Probably impossible to quantify "significant". But the sooner you send it in, the more time they'll have to process it, in any case.

That’s exactly what I would NOT do at this time. I would not want my valid passports and/or other involved docs ending up in the sidelined application group for recently submitted applications without an emergency tag for the application.

What I would do is wait until they resume processing standard applications and open up expedited processing again. I would then dive in for expedited processing and submit the application.

Expedited processing for US passport applications costs many people a decent chunk extra, but it may be worth it. Expedited processing more commonly costs me nothing extra as I try to do it when outside of the US.

I would not send my passport to these guys for routine services. You run the risk of them losing your paper work including your old passport.

My app has been stuck since February 25th. i called a number of times and they have not been able to give me a answer. The call center did not appear to be in the same place where the passport is processed and now my concern is what happened to my old passport.

Stay away from them unless, just like they said, it's a life or death situation.

Paying a State Department fee for a passport application to be expedited is currently not a useful option, as the service has been temporarily pulled by the State Department. It will be an option again at some point later this year.

Unless your ordinary passport application is being filed for a “life and death” emergency-based passport application, my suggestion would be to hold back on applying for a US passport at this time since it’s more likely to end up in the bottom of a stack of applications sidelined due to policy and staffing practices at this time.

And the consequences of being in a stack of sidelined applications aren’t all that pretty either .... even when they finally do get around to handling the application for more than simple sorting processes.

Any updates?
 

MSerforfun, please let us know when it arrives.

My was sent on March 22 to Philadelphia. Still no word...

Literally on the day when they announced the closure of all passport facilities, my passport was about to expire in 6 months and I wanted to start the renewal process.

I'm stuck now in China, with an expiring passport and an expiring residence permit. No new passport, no new visa.

I can't find any information anywhere about a timeframe or any news from the state department.

People working abroad still need new passports! Even the IRS calls backs some of their workers.

When I told people to hold off on applying for US passports unless it was a documented "life and death emergency" since standard applications without such documented emergency tagging were getting sidelined and commonly not being issued, some people were in disbelief.

Here's what was put up on the US State Department's website last week:

The next step is to seek consular services at the US C-G or Embassy closest to you. But keep in mind that this isn't usually considered an emergency and staff will want to push you off into normal operating hours. If that goes nowhere, then try Overseas Citizen Services at +1-888-407-4747 (or +1 202-501-4444). If that too goes nowhere, hit up the office one of your US Senators to seek constituent services.

An eventual step may be for the host country or other countries to just acknowledge that passports are valid (at least for some purposes) for X months beyond the printed expiration dates on the passports, but I haven't asked around to see what is being done on that front yet.

I was hoping for an improved situation in the US and thought that 6 months is still enough time.

It looks like the Chinese immigration bureau is willing to extend the visa for 1 or 2 months, which would give me time till October/November.

But even this timeframe looks fragile.

Thank you for the information, will update my part once I get more information from the Chinese side!

Different story in the UK:

I have not received my passport yet. I sent mine on February 22nd. I have not received anything yet. I am concerned that they may have lost my passport now. I imagine, upon beginning the processing of passport, that they will have millions of passports coming their way. How will they be able to handle that volume along with the backlog from prior the to the pandemic all at once?

Which office?
 

Thanks for confirming, MSerforfun, though it’s not what I wanted to hear... May I ask which city your passport was sent to? Please let us know when it arrives. TIA

I sent my application to Irving.

Just wondering, as all of you are reading this thread, did anyone's application sent in February or before mid March get put on the back burner?

Seems like I may have gotten one of the last renewals before everything shut down. That would explain the unusually fast turn-around time. Has anyone who sent in a passport before the processing shutdown, but didn't yet receive a passport, gotten any kind of a status update?

MSerforfun:

I sent my application around the same time as you. Have you heard anything yet? I just checked my status today and now its says NOT FOUND. I really hope that means that they have sent it, but I have a feeling it may not be the case. My husband received his at the end of March and we sent ours at the same time and they arrived at the same time.

Passport renewals will be a mess once things start back up.