Another thumbs up for the local state representative. I reached out to them 3 weeks prior to date of departure. I was able to speak with a live person on the second ring (YMMV!!) and he was immediately able to assure me that this would not be a problem - just that it was actually too soon for the agency to confirm an appointment. But after a week and a half wait, they were able to secure an in-person appointment for 3 days prior to departure. On the paperwork I have, I'm told to tell the officers that I have a "customer service appointment." And FWIW, the appointment is at 7am. I suspect there's a decent block of these customer service appointments each day, outside of the bookable ones via the state.travel.gov website (9am to 3 or 4pm).

Original documents received 06/18/2021.

I'm trying to follow the thread but there's so many data points. Need to travel to Mexico in 7 weeks and realized passport expired in March. Live in LA, no appointments available at local agencies even when I select travel within 3 days. I vaguely remember having worked with a company to rush my husband's passport 10 years ago but haven't dealt with this in ages and I realize I need to gather all my documents and apply somewhere ASAP.

- How long does expedited service currently take?
- Where should I apply for fastest service - USPS?
- What docs do I need?
- If I apply Monday and it doesn't arrive in time, I call a local state representative?? (and who would that be for California)
- Is there some work around that I have possibly missed (e.g. would it be possible to fly to Mexico with a driver's license only, and return on an expired passport? I also have Global Entry.)

Sorry for being so out of the loop :( I just emerged out of my Covid bubble clueless and now in a panic.

Just for your information, Applied for a passport renewal, routine processing:
May 5 Mailed Priority Mail 2 Day with Electronic Signature Conformation
May 8 Mail received at the Philadelphia center and signed for
June 16. Application received and showing In Process

Basically, it took 5 1/2 weeks from the time they received it to open the mail and log the application.

Just posting so people are aware of the very lengthy wait time before the passport application will show up in the system, and the 10-12 week processing period starts after it.

It is a routine renewal for me and I am in no rush, I have held a valid passport since 1986 and my first planned trip under the new one is in November, so I can wait it out.

MSC 75, I can't tell you about expedited. I am doing a routine renewal that finally showed up in the system after sitting in the mailroom for nearly 6 weeks, per my post above.

If your old passport is physically undamaged and in good shape, the only document you need is that old passport, since it was issued less than 15 years ago, and your DS-82 renewal application with a current, qualifying photo..

Since passports are Federal, it is your US House Representative you should contact. You can find your Representative at https://www.house.gov/representative...representative . You can also try your Senators, Diane Feinstein or Alan Padilla. I'd try your representative first, though, they have fewer people knocking on their door for constituent services than the nearly 40 million Feinstein and Padilla represent.

I don't know if actually applying at USPS is really any faster. Once they take the application, it is still mailed and will take the same mailing (and sitting at the passport center) time. You do not need to apply in person with a renewal, although you can. It isn't like going to an actual Passport Agency.

Your Global Entry card is good for land crossings without your accompanying passport. At least into the US, not sure how Mexico feels about it, but my guess is it would be okay. It isn't good for air travel and neither is your driver's license, even if you have an enhanced DL. You could walk across with your GE card and maybe fly on a Mexican internal flight from Tijuana. Apparently with COVID, US CBP is allowing re-entry for citizens with expired passports, although that was mainly intended for those who got stuck overseas and had no way to renew their passports when everything closed up.

The days of going to Mexico or Canada with only a driver's license and birth certificate are long gone. See the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).

You can get entry requirements at a consumer version of Timatic (Timatic is what the airlines use to verify your documents to decide to allow you to board). It is at https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/pas...quirements.htm

I didn't know this - thank you so much!

Some follow-up questions after catching up on the thread:

- I decided to do expedited + 1-2 day delivery on both ends. Is doing expedited through Philly a worse choice than regular through TX? I saw some posts about wanting to avoid Philly.
- Is there a chance they may exceed the 6 weeks processing time for expedited? My travel date is exactly 7 weeks from tomorrow (Monday) when I mail the application. 6 weeks + 4 mailing days barely gets it to me the friday before travel.
- Would bugging my representative around the 4-5 week mark work, even though they say to expect 4-6 weeks for expedited?

First time US Passport applicant here base in San Francisco, CA. Did the expedite and 1-2 day shipping fee due to my upcoming travel in August 2nd.
6-14 applied in person in USPS 1300 Evans Lane in SF
6-18 application received
6-21 my personal check payment was cleared in my checking account

TBC

My daughter's passport application has us pretty nervous since we are planing on traveling June 26th.

5-15 Application submitted via county clerk with expedite & 2nd day shipping.
6-14 My wife managed to secure an in-person appointment in Tuscon for 6/24.
6-15 Application showed up online.
6-21 (today) I managed to snag an appointment at the San Diego passport agency for 6/25

The big question is, will a child's passport be issued same day in San Diego for an AM appointment assuming all paperwork is in order and both parents are present? I'm leaning towards the 7 hour each way drive to Tuscon on Thursday to have that "oh crap" cushion, or am I just being paranoid? Will the fact that there is an application already in the system with a locator # assigned be an issue?

A couple of things I've learned trying to secure an in-person appointment. The scheduling system releases appointments 10 business days out at approximately 12am local time to the office. There is a 2-3 minute variance on the 12am time. Trick is to be at the search for appointment screen and keep hitting "search" for the nearest office you can get too. As an example tonight @ 12am (6/22) appointments for July 2nd will be released. You have to be fast. Places like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, the appointment slots last 30 seconds. By the time I completed clicking through and validating my e-mail with the code the appointments were gone on multiple nights. I don't know about central & east coast locations but Seattle seems to be less popular and has appointments last minutes, and Honolulu is almost a sure bet. If hunting for a west coast appointment under 10 days I noticed that they pop up between 9pm & 11pm PST randomly as people in the east & central time zones secure more local appointments at 12am est/cst/mst and end up releasing the appointments further west they were sitting on from before...pretty sure that's how I managed to snag San Diego.

typically, assuming no irregularities in the application and both parents are present, and no staffing/logistical issues in passport agency, emergency passports are issued the same day as the appointment, usually within a couple of hours.

MSC75, I can't speak to the difference between Philly and Texas, I was stuck with Philly because that is where State says routine applications for my home state should go. I will say the Expedited PO Box is different one than that for routine. Hopefully, they open the mail quicker for the applications arriving at the expedited PO box.

The door to door time for expedited is actually listed as 12 weeks. They are including 6 weeks
"mailing" time, which disingenuously apparently includes the sitting-in-their-mailroom time. My application arrived in a couple days, according to the USPS signed receipt, but the total time was indeed about 6 weeks before it "arrived".

I am dubious about how effective to contacting Congresscritter's office before your application is "in process" and a locator number assigned would be. LThe constituent services staff will need that locator number to give to State to get information on your application. You can try it before, but I am not sure how well the bureaucracy will handle a request for an application that hasn't been logged in, even in response to a legislator's office. You can always contact your representative's office and see what they say.

I will say in your situation I'd contact my Representative's office as soon as I got the locator number.

You are in a tough situation, I hope it works out.

Passport Processing Time
 

So originally I read this thread and have seen so many highs and lows and it scared me... but have faith! I know you guys keep seeing “reach out to your senators” but please do ... because it WORKS. I am Brooklyn, NY based.


Expedited Services requested:

05/27/22 - Passport shipped from Brooklyn, NYC and arrived in Philadelphia, PA same DAY

06/03/21 - Passport on processing .....

06/17/21 - Passport still in processing....

06/17/21 - Reached out to Senator Kristen Gillibrand’s office and Chuck Schumer’s office around 2am in the morning after doing some forum research on steps to take when in doubt and travel date is approaching.

06/17/21 - Response from Kristen Gillibrand’s case work office SAME DAY 2pm assigning me a casework number. Requested I fill out the privacy act form and I sent it back same day.

(It is now 6/22/21 and STILL NO response from Chuck Schumer’s office, you can’t even reach his office on a landline).

06/21/21 - Kristen Gillibrand’s office reaches back out to me to confirm they’ve submitted an inquiry on my behalf 11am.

06/21/21 - PASSPORT APROVED 11:07pm

06/24/21 - Expected arrival date of passport.

*** 06/25/21 is my Travel date. ***

My Elected official experience so far
 

After reading all these post, I had high hopes for my elected representatives. Unfortunately I have received no help from them. We applied for my 1 month old at the time passport on 05/28. Travel on 06/26, my wife grandma is very sick, currently on her death bed so we need to make it out on the 26th for the chance of her grandma seeing our kids for the 1st time before she goes...

05/28 - Applied at passport facility in Los Angeles CA - EXPIDTED AND 1/2 day shipping on the back end
06/03- Received Email confirmation that the application is in process
06/04- Check Cashed
06/11- Reached out to my local congressman office and let them know the situation and filled out privacy release form
06/11- Heard back from congressman office was told they are looking into it
06/14 - Reached out to one of my 2 senators filled out privacy release form (Feinstein)
06/15 - Reached out to the other senator filled out privacy release form (Padilla)
06/17 - sent follow up email to all 3 representatives
06/21 - Sent follow up email again
06/22 - Still in process

This is were we stand. Have not heard back from the senators at all and still waiting on the congressmen's office to provide me with an update. The last post gives me some hope still.... however its not looking good. Need to try my luck with the Life and death appointments they provide.

"Will the fact that there is an application already in the system with a locator # assigned be an issue?" - any update this with question?

Please let us know if you eventually hear back from any of these people. I'm in LA as well and will probably be hunting down the same people in 3-4 weeks.

I'm about to cancel my Tuscon 10:30am 6/24 appointment if someone is desperate to get in for same day service. PM me so we can co-ordinate the cancellation (the appointment slot should pop up in the system immediately).

Just sent you a PM

I would start from now, over 1 week 3 emails 2 voicemails to each senator and have not heard back.

Hey, i recently did it in the same location you mentioned in sf. I was wondering if they gave you a tracking number for yours? and did you have to pay extra at the usps for the 1-2 day shipping for them to receive your application fast?

Hi Everyone,
thought I'd add my in - process application:
Applied in person (minor child) for an expedited passport renewal on 5/20. Was told by the friendly and seemingly very knowledgeable P.O. person not to worry, that things were speeding up and that we would get it back in time for our travel 6/28. We were not offered the option to pay for the express return shipping and did not think to ask for it at the time - which is now annoying me to no end, since we've always paid for that in previous appointments. Also did not get a tracking number.
5/28: check dropped, and this is the date the system claims they got the passport.
6/21: called the state department line, after three hours on hold was told that it was 4-6 weeks processing from when they receive it, and that most applications were now taking the full 6 weeks. Husband swears that at the time we filled out the form, it said 4-6 weeks overall processing. Was also told that in San Francisco, which is our closest agency, there are 17 appointments per day (did she say 70? I had a fairly poor connection), so basically, no chance to get one of those. Like other posters here said, she also told me that appointment slots become available 10 days out. She reminded me of all the holidays that were also adding time to the clock. I asked her about leaving on a different passport (we also have EU passports). She said we wouldn't have the exit stamp that we needed to get back in and there would be no record of us leaving, so she said she wouldn't risk it. But if we have the passport by then, which we should (returning August 1st), I am not worried about her being let in. But I am worried about being allowed to board with the German passport only when we leave the US.
Anyhow. Contacted our local congressperson yesterday afternoon, hopefully we'll hear something. Spoke to a friend, who did the same thing (passport application for a child) in a different state, just a week before we did, and they got theirs back 4 weeks to the day they applied, which makes me hopeful that things might move soon.
Sending good vibes to all who are waiting!

Hello guys I've been lurking for few days and decided to post. Thank you for the recommendation on contacting representatives. I heard back from our Representative's good office after emailing her last night. Although it sounds like an automated email, i am very hopeful to hear from a caseworker soon. I emailed Sen Feinstein but have to yet hear from her.

They didn't give me any tracking. You just need to go online and check it. With regards to shipping fee I only pay the charge going back to me. He said USPS will take care of shipping it to US Passport Services.

Good luck in getting the US passport issued! It sounds as if you're taking the right steps and it's just a matter of time...

Y:pu will have no problem whatsoever leaving the US with the German passport in the airline record. The US has no exit controls and the fact that that passport was never used to enter the US will not matter. Do not, however, try to enter the US with that passport. You'll need an ESTA for it and as a US citizen one can't get an ESTA so you won't even be allowed to board. That's not to mention the fact that to enter the US, citizens are required to use their US passports -- the same way Germans are required to use their German passports when entering Germany.

They didn't give me any tracking. You just need to go online and check it. With regards to shipping fee I only pay the charge going back to me. He said USPS will take care of shipping it to US Passport Services.

Thanks for getting back to me - that seems to be the consensus, that leaving will be fine but that we really must get our passport in time for our return. I seem to remember that my husband used to have to show both his green card and his EU passport when leaving the country - but I may I don't remember this correctly.

If you are overseas and your passport expired on or after January 1, 2020, you may be able to use your expired passport to return directly to the United States until December 31, 2021.

You qualify for this exception if all the following are true:

• You are a U.S. citizen.
• You are currently abroad seeking direct return to the United States.
• You are flying directly to the United States, a United States territory, or have only short-term transit (“connecting flights”) through a foreign country on your direct return to the United States or to a United States Territory.
• Your expired passport was originally valid for 10 years. Or, if you were 15 years of age or younger when the passport was issued, your expired passport was valid for 5 years.
• Your expired passport is undamaged.
• Your expired passport is unaltered.
• Your expired passport is in your possession.

You do not qualify for this exception if:

• You wish to depart from the United States to an international destination.
• You are currently abroad seeking to travel to a foreign country for any length of stay longer than an airport connection en route to the United States or to a United States territory.
• Your expired passport was limited in validity.
• Your expired passport is a special issuance passport (such as a diplomatic, official, service, or no-fee regular passport).
• Your expired passport is damaged.
• Your expired passport is altered.
• Your expired passport is not in your possession.

The Department of Homeland Security maintains discretion to reject any U.S. passport holder in accordance with 22 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 53.2(b)(7) and 8 CFR 235.1(b).


https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...s.html#general
Frequently Asked Questions 2.34

Thanks for the info. We're not overseas, though. And the expired passport is of course one of the supporting documents that is also at the passport office (we were told it would get sent back to us really quickly. Ha!).

They usually come AFTER the new passport does.

The US has systematic electronic exit controls for common carrier flight departures from the US. But the systematic electronic exit controls are not a show stopper for US dual-citizens flying out of the country on the non-US passports. Even with some manual exit controls — primarily those for customs/export controls — it’s not a show stopper.

Increasingly often, there is an additional systematic electronic exit control by way of biometric exit control to be experienced when flying out of the US. While US and most Canadian passport users can opt out of this, most other adult foreign passport users cannot opt out of that. But this shouldn’t be a big concern either for a US minor using their non-US passport to fly out of the US.

Did anyone call the passport hotline and then just told they don't know the exact processing center your passport is in? Talked to a guy earlier who says he doesn't know where my passport is.

The wife thinks I'm crazy for even considering it but there is actually a flight out of SAN @ 1:45pm that works really well for our trip (vs 9am out of SNA the following day)...odds on getting passport printed in time to make the flight at the San Diego Passport Agency from a 8:30am appointment...airport is not far from the passport agency :rolleyes:.

Wanted to update: We heard back from our congressperson after app. 24 hours. Nice person, good contact, they reached out for us, but couldn't do anything really - they basically were told the same info I was told - it's in process, there is not exact date, etc. etc. But she promised to also "monitor" the passport progress. I was just really impressed that they got back to me!

Thanks so much for these tips! Finally was able to book an appointment.

Hi Everyone,



I wanted to come out of the shadows and share our journey through passport hell…I have spent weeks reading all of your stories, scouring the information you have provided, and utilizing many tips you’ve shared. THANK YOU! Your information allowed us to remain realistic yet optimistic through the ups and downs of this entire process.

Our story began with a screaming deal we found online at the beginning of March, just after our first COVID shots, so we knew we’d be funny vaccinated in plenty of time for a summer trip to Mexico. My boyfriend has never had a passport (first timer!) and mine was stolen from my car (never again) last September. I’d immediately filed the necessary paperwork declaring it stolen, so I figured that it would be easy to book us appointments at the post office and apply for new ones. Boy was I wrong.

The soonest appointment I could get was on April 6th. It was 12 weeks to the day before our travel date of 6/30. We had already decided to expedite from the get-go so we wouldn’t have to worry as our travel date approached. At the time routine service was 10-12 weeks and expedited was 4-6. When we told the lady that we wanted to pay to expedite she checked the travel date on our applications and said that they weren’t allowing people to expedite unless they were 10 weeks or less from travel. So we did the routine service. I didn’t know anything about anything then and didn’t pay for the tracking to the facility or any of that. I feel like our appointment was within a week or two of .... going WAY downhill with the passport facilities.

After 2 weeks my boyfriend’s information showed up on the passport status website. Mine didn’t. On April 27th our checks were cashed. On May 4th my information still wasn’t showing up, it had been 4 weeks, and we were 8 weeks away from travel, so we felt it was a good time to call to check on things and pay to expedite. My sweet, sweet naive little mind was shook that I was on hold for 1.5 hours that time. If I’d only known…..

So I finally got through, she couldn’t figure out why my information wasn’t showing up but said that everything had been received and was in process and she did allow us to expedite over the phone. Our card was charged immediately for the fees and off we went into LaLa Land for another month having no idea our applications were swirling around the black hold of doom, god knows where.

Once we leapt into June I started having some anxiety that we hadn’t heard anything and our trip was THIS MONTH. But also knew that they could arrive anytime in the following two weeks.

But I had this persistent feeling that something was wrong so I subjected myself to another call to the number that apparently has only 2 people answering to about a million people on June 3rd. It took me 55 tries to even get into the queue and then a 4 hour and 25 minute hold. Lawd am I glad that I persisted because the lady I spoke with that time could not find my info in the system at all. Only my cancelled passport from last year. Using my SSN she finally found my application only to tell me that they had ENTERED MY LAST NAME WRONG on their end. It was off by one letter. WHY, when I called the first time and paid to expedite did that lady not catch it?! This lady told me I was very lucky I called when I did because it would have been “flagged” in printing. Anyway, she corrected it in their system but actually my information never did show up throughout the rest of this .... show.

That’s when I finally started giving this all a Goog. I had three sites I was visiting daily trying to figure out if we were going to make this trip.

So on June 14th, a little over two weeks away from travel, I started contacting representatives. I’m in Northern CA so I reached out to Feinstein’s office, filled out and faxed the privacy form and did the same with Rep. Matsui’s office. Never have heard back from Feinstein even after sending our stuff a second time later in the week and leaving messages. Matsui’s office sent me a generic response two days later and then on Thursday a caseworker from her office reached out. She said that they booked an appointment for me in San Francisco on 6/28. The problem was that I didn’t know if I could go to the appointment without my birth certificate which I submitted back in April when I applied for the passport. Also, on the confirmation she sent me it had “1” listed on the “Number of Attendees” line. So I emailed her back asking about those things and she emailed me back and said that no, I couldn’t go without my birth certificate and that she cancelled the appointment. Haven’t heard a word from her since.

Friday was the surprise federal holiday but I had been seeing people were having luck with Alex Padilla’s office so I called and left a message and also emailed him. I followed up with a call on Monday, got right through, and they have been WONDERFUL. My passport arrived this morning and my boyfriend’s shipped out today arriving tomorrow.

We are so relieved and thankful to Padilla’s staff who were able to locate them and get them out to us. (They were in Tucson, btw.) my advice is to contact your representatives. Keep trying but don’t be aggressive or annoying. Another thing I’ll say is that I feel like one of the big reasons they got involved and got it done was because we had applied in plenty of time. 12 weeks to the day for routine and then expedited 8 weeks out. I have seen a bunch of people on these boards applying or renewing 4-6 weeks before travel, and that should ONLY be done in a life or death situation. Do not book anything any sooner than the longest part of that window.

Thanks again for all the advice and I’m happy to answer any questions anyone may have.

Welcome to FT. Thank you for sharing.

Fortunately the time to get it in the system seems much better with expedited.

Application sent 6/21
USPS shows delivered 6/22
Application in process email received 6/25
Check not yet cashed Updated: Check cashed 6/28

If they process in just a couple days under 6 weeks I should be good. Also renewed my Turkish passport just in case (only takes 2 weeks!). Worst case scenario, I'll leave with my Turkish passport and then have a friend overnight my passport to me for the return a week later.

Recap
 

To Recap my last post.

Travel is tomorrow and I did not receive my passport through the mail. Luckily I was able to get an appointment and pick it up same day at the Los Angeles passport agency.

Senator Padilla office never responded 2 voicemails and 3 emails over 8 days
Senator Feinstein office emailed me last night - asked for proof of travel one day before my flight leaves - first contact 9 days ago
My congressmen office called me today to see if I received my passport. I let them know I was able to get an appointment and took care of it myself. The girl said " I'm sorry we were unable to assist" - I reached out to them 1st over 2 weeks ago.

Couple Notes:

I noticed all over the web it states that they are not taking walk-ins at the passport agencies. I can confirm there was non appointment line today, it was HUGE but it was there. If you are stuck and have travel I would recommended going super early, you will guarantee yourself a passport same day.

Once I provided all the documents and my existing locator number they did not charge me again for my passport. They charged me $35 and told me to come back at 1pm to pick up my sons passport.

It took me over 2 hours to pick up the passport, huge line. I arrived at 12:45pm.

5/21 Sent via 2day USPS
5/24 Delivered.
5/28 “Processing”
6/25 Approved.

expedited service and should receive next week.

Had an appointment today in San Diego. Same day passports are printed for 3pm pickup.

The only "non-appointment" walk up service is life or death emergency. The intake check-in clerk will vet the documentation to support the "life & death emergency" claim before assigning you a DMV style service #. Showing up without an appointment and hoping to BS your way into a same day passport is highly unlikely despite what the previous poster observed.

As of June 17, the passport operations site says it’ll take about 18 weeks to process regular passport applications and 12 weeks for expedited service. How accurate is that?

That is crazy!!!