Many people are still confused when applying for a passport online.
(Baonghean.vn) - Although the issuance and renewal of passports have been conducted online on the National Public Service Portal since June 1, 2022, allowing people to apply for passports from anywhere; many people are still confused, encounter difficulties, and waste a lot of time without being able to register for a new passport or renew their existing one.
Traveling a long distance to apply for a passport in person.
According to reports, despite online passport application instructions, many people from districts and towns are still flocking to the Immigration Department to apply for new passports or renew existing ones for various reasons.
Mr. Ngo Van Dong from Yen Thanh district said that he submitted his passport application online on July 12th and also paid for it, but has not yet received any feedback or information on the progress of his application from the authorities. When he went to the Immigration Department to inquire, he was told that his application was invalid because his citizen data did not match the National Population Data. “Previously, officials from the Immigration Department contacted me by phone to guide me on how to supplement the information, but they couldn’t reach me because I went to my daughter’s house in Vinh City, left my phone at home, and didn’t pay attention to it afterwards, so they didn’t call back,” Mr. Dong said.
Ms. Nguyen Ha Lam from Quy Hop district said: “Although I had completed all the steps, I waited a long time but still didn't receive the payment link. Therefore, since I had business in Vinh City, I went directly to the Immigration Management Department to inquire. Only then did I find out that my self-taken portrait photo was the wrong size, and the background had an inappropriate gray tone… It was only then that I learned that the officers at the Immigration Management Department had previously sent a request for additional information via SMS and email; however, because I hadn't updated my information, I didn't know about it.”
Also at the Immigration Management Office, a resident from Ky Son district said that because he was not tech-savvy and couldn't use the online application, he had to travel nearly 200 km from Ky Son district to Vinh city to ask for guidance from officials on how to apply for a passport. Not only the cases mentioned above, but many people we met at the Immigration Management Office were sweating profusely, struggling all day but still unable to register for a passport.
According to Mr. Le Xuan Tien from Yen Thanh district, despite completing all the steps, when uploading his portrait photo to the system, he received the message "4x6 portrait photo is invalid. Reason: The facial contrast is insufficient." He tried three times, but the result remained the same. Upon asking the staff, he learned that the photo had to be taken with a regular camera, without Photoshop. Meanwhile, according to Ms. Nguyen Thanh Hoa from Nghia Dan district, network congestion caused delays in registration, wasting considerable time, and required assistance from staff to complete the passport application process.
In addition, according to statistics from the Immigration Management Department, each week, through the Public Service Portal, the department still has to answer 7-10 inquiries related to the online passport application process.
Continue to disseminate information and provide guidance.
In reality, many citizens are unable to complete the passport application process because they are not fully familiar with all the steps. Therefore, the number of citizens who come directly to the Immigration Management Office each day remains very high, reaching hundreds of people.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Huong Giang - Deputy Head of the Immigration Management Department, Nghe An Provincial Police: Nghe An is implementingonline passport applicationAccording to regulations effective from June 1, 2022, and being one of the localities with the highest number of passport issuance and renewal applications nationwide, the office currently receives an average of 500 applications per day. Therefore, to enable citizens to independently apply for passports, the office assigns three staff members daily to provide direct guidance, and continues to offer instruction through various methods, ensuring comprehensive audio-visual and written explanations.
Specifically, in addition to the loudspeaker system, the Immigration Management Department's headquarters has a TV with step-by-step instructions so that people can perform the necessary operations on their computers or phones, and there are also instruction leaflets. Furthermore, the Immigration Management Department - Nghe An Provincial Police's Fanpage also posts many instructions and answers to frequently asked questions; with a little attention, people can easily follow the instructions.
Furthermore, to prevent people, especially those in remote and mountainous districts, from losing money to individuals who offer to handle passport and travel document registration and renewal on their behalf, the Immigration Department issues daily warnings in three languages: Vietnamese, Hmong, and Thai. During peak periods, the department also coordinates with the Truong Thi Ward Police and the Traffic Police Team of Vinh City Police to ensure security, order, and traffic safety, and to deal with these individuals. However, in reality, there are still cases where people lose money unfairly because they are reluctant to investigate and instead rely on intermediaries. To ensure a streamlined passport application process and save people the trouble of traveling, the Immigration Department has partnered with banks and post offices to send staff to receive people's requests regarding account opening and passport delivery.
Regarding some questions about whether it's possible to apply for a new passport after losing it, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Huong Giang stated that when issuing a new passport, officials will check the passport issuance history to determine if the person has already been issued a passport. The act of "Making false declarations to obtain, renew, restore the validity of, or report a lost passport" is a violation of the law as stipulated in Point b, Clause 2, Article 18 of Decree 144/2021/ND-CP, with a fine ranging from 500,000 to 2,000,000 VND.
The question is, do I need to renew my passport after surgery? Currently, the law doesn't specify what level of change in identifying features requires a passport renewal. Although the law doesn't mandate it, since passports are crucial for entry and exit, it's advisable to renew your passport if you need to travel between countries after cosmetic surgery. Therefore, it's recommended to update your national identity card to reflect your current appearance before renewing your passport.
Regarding complaints about delays in passport issuance, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Huong Giang explained that once the application is reviewed and approved by the immigration authorities, citizens will receive a notification from the Public Service Portal and proceed to pay the fee as instructed in the SMS or email. The processing time is 8 working days from the date of payment (excluding Saturdays and Sundays). However, passports may not arrive on time due to technical issues or network disruptions.
