Julia Morris complains about waiting seven weeks for her daughters’ passports – but why didn’t she pay the extra cash to speed it up?
Comedian and TV presenter Julia Morris has joined the chorus of disgruntled Australians complaining about long passport waiting times.
The I’m a Celebrity presenter, 54, revealed on Tuesday that she had been waiting seven weeks for her two daughters’ passports to arrive.
“Seven weeks today…and no word yet. Child’s Australian passport renewal…how long have I waited?,” she wrote on Instagram.
Comedian and TV presenter Julia Morris (pictured) has joined the chorus of disgruntled Australians complaining about long wait times for passports
She added the hashtags “I guess we’re going nowhere” and “School Vacations”.
Julia also shared a photo of her receipt confirming that she had ordered two children’s passports on May 17 using the standard service which usually takes six weeks.
Those wishing to renew or apply for an Australian passport had to wait up to three months.
For the millions who haven’t been able to book a flight in two years due to Covid, passport delays mean some will have to postpone or cancel their holidays altogether.
The I’m a Celebrity presenter, 54, revealed on Tuesday that she had been waiting seven weeks for her two daughters’ passports to arrive. No word yet. Australian Child Passport Renewal… How Long Have You Waited? she wrote on Instagram, along with a photo of her receipt
With 2.4 million passports expiring during the pandemic, processing times have doubled since October 2021.
Holidaymakers have been advised by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to allow up to six weeks to obtain their new passport, yet many say they have waited longer.
Citizens can choose to pay an additional $225 on top of the $308 application fee for their passport to be processed within two days.
Those wishing to renew or apply for an Australian passport had to wait up to three months. Citizens can choose to pay an additional $225 on top of the $308 application fee for their passport to be processed within two days.
However, the four-week backlog also appears to have caused these wait times to increase.
The Sydney Passport Office normally receives between 7,000 and 9,000 applications each week, but in recent months applications have swelled to 12,000.
It’s still a similar story in the Melbourne office, where desperate Australians – including mothers with babies – spent three hours waiting in the cold.
Julia Morris appears here at the Logie Awards on the Gold Coast on June 19
