Spring Break
Passport wait delays student travel plans
Hurricane Katrina damaged New Orleans processing center
Sara Boyd
Issue date: 9/26/05 Section: Campus News
All sophomore Brian Meyer thought he would have to focus on for his upcoming trip to Brazil with his fellow Singing Statesmen was rehearsing the songs for the tour.
But because of Hurricane Katrina, Meyer is faced with another challenge - being able to leave the country at all.
Meyer is one of several students at UW-Eau Claire who are having passport issues because Wisconsin's passport processing center is located in New Orleans.
Students planning to study abroad for the Spring 2006 semester also are having difficulties obtaining their passports, study abroad coordinator Colleen Marchwick said.
Marchwick said after the tragedy of Katrina, students who have sent their passports to be processed at the New Orleans Passport Agency are playing a waiting game.
"If you don't have your passport, you can't travel internationally," she said. "So it's a big deal."
Marchwick said if students have sent their passport application in before Aug. 25, the application is currently "in a state of limbo."
According to the U.S. Department of State, those passports sent after Aug. 25 have been relocated to another passport agency, but those sent before that date could have a six-week delay in getting processed.
The Singing Statesmen are scheduled to leave for Brazil on Dec. 26, and Director Gary Schwartzhoff said if students don't have their passports, they're not going.
"It's not just getting the passport, but getting the visas as well," he said. "That's the issue at hand."
Meyer said of the 60 Statesmen going to Brazil, about 14 still are waiting for passports.
"We were supposed to have our passports in by the first week of school (to be sent in for visas)," he said. "It's already been a month."
Senior Stephen Mascitti said if they were missing that many Statesmen, it would be hard to perform.
"It would be extremely difficult," he said. "Also, the money we've paid (for the trip) is non-refundable."
Sophomore Andy Donaldson will be studying abroad in Harlaxton, England next semester and has had issues receiving his passport as well.
Donaldson said he received a postcard telling him his passport will be delayed.
"After I got the letter, I called the agency," he said. "I waited on hold for 20 minutes before I finally hung up. I called back again the next day and someone finally answered - half an hour later."
Marchwick said despite the current situation, students should not worry about these issues affecting their plans to travel abroad in the future.
"People who are thinking of going abroad ... should apply (for a passport) immediately when they get their acceptance materials in the chance that the system might still be slow in processing," she said. "It's nice to have that cushion."
But because of Hurricane Katrina, Meyer is faced with another challenge - being able to leave the country at all.
Meyer is one of several students at UW-Eau Claire who are having passport issues because Wisconsin's passport processing center is located in New Orleans.
Students planning to study abroad for the Spring 2006 semester also are having difficulties obtaining their passports, study abroad coordinator Colleen Marchwick said.
Marchwick said after the tragedy of Katrina, students who have sent their passports to be processed at the New Orleans Passport Agency are playing a waiting game.
"If you don't have your passport, you can't travel internationally," she said. "So it's a big deal."
Marchwick said if students have sent their passport application in before Aug. 25, the application is currently "in a state of limbo."
According to the U.S. Department of State, those passports sent after Aug. 25 have been relocated to another passport agency, but those sent before that date could have a six-week delay in getting processed.
The Singing Statesmen are scheduled to leave for Brazil on Dec. 26, and Director Gary Schwartzhoff said if students don't have their passports, they're not going.
"It's not just getting the passport, but getting the visas as well," he said. "That's the issue at hand."
Meyer said of the 60 Statesmen going to Brazil, about 14 still are waiting for passports.
"We were supposed to have our passports in by the first week of school (to be sent in for visas)," he said. "It's already been a month."
Senior Stephen Mascitti said if they were missing that many Statesmen, it would be hard to perform.
"It would be extremely difficult," he said. "Also, the money we've paid (for the trip) is non-refundable."
Sophomore Andy Donaldson will be studying abroad in Harlaxton, England next semester and has had issues receiving his passport as well.
Donaldson said he received a postcard telling him his passport will be delayed.
"After I got the letter, I called the agency," he said. "I waited on hold for 20 minutes before I finally hung up. I called back again the next day and someone finally answered - half an hour later."
Marchwick said despite the current situation, students should not worry about these issues affecting their plans to travel abroad in the future.
"People who are thinking of going abroad ... should apply (for a passport) immediately when they get their acceptance materials in the chance that the system might still be slow in processing," she said. "It's nice to have that cushion."