RIO GRANDE VALLEY -- Minerva Clark and her daughter are applying for a U.S. passport at the McAllen post office.
The pictures are taken and the application is submitted.
“It's important right now, now that with Mexico we're going to have to need the passport eventually," Minerva Clark said.
The June 1st deadline is just around the corner when all U.S. citizens will be required to present a passport or passport when returning from Mexico.
That's why passport processing centers are busy.
Norma Rodriguez, a McAllen passport coordinator estimates her office receives approximately 80 applications per day, or sometimes as many as 100 applications per day.
Just over the last eight weeks, the City of McAllen's passport processing center has accepted about 3,000 applications.
The Hidalgo County District Clerk's office about 1,500 while the McAllen post office had nearly 3,000 applications.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said it's time to apply now and avoid the long lines in the next few weeks.
Full passport requirements go into effect in about 40 days, but the U.S. State Department said they are processing routine applications in approximately 4 to 6 weeks from the time of application
For more information on passport requirements you may also log on to www.state.gov
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