accurate. I submitted mine for regular service end of March. At that point regular service was listed as 12 weeks. I’m still waiting.

Check has been cashed so I know they received it.

Every case is different. In my case, submitted on 2 April 2021, USPS first class mail and regular service took a total of 63 days. If in doubt, submit your application ASAP to avoid agony of waiting.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...bm0/edit#gid=0

And here's the link to follow up on their updates:

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...-covid-19.html

I wonder if it's because of an influx of applications given the pace of vaccinations.

This is pretty much exactly my timeline - but we're still "processing"...

I just checked our status and noticed the following: Up until yesterday, it said "You requested expedited service, which we are currently processing within 4-6 weeks." Now it says "you requested expedited service, which we are currently processing within 6 weeks." And then the bit about 6 weeks of possible additional mailing times is included also which I think wasn't there yesterday. When we applied, it was 4-6 weeks total, if I remember correctly. :(

That made me want to check my routine service application. It is now saying "within 12 weeks" when it had said " within 10-12 weeks".

At least on the routine response, the bit about 6 weeks mailing time was already in there. Based on my USPS delivery receipt, that's actually 2-7 days USPS mailing time and 5 weeks sitting in State's mailroom time.

How long for application evidence to be returned?
 

It has been 3 weeks since new books and cards were approved/received but still we have not received our expired passports and documents back; in the past it has been about a week or so after the passports arrived to get these documents back. How long has it taken folks here to get their documents back in the current situation?

Update

Passport should be delivered tomorrow. (6/29). It is coming from Tucson AZ.

4/7 Mailed Application
5/7 Status Upgraded to In Process

I opted for standard processing times when I applied. Tomorrow will be 12 weeks from the day I applied/mailed my application and my application is still In Process. Now it is saying an extra 6 weeks could be added for mailing when I check the status! I contacted Aguilars office and was told they could help me possibly get an appointment in person for me when my trip was 2 weeks away but I would need to have requested expedited service. I don't leave for my trip till 7/23, should I just wait it out or try and call to upgrade to expedited service in case I need the in person appointment? I have 24 days till I leave but I feel like this is cutting it close. Any advice or positive vibes are much appreciated.

The 12 weeks of processing time actually begins once the status has changed to 'In Process.' In your case, the 12 weeks of processing began on 5/7. The 12 weeks doesn't include the 4 weeks of mailing time between 4/7 and 5/7. For those who are just now submitting their applications, the mailing time is expected to be 6 weeks instead of the estimated 4 weeks a couple weeks ago.

HMMMM.....that directly contradicts what I was told 2 times when I called into the passport agency. They said my application time started on the day I mailed it 4/7. If what you are saying is true then there is no way I will receive it in time. I guess I need to call in and upgrade to expedited service then?

From the passport status website:
"...our processing time does not include mailing time"

As I pointed out before, their definition of mailing time includes "sitting in our mailroom" time, not just USPS transit time. It is 12 weeks from when when they logged it in and started processing it, in your case, 5/7.

Correct. If you don't already have it, as soon as you have a tracking number, call in to the processing center and upgrade to expedited processing/delivery (will have to pay a fee). Once it is two weeks out from your travel date you can then ask your congresscritter's office to intervene.

So I just waited on hold for 3 hours and finally got to a representative.

Once again she said that based on the time I mailed my application because it was so long ago, and before some new changes have taken place, my 10-12 weeks does indeed start from the TIME I MAILED MY APPLICATION from the UPS store. She is now the 3rd person from the agency to tell me this same information.

I nonetheless had her request to expedite my passport and request 1-2 day delivery time for around $77, This will at least give me the chance to use my congressman if I make it to the 2 week mark and no passport has arrived to get an in person appointment hopefully.

She said they are doing their best to honor the time frames and travel dates. So tomorrow will be 12 weeks since I mailed my application so I just got to keep my fingers crossed. So a little bit of good news at least, I still appreciate the info though Zephyr...

Guys if u are trying to contact the hotline , u don't have to listen to all the automated messages , u can just press 1 1 1 2, it cuts ur waiting time. Or if you are using a Pixel phone , u can use their "Hold for Me" feature , u don't have to press numbers at all and it cuts ur waiting time...

5/25 - Applied at USPS for a new passport with expedited service
6/01 - Marked as "in processing"
6/02 - Check cashed

We are travelling on 07/10. I've contacted our state senator, who said they will try to ensure our passport arrives on time but still no update. I've tried calling the national passport center several times but the call always hangs up once I hear the "on hold" beeping. Email has been unsuccessful as well. Wonder how concerned I should be the passport won't arrive on time?

I would be concerned, although your timeline seems to be going a hell of a lot quicker than mine. This is so frustrating…fingers crossed 🤞🏻

06/30 - Marked as approved, will arrive 07/03. Phew.

I have the Exact same application timeline and also the same Travel Date. Contacted my State Senator and they have send an inquiry on 06/28. They mentioned that it is taking upto 7 days for the Passport agency to respond to the inquiry and in some cases people are getting their passports before they receive a response.

Let's hope I get it approved in a day or so

wow! if you receive it on 3 July that will be less than 6 weeks - that would seem to be some sort of recent record, second only to TravisMT81. From what city did you send your application and what service center is processing your application?

As a point of reference, it took almost that much time just for my applications to go from my post office to being "accepted."

Submitted Mar 30 for routine at USPS.
Check cashed May 5
Issued Jun 29 but status didn't reflect approved until Jun 30.
Mailed out Jun 30.
Received July 2

Hi Everyone,
Thanks for sharing all your timelines and suggestions. It's been really helpful to read it all during our waiting period. Here's how it went for us:
5/20 Submitted the application in person for a minor at a post office. We paid for the expedited service and the 1-2 delivery.
5/28 "Processing" it didn't show in the system until I called the customer support on 6/14 (up until this point the information was "not available").
6/1 Check cashed
6/24 Still processing. We reached out to Pelosi's office in the AM and by late afternoon a nice person called us back and said he was going to send us the privacy release form for us to complete and send back together with the proof of travel. He submitted the inquiry to the passport agency on 6/25.
6/28 No updates. We followed up with Pelosi's office but no response.
6/29 We reached out to Padilla's office and sent the privacy release form but no response.
We were desperate to get an appointment at the agency to get the passport within 3 days but we had no luck securing a time slot. We tried between 12am -1:30am and the dates would show up but without any time slots.
6/30 at 5:20AM we received an e-mail confirmation that the passport was shipped 6/29
6/30 the passport arrived at 10am! Phew!! Our trip is on 7/3.
The system still shows our application as "In Process".

Good luck everyone!

Have a last minute appointment available at NYC
TODAY (my friend can't make it)
Thursday.

Pm me :)

That’s a bunch of State Department BS. It’s not USPS sitting on the application for four weeks. It’s State not opening mail.

Advise
 

Good morning, after reading this forum the past few days, i wanted to share and hope to gain some advise or knowledge. I am traveling on my 1st international trip the first of August. Here's my timeline thus far:
May 13th- applied at USPS, told expediting would not be necessary. I'd get my passport in plenty of time.
June 7th- received my application and reviewing my application and supporting documents. In Process.
June 29th- called to expedite. waited on hold 2 1/2 hours. Gave all my info. Paid.
June 29 - realized my billing & shipping info on my credit card are different - i just moved- knew my card would decline.
June 30- Called back- waited on hold 7 hours.....7 HOURS!!! I explained what i did the day before, asked if my card was declined, she could not tell me. I asked to resubmit the expedite request. I did not care if I was charged twice, that I had to have this passport. So she processed the expedite request again and at this point informed me that a request in not a guarantee it will be expedited. WHAT?!?! the previous lady did NOT tell me this. So I am now so stressed.
*** I stayed in good spirits, tried to be light hearted when i did FINALLY speak to someone. they were very mater of fact.
July 1- nothing has changed on the website....

What can i do? How will i know if they accept my request. Has anyone else been told that requesting to expedite is not a guarantee you can get it expedited?

They told me the same thing. They said all I could do is monitor my card to see if they they debited the money. The lady did say they might not accept it if it was close to being shipped out, which would be a good scenario. I did also pay the $17 for the 1-2 day delivery fee as well, so hopefully that gets it out of their mail room quicker. It's been 30 hrs since my 4 hour hold to request those services and nothing has been debited from my card for either service. Lovely isn't it?

I was told the same thing by USPS by the way.....back on April 7th! I have reached out to my congressman to get help as well but they have not done any inquiries yet and want me to wait till the 2 week mark to try and get an in person appointment. The problem is that if they don't do the expedite and give me a receipt for that my congressman can't get me an in person appointment.

A general question for everyone here: How have some of your guys congressman's office made actual inquiries to get things rolling? I've asked them to do this, filled out the privacy form, and gave them my itinerary. From what I've read here it seems they can call and get some information, why won't my office do that?

Have you tried your other two congressional members?

Thanks... I just did that.

Feinstien's office wants me to mail the privacy form to San Francisco so that will be a slow process if I do that.

June 24: Expedited application sent.
June 25: Application delivered.
June 29: Check deposited.
July 1: Application “in process.”

This gives me hope as my boyfriend's application was given to the County Clerk Recorder on June 29. It's expedited with 1-2 day delivery. Our trip is in August and we are worried it won't be processed in time.

Just got a call from Padilla's office. The assistant was very nice and is going to make an inquiry for me. Hopefully this will get their asses in gear...

My expedited timeline:

Priority mailed to Philadelphia on 5/24
Delivered on 5/28
In process 6/3
Received email on 6/14 that it was in process (uh, thanks?)
Received email on 6/30 that it was approved and would be delivered on or around 7/3
Received another email on 7/1 that was the same as the above approved email
No notification of shipping or tracking number even though I paid for Priority Express.
Passport received on 7/2

Hey! I'm also in Brooklyn and was lucky to find your post while lurking in here. I have a planned flight in early august and thus I'm worried that my passport may not make it. That said, how did you contact Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ? was it through the website ? if so would you mind sharing a bit more detail on what you did ? Thanks!

You can contact any Senator or House Representative through their website. Usually, an aid will reply fairly quickly. They will ask you to fill out a release form with personal info that authorizes them to contact the Passport Agency on your behalf. I recommend explaining your situation clearly—especially why you need assistance. They may ask you for further documentation such as your flight itinerary and a justification as to why this application should be treated urgently.

Congresspeople and Senators typically have a staffer whose primary job is handling constituent problems with things like passports and Social Security issues.

When I applied on April 19th, they exceeded the then-4-week window. When I called, they told me to call them back after five weeks, but finally on May 19, it showed up in passportstatus.state.gov as having been received on May 18 (just a couple days past the 4-week deadline.) Curious that it didn't actually show that ON the 18th, which was the day I called them. But at least I know my documents aren't lost in transit.

As of now, it's still "in process", and given the increased timelines, I expect they will take the full twelve weeks plus mailing time on the tail end. I did not pay for expedited processing because I have no international travel planned currently, but 18 weeks+ is starting to feel a little silly.

Need help! Planned Travel for July 15th. My BF sent his passport out May 4th we thought no need to rush because that's plenty of time. We were wrong!
Finally got through on the phone today and paid the fee to have it rushed, the rep was very nice and advised them that travel is in 10 days. What else can we do?

Scroll up in this thread, you'll see many folks mentioning reaching out to your local state representative or senator - they can expedite the mail-in process as well as get an in-person appointment at an agency, if applicable. GL.

Have you contacted your US Congressperson or Senator? I believe people have had success reaching out to their local representative. You have to fill out a privacy form and send it back but they will be your best bet to see things through. If you're lucky enough to get an Agency appointment since your travel date is soon, you can go to the Agency (local) and get a passport issued, same day. Keep us posted.