Yisroel R.

What began as a long-awaited effort to bring passport services closer to the Monsey families, has now crossed a major milestone, with the Village of Kaser Passport Application Center processing its 9,000th application since opening its doors in 2024.

The facility was created after years of difficulty securing convenient passport appointments in the Monsey area, with residents often forced to rely on limited post office availability or travel to the Rockland County Clerk’s Office in New City. Since opening, the Kaser location has quickly become a heavily used option for residents seeking to apply for passports closer to home.

A major part of the story behind the facility was the involvement of Congressman Mike Lawler. Efforts had been made for many years to establish a local passport office for the growing needs of the community, but repeated requests were turned down by the U.S. Department of State.

That changed after Congressman Lawler became heavily involved in the effort, working to push the request forward and help secure approval for a passport acceptance facility in Kaser. The office ultimately opened its doors in February 2024, ending years in which local residents often struggled to find nearby accommodating appointments.

As previously reported by Rockland Daily, specially trained village employees began processing passport applications following the facility’s opening. By September 2025, the office had already crossed the 5,000-application mark, and the latest milestone means another roughly 4,000 applications have been processed in less than a year since then.

The 9,000th application underscores just how heavily the service has been used since its launch, while also marking another milestone in an effort Lawler helped bring across the finish line after years of unsuccessful attempts to establish a convenient local passport facility for the local community.

The Village of Kaser expressed its appreciation to Congressman Mike Lawler and his staff, as this milestone was only achievable through his efforts, thanking his office for their continued assistance, cooperation, and support throughout the entire process.