Houston Travelers See Passport Backlogs as Threat to their Travel Plans

It used to be that all it took was a copy of your birth certificate to fly in and out of Mexico and Canada. But four months ago that changed, and everyone is now required to show a passport. That has led to a big backlog for people trying to get new passports, and that could cause a problem as people make vacation plans this summer.

For days, long lines of desperate would-be travelers have snaked around the regional passport agency in downtown Houston. It’s the last resort for people with proof of immediate travel plans, who need their passport expedited. But just because you have that proof does not mean your request will be fulfilled to your satisfaction.

“It’s a big mess,” said one woman, who has been waiting on a passport. “My oldest daughter is missing finals, but this was our only appointment that we could have in the time before we traveled.”

They’re waiting on the passports for which many of them applied weeks ago. U.S. travel rules changed in January. All out of country air travel now requires a passport –even to Canada and Mexico. What apparently didn’t happen was extra staff to process a deluge of requests. With vacations starting have come the long lines.