Number of Passports Issued Triples in One Year... Consecutive Travel Postponements and Cancellations
Passport issuance is being delayed in Canada following the easing of quarantine regulations. [Image source=Pixabay]
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] As Canada eases quarantine regulations, there has been a surge in passport applications from those planning to travel abroad.
The Canadian government had effectively banned unnecessary overseas travel for the past two years but recently lifted many of the quarantine rules.
According to Canadian broadcaster CTV on the 13th (local time), the number of passports issued in Canada over the past year was 1,273,000. This is more than three times the 363,000 issued from April 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 outbreak, through 2021.
With demand skyrocketing, cases of people unable to receive their passports on time and having to cancel or postpone travel plans are increasing across Canada.
The Canadian Services Department, which issues passports, recently received over 20 million passport-related inquiries, compared to only 5,000 per day previously. This volume makes it virtually impossible to get through by phone.
At various nationwide offices of the Services Department, long queues of applicants have led to the emergence of people charging CAD 17 to 50 (approximately KRW 17,000 to 50,000) per hour to stand in line on behalf of others.
According to the department, the usual processing time for passport issuance was 10 to 20 days, but in April of this year, the average increased to 25 days.
The department explained that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was little need to check or renew passport validity, but with travel restrictions lifted, passport applications have surged.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
