Praneeta Prakash 
The long-standing passport backlog is finally being addressed as the Immigration Department begins printing delayed passports following the arrival of 30,000 new passport books.
Minister for Immigration Viliame Naupoto announced that printing started overnight, with around 400 passports completed so far and plans to work overtime through the weekend.
We expect that by Monday we should have around 3,000 applications dealt with and the passports printed ready for collection. The collection will begin from Monday. Collection hours will be from 9am to 7pm.
“We have produced a schedule for those that want to come in and collect their passport depending on when they lodged their application.”
Collection will begin Monday with a structured schedule based on application dates to manage demand and avoid crowding.
The Suva office will also extend hours to 8pm to accommodate new applications and renewals.
Naupoto revealed that a further 70,000 passport books will arrive in the coming months, and a historic order of 100,000 new books is underway to prevent future shortages.
These updated passports now include advanced chips meeting the latest international standards.
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