourne). So, just get it delivered to your postal address.

Maybe I’m missing something here.

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcome to AFF @travelz

 

[I love to travel]

Too many renewals for the system to cope. Now we all want our new passports at the same time.

We are all going to have to remember in 10 years time to get organised early as we will be all applying at the same time again

 

[Matt_01]

I applied for MissM's child's passport on Wed (1 Jun) and after reading reports on this site, other sites and in the general media decided to pony up for priority processing as we need the passport number to update her bookings (old passport used), ETSA, Canada eTA etc. In hindsight I should have applied last year and not that it matters and OT, are there rules around passports for kids that change depending on age. From memory for MissM's first and second passport we were advised that both parents and MissM had to go to the post office which we did. When I enquired about making an appointment I was asked how old she is (15) and was informed one parent could submit and she did not have to be present.

 

[Scr77]

My how things have changed. On 7 Feb 22, I posted in another thread:

Walked into a post office on a Friday afternoon and new passport was in my letterbox the following Friday morning.

 

[MZFlyer]

I’m not sure why people are choosing the pick-up option. My understanding is that there’s probably no time-saving in this. Oz Post delivers to the pickup location (from Melbourne). So, just get it delivered to your postal address.

Maybe I’m missing something here.

Our Post Office specifically advised pick-up would be quicker, and for many city workers I imagine it'd be easier to collect at lunchtime from the passport office than from your local post office.

 

[Hvr]

and for many city workers I imagine it'd be easier to collect at lunchtime from the passport office than from your local post office.

There are reports of very long queues at passport offices with security advising people of how many hours until they will be served.

 

[DC3]

Our Post Office specifically advised pick-up would be quicker, and for many city workers I imagine it'd be easier to collect at lunchtime from the passport office than from your local post office.

Mine came by ordinary mail direct to my postal address. No need to call into a Post Office. I don’t really see how queuing at lunchtime would help, even if an Oz Post person says otherwise.

 

[MZFlyer]

There are reports of very long queues at passport offices with security advising people of how many hours until they will be served.

Yes but those reports were not at the time many people made their applications. That is the problem. Once you've nominated collection or post you cannot change. Oz Post advised us in early April when we applied that collection at the APO would be (a) quicker and (b) potentially more convenient as delivery would be redirected to the post office if we weren't home. People I spoke to in the APO queue yesterday had followed the same advice back in April or earlier, and others who had applied more recently still opted for in person out of concern for postal delays based on experience in that regard, where any delay would affect their travel. The APO website stating "allow up to 6 weeks" has been totally misleading and has contributed to the chaos.

 

[austgap]

Great idea thanks Sarumma

I've emailed APO feedback on Sunday and still yet to hear back (hit 6weeks post application) and travel on the 11th! Anyone had any other luck with other options?

As an update, I did receive the automated email on Thursday morning saying it was good to pick up from Sydney Passport, so unsure if those emails did anything (never heard a response). Much like MZFLYER the queue at Sydney Passport on Friday was out of control (lucky to have overheard there was a second queue for pickups - which saved us hours) total wait in line was 2.15hrs!

 

[blackcat20]

Here's hoping the US passport process is quicker, we need a passport before we travel in August and our appointment isn't till the end of this month (and I booked right back at the start of the year)/

 

[prozac]

As an update, I did receive the automated email on Thursday morning saying it was good to pick up from Sydney Passport, so unsure if those emails did anything (never heard a response). Much like MZFLYER the queue at Sydney Passport on Friday was out of control (lucky to have overheard there was a second queue for pickups - which saved us hours) total wait in line was 2.15hrs!

Heard someone call in on the radio today saying he works near the Sydney Passport office. Reckons there are 2 queues 400 people long daily!

 

[DC3]

Heard someone call in on the radio today saying he works near the Sydney Passport office. Reckons there are 2 queues 400m long daily!

Sounds like many have left their renewals rather late, and now all want new passports at the same time.