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DELAY IN PROCESSING OF PNG PASSPORT APPLICATIONS
The Immigration and Citizenship Authority (ICA) wishes to inform its valued clients that you may continue to experience prolonged delays in processing times for your PNG passport applications.
The delays experienced now is due to an unprecedented increase in volume of PNG passport applications received by ICA in the last 6 months which has put a strain on the capacity of our systems to respond within our turn-around times. Due to the significant increase in the daily intake of passport applications including those submitted under our Fast-Track processing arrangement, ICA continues to triage these applications to minimize disruptions to the clients planned travels. Under this arrangement, we have been prioritizing passport applications for those that require emergency medical treatment abroad, students traveling to take up studies in educational institutions overseas and those travellers who can demonstrate to us the genuine need to obtain a passport quickly with evidence of their travel.
Similar circumstances are now being experienced by passport issuing authorities worldwide, partly attributed to effects of covid-19 pandemic on people and businesses including ICA. At this stage, we are doing all we can to manage this situation in a manner that is beneficial for both clients and staff. However, we aim to clear all outstanding passport applications in the coming weeks.
We therefore, seek your understanding while we work towards processing all passport applications in the coming weeks including those submitted under our Fast-Track processing arrangement.
www.ica.gov.pg
