Trinidad & Tobago Passport Office Starts Appointment System

Recognising the difficulty that Trinidad and Tobago nationals currently undergo to get their machine-readable passports, Chief Immigration Officer Andy Edwards today announced that the Passport Office is going the way of the Appointment System, similar to the one the United States Embassy has in effect right now.

The CIO acknowledged that part of the challenge is to first get the new electronic birth certificate which makes the process easier and faster. Using the old certificate would work but the new machine-readable passport will take a lot longer to be delivered. A number that is on the new electronic birth certificate is the same that goes on nationals' new machine-readabale passports.

Since traveling internationally has become a hassle with heightened security at airports, the demand for machine-readable passports has shot up. While having the machine-readable passport does not mean that travel will become a breeze, it takes out a lot of the hassle. Some embassies are also refusing to issue new visas on the old passport.

The following is the full statement made by the Chief Immigration Officer at a media conference held on Friday, February 15, 2008 at the Ministry of National Security. The Ministry of National Security is the line ministry for the Immigration Division.

THE STATEMENT

The Immigration Division of the Ministry of National Security commenced on 24th January 2007 the Machine Readable Passport System. To date we have received 74,083 applications, 60,845 collected, 3,979 ready for collection in process 9,263.Our new passport and the system that produces it are designed to protect individuals against theft of their identity by perpetrators of crime.

The new electronic birth certificate is the preferred certificate. Persons submitting the old type certificate will take much longer to receive their passports.

I wish to advise that there have been no reports to date that the integrity of the Machine Readable Passport has been compromised.

At start up date it was indicated that the focus will be on persons who needed to travel during the period January to July 2007 whose passports have expired or who have never had a passport. The Immigration division wishes to focus on potential applicants whose passports have expired or who have never had a passport and those whose passports would expire on or before 31st December 2008.

The Immigration Division of the Ministry of National Security is painfully aware of the concerns being expressed by the national community in the effort to obtain passport services.

In this regard I wish to announce that the Division wil be implementing an appointment system to significantly improve the delivery of passport services to the public and address the concerns expressed by citizens about the long lines and waiting times to conduct these transactions at our offices.

We will be collaborating with TTPOST to implement this initiative. As you maybe aware, TTPOST already provides a similar type of service for the US Embassy.

Additionally, we expect our passport services at Chaguanas and Point Fortin to resume in July 2008.
Pt. Fortin (June 2007)
Chaguanas (September 2007)

Furniture and furnishing are in place. We are awaiting the installation of communication lines and production equipment.

We expect the introduction of the appointment system to eliminate long lines, to ensure faster service efficiency be more organized, relieve frustration.

On the issue of staffing:
In June 2007 Cabinet approved retention of 195 positions for the Division. 154 being Immigration Officers, 19 temporary positions. Forty one vacancies have been filled. Of these, 33 are currently receiving training which will be completed on 14th March 2008 after which these officers will be deployed.


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Photo by rkelland