Thanks for this. I'll call my Congressional representative today. My story had another twist today. I woke up at 4:30 AM PT to call the line. Got transferred to online processing call center, waited on hold for 30 minutes. And then talked to the agent who said that there are no appointments available in the entire country between now and Friday. So I am SOL. When I pressed her on the impossibility of the situation: (1) application is past the expedited processing time window by 2 weeks, (2) when I called 2 weeks out from travel, they would not give me an appointment until I was 5 days out and (3) when I was 5 days out, I couldn't get through to any one all day long and (4) when I finally do get through, there are no appointments.

This whole system is absolutely designed to ensure maximum stress and minimum results. Like I've said before DO NOT apply online - be grateful that option is currently closed. Good luck to others. I'll post back on Friday if I magically received my passport in time or not.

I contacted my Representative last Friday, and used the developer tools over the weekend to check status. Nothing.

Today, I received acknowledgment that a caseworker is working to assist, and I now see "exception" noted in the file.

Hoping this means we'll see movement soon.

Thank you for the tips.

Also submitted online (Jan 28th), chose expedited processing, website showed in process already Jan 30, and the “received” email also said 3-5 week processing. Now at 6 weeks and still in process, State Department website currently says 5-7 weeks for expedited , and also aware of reports that online applications have been delayed by technical issues. Still have time until travel, but more concerned they may stop work altogether on the online applications given the technical difficulties.

I renewed online on 1/29 with requested expedited service. It sat in the "in process" status for ~4 weeks. This morning the status changed to "printed".

Status changed to fulfillment yesterday, so hoping to see the passport soon. Pretty sure the processing this week was due to our representative's intervention, although folks who submitted around the same time as us seem to be seeing processing this week too, so who knows for sure.

Whats the difference b/w fulfillment and printed? Any history on how long it takes from printed > shipped > received? Traveling on 4/30 so have plenty of time but for would like to get this resolved for my peace of mind.

Agree to disagree on this. A passport is a once every ten year event - most people do not buy more than 8 of them in their lifetime, if they are lucky to live that long and be healthy enough for travel. I'm ok spending an extra $10-$20 over a 10 year period to have reasonable turnaround times, or at least for better transparency around their service commitments. As it stands right now, there are people who have submitted in mid-December that still have not seen movement on their applications. They were quoted 6-9 weeks at that time, and they are still in "Adjudication" status some 13 weeks later. Hold times for phone calls are north of 4 hours to reach a representative. God forbid you applied online, because you'll be in for another 2+ hour wait since that frontline rep will need to transfer you to a different queue.

This after the website has demonstrated serious security issues - displaying a login for their Oracle backend, amongst reliability issues where the site just dies for hours at a time with no explanation. No idea if that is because they are operating on a shoestring budget, lack talent, have difficult legacy systems to integrate with, or what.

I am at 11 weeks myself, going on 12 weeks. I applied in December thinking that I would be beating the rush - I guess not. Having had enough and worried that my application was slipping through the cracks, I paid for expedited handling and was put into "Fulfillment" two days later from "Adjudication". Hopefully I get my book soon.

To say that the online program is a failure to date is being too kind.

So, the good news is that my status using this amazing approach (thank you sullim4) switched over to "Closeout" yesterday. But I never got any shipping notification on USPS informed delivery this morning. And also got no tracking number from MyTravel website either. Has anyone else whose status showed "closeout" ended up receiving their passport without any notification on USPS informed delivery?

Check the paper status website. https://passportstatus.state.gov.

The current theory is that they are taking the info in the online database and moving it over to the paper database. Note they aren't actually writing the applications out on paper, it's just that the data is stored in separate databases.

Thank you. I just got a notification that they are sending my passport by UPS Next Day Air! So, it looks like I may actually be able to travel tomorrow!

Data points..daughters application

Applied online Feb 5
Status received Feb 5
in process status ..personalized email March 13
shipped Status March 16

Not able to access the application page to view tracking information ..get the hmm..Can't find the page message.

Traveling in April so feel a little better but want to have in hand. This post thread has been great to share info but also adds to anxiety over the process for those if us who loken not having a passport to mot having a DL ..or worse. Wish there were some stats on what % of renewals are made within the stated window so we could better assess whether what we see are outliers or a systemic problem.

Will post once actually received.

Reading back through this thread..have the same questions on what the statuses are..seems like there are quite a few but maybe all are not viewable via website.

I agree. As someone still waiting for my passport record to show closeout/fulfillment/printed/mailed, I find it odd why there are no clear directions on the application page what are the steps in the process and the corresponding status markers. Perhaps it is related to having two different systems operating at the same time (online and mail in), but still it would seem easy to provide useful guidance about the process to applicants.

Looks like all of you are doing a lot better than me. I renewed online on Jan 5 with expedited processing and it still shows "in process." That's ten weeks when they are quoting up to seven for expedited, and were saying less back then.

At this point, I've pretty much decided there must be some red flag, even though my Global Entry renewal last year was processed in less than 24 hours. Or they just don't want to issue passports to people with my political and/or ethnic background.

There's likely no red flag, they are just very slow and the online system is held together with strings and duct tape. What does your F12 status say?

The only way I got movement on my application was to pay the $60 expedite fee. I suspect being a December application, paying it in March got it bumped up in the queue. I was moved from adjudication to exception and then to fulfillment in 2 business days after paying the fee.

Each person's maybe different. I applied online for renewal on Dec 9, regular processing and regular shipping, shipped on Jan 31/Feb 1.

Good to know. I have a co-worker that is due to fly overseas to run a big meeting in the latter part of April.

Submitted his renewal online Jan 11 - expedited - and has been stuck as still processing as of today. Meanwhile his wife renewed via post office 3 weeks ago and already has hers back.

I am his backup but have other things to do, so I am trying to help him solve it. :rolleyes:

ok..I'll bite..what did you mean by your last sentence?

Passport got handed to me by friendly UPS delivery guy just a few minutes before noon. 3 hours before my flight! Reaching them twice by phone and engaging my Congresswoman and also making clear when my flight was leaving all eventually did help. But it was really down to the wire. I appreciate that everyone cared enough to get me my passport just in time. But at the same time, they are so far behind their service commitments, it's hard to applaud too hard. I hope all others who have been waiting beyond their stated waiting periods get their passports soon.

I only learned about the F12 trick (well, something similar since I'm not using Chrome) a couple of days back. It's in fulfillment status, but I think it's actually been there for weeks since I lost the ability to upgrade shipping quite a while back.

But I wonder if there could have been some trick where paying the expedite fee after your application will bump you ahead? Not that useful since the details will probably be different when or if they re-open online renewals.

Nothing shocking, and borderline off-topic. Just that it is sometimes hard to tell normal government indifference/incompetence from the way people in US law enforcement and related fields routinely treat people who they suspect vote for the wrong party or aren't white Christians.

Let's not stray into Omni-land
 

Please keep the thread focused on wait time. Thanks

Yes, and that’s long been within the range of normal. Beside the USPS side, In part, it’s part and parcel of the consequences of batching and relying upon batch processing on the State Department side that makes the publicly-viewable system status not necessarily all that reliable.

Thank you so much, Sullim4! Your F12 trick probably has saved time of many US citizens, even state workers and staff of house/congress!

Here is my own history:

2/2: applied renewal online with expedited service and express delivery
2/4: State sent me an email to confirm "in process" status with 3-5 weeks processing time. MyTravelGov account remained "in process" since then.
3/12: Found F12 trick from this thread but the website couldn't take my password.
3/13: Called tech support 855-865-7750 to unlock my account. (Long hold with two agents. First tech support to verify my error message. Another to actually send me a new password.)
3/13: Status: "Exception".
3/16: Status changed to "Fulfillment" in the afternoon. At this moment, I can't change contact info anymore. (Looks like if you can't change contact info, it is a good sign.)
3/18: State sent me an email saying the passport has been shipped. Go back to the website. It said "Shipped", with a tracking number. However, it is a Saturday. USPS only shows the label has been created. I trust USPS is able to deliver my passport early next week!

It has been 30 working days! Although it meets the current timeline (expedited 5-7 weeks), still not meeting the timeline it suggested on the first confirmation email.

So, here's my timeline ... (My travel was initially planned for March 6 and postponed twice.)

1/22 Submitted for online renewal (BIG mistake!) with expedited processing and expedited delivery
2/2 Receipt acknowledgment
2/6 In process

... and there it sat, and sat, and sat ... I spent many hours on hold trying to get an update or an appointment to no avail. ("No appointments available nationwide.") I was disconnected numerous times, and it seemed that 9 times out of 10 the online system for status checking was down.

3/12 (Sunday) Sent an email to my senator's office
3/13 Received email from senator's office, stating that a case worker and case number had been assigned and I would be contacted shortly
3/14 Caseworker called directly to let me know that they had arranged an appointment for me at the passport agency in DC for Thursday, 3/16 since they could not confirm when my passport might actually show up since it was still in process in Minneapolis.
3/16 Arrived at 8 AM for a 9 AM appointment. By 9:15 AM everything had been processed and I was told to return in 3 hours to pick up my passport. Had passport in hand by 2 pm.

I've been telling all my friends and family to avoid the online application system even if it opens up again. Even the agent who helped me at the DC office said it was obviously released prematurely. I met people who had flown in from all around the country since their online application never completed processing.

Prompts in the wiki seem to be for new passports only. Does anyone know if they change for renewals? (I know the prompts change on the phone, but are the prompts suggested because of how quickly they can get you on the phone with an agent?)

I have emergency travel tomorrow and my passport is expired (although it is not technically life/death). Cannot reach anyone on the weekend.

Passport received on March 17 as indicated in the tracking information (made it from Tucson to Chicago and then building delivery within a day) - sent USPS priority mail. So, all in all, this application was within the stated processing times for expedited of the 5-7 weeks for an online application. Although we had some plan B actions in our back pocket, did not need to call the help desk, or get congressional reps involved, or even use the developer pane trick. Interesting that experiences seem to be all over the road. Some items of note on the new passport.. First character is a letter - still nine digits and the information page is a hard laminate with a black and white picture with a color picture on a facing page- easier to entering in the machines and less likely to have issues. The binding doesnt look great but hopefully it will last ten years. Thanks for all the great information on this thread and we will be off to regularly scheduled travel next month!

Just to close this loop and add a data point -

Passport received on 3/16. two days BEFORE I got an email notifying me that it had shipped

Adult renewal by mail, routine service

Application mailed: Jan. 31(by Priority Mail)
Application received: Feb. 6
Locator number: 75(St. Albans, VT)

Status changes:
Feb. 6: "In Process"(with an estimated time frame of 8 -11 weeks)
Mar. 20: "Shipped"(by Priority Mail with tracking number)

Exactly six weeks - not bad at all for routine service! Did not receive email notification of status change even though I have signed up for it. A shout-out to the VT Passport Agency for the quick turnaround time.

Update: New passport received Mar. 22.

How long have online applications been sitting in "Fulfillment"?

Mine has been there for 9 days now, which is starting to make me worry that my application is again "lost" because it seems like most data points indicate shipment within a couple days after getting this status. Paying for expedited seemed to "wake" my application up a week and a half ago as I was moved to "Fulfillment" one business day after doing that. There are some that had to contact Congress to only find out that State lost track of their application once they issued approval.

Tomorrow is my 12 week anniversary of applying for a passport, after being quoted 6-9 weeks.

About two working days in my case.

My status was changed from Exception to Fulfillment in the morning of Thursday 3/16. At 4am, Saturday 3/18, I got "passport shipped" email from the State, although it was just a label creation.

I got my passport today (3/21). It was shipped from Tucson to SF on 3/20. 3/16/2023 was the issue date.

Maybe it is time to contact your US representative as most likely your passport has been approved. Somebody forgot to hit "Print" button.

Have international travel in 13 weeks. Current wait time says 8-11 weeks "from the day we receive your application at a passport agency." Should I get expedited?

I plan to mail it in by "Priority Mail + Certified Mail with Return Receipt by email". If there is a better way, let me know.

Do you get your old passport back? Google says yes.

It took them an entire month from my passport appointment at USPS to the "received" date. I was well within the timeframe back then, but with the extra month plus them pushing out the processing times, considering upgrading to expedited

Can't say if you'll experience the same thing, but it's possible they don't even "receive" it for a month

I would definitely pay the extra for expedite service if I were you. If you do routine, you will probably get it back in time, but when it closer to 9 weeks later, you will wish you did expedite so you don't have to worry about it.

In the past, you get the old passport back (when the new one comes) with hole punch if I remember correctly.

State Department tweeted earlier this week:
"Passport processing times will increase later this week for new applications. If you are traveling internationally this year, we recommend that you apply for your passport well in advance of your trip to avoid added travel stress. http://Travel.state.gov/passports"

If it were me, I'd expedite without a second thought.

Deleted since problem was resolved.

Thanks for recommending expedited in my situation.

Can folks who renewed their passport recently confirm if they got old passport back?

Same Day Issuance of New Passport for In-Person Appointment
 

I've been calling since Monday for an in-person appointment. I am in DC/NOVA. I was finally able to get an appointment at the Boston office for next Tuesday morning when they open at 10:30AM.

I am hopeful to get a new passport the same day. For my trip back to DC, what time should my flight be? Or should I plan to stay through Wednesday?

So you have to stay in Boston until you get your passport, then get to DCA to fly out? For a 5pm departure it means flying out of B:eek:S by 2:30pm at the absolute latest for a 5pm flight out of DCA and encountering no delays. Calculate as per your desired departure time. Oh - and that also presumes your passport will be ready on Tuesday in time to pick it up and get to the airport to fly out. Sometimes they are available same-day, sometimes not. Granted, empirical evidence suggests an earlier appointment is more likely to yield a same day passport. Still, I think Wednesday is a better choice.