You have to be persistent, but I think you can speed the process if you can show him that you are a trusted and active member of the community. I believe he does some basic background checks when he gets time and if you have a blog or Github account that he can briefly check then I think it will make things go quicker.
However, it's not totally necessary. For example, I didn't have any online presence when I first asked for an account and he still eventually approved me anyway. Just keep at it and he will respond.