Director Immigration Nemani Vuniwaqa

Director Immigration Nemani Vuniwaqa today revealed that the e-passports will be released on a later date.

The passports were scheduled to be released next Monday.

In a press conference in Suva this afternoon, Vuniwaqa highlighted that the first 5,000 e-passports will leave Germany for Fiji tomorrow.

He adds once the new system and books arrive into the country, immigration officials will undergo a familiarization training before the books are issued.

Vuniwaqa adds the books will be ready for distribution by mid-September.

The Immigration Director says that to date, there are around 9,000 pending passport applications.