MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The State Department is planning to open a new passport processing office in the Twin Cities area.
Last year Senator Norm Coleman asked the U.S. State Department to open a passport office in Minnesota following publicity over massive passport backlogs. Passport processing offices issue passports on the spot, and the closest one to the Twin Cities currently is in Chicago.
Coleman’s office says the new office will be able to issue passports on the spot to more than 600 customers per day. It’s not yet known where in the Twin Cities it will be located.
Coleman says the timing of the decision is good because of new, stricter border travel regulations going into effect in June of 2009.