You're not the only one going through that, the USPS has opened an investigation and sent in a team of postal inspectors to the Philadelphia distribution center to see why passport applications are being severely delayed. If you can take any solace from this is that all applications eventually arrive, even with major delays. A CBS affiliate in Boston just ran a news story for a woman whose passport renewal application sat at the Philadelphia USPS center for over a month

We received our kids' passports. No sign of our's. Just says processing. No idea if all the paperwork is in order and if the photos are acceptable. I took all 4 pictures. Also. We have found out that our passports (adults) which were for straight renewal, were sent to Texas center. The kids who are now both over 16 still needed to appear in person and they came from Little Rock, Arkansas center.

Chronology:
3/4 Mailed adults renewal (priority mail) and appeared at the USPS for kids renewals. Per our state, we need to mail the applications to Philadelphia.
3/7 The adults tracking number shows delivered
3/15 Kids passports show as processing and the passport fees checks are cashed
3/23 Finally after more than a couple of phone calls, the adults passports show as processing and checks are cashed on 3/24
3/31 Received approval and passport shipped emails at around 3AM citing passports were approved and shipped on 3/30 for the kids renewals
4/2 Received the kids' passports

Wife may need to fly soon and we did not put that in the application. We have called and have not gotten a good answer. They keep saying if you expedite now, it can still take 20+ business days. They are saying our best bet is book tickets, get an emergency letter for travel and then take an appointment at a facility. Nearest is 4.5 hours and they won't guarantee same day passport there either. They say they may mail it next day or you may have to go back to pick it up.

Thoughts?

Since our's is in TX, how good/bad/ugly is that center? They are saying we need to go to Atlanta (IF there is an appointment available) to get an emergency passport.

Passport processing Delays
 

My passport renewal application is also in Texas since I live in Florida but you have one major advantage and that is that your renewal application is already in the system. What you need to do is contact your senator or congressional representative, they all have an office that deals with passport issues. Tell them that you have urgent travel coming up, they will send you a privacy form so that they can access your application information and you will have your passport back in a matter of days, for some people that have done this, they have received their passport in 24 hours since the national passport center sends it overnight.

Thank you. We did not expedite as we had no plans of travel. We're willing to expedite. National Passport Center does NOT overnight the passport. Its regular priority mail. They want $60 to expedite and $17.56 for overnight. BUT. They still won't guarantee anything. Standard it can be upto 20 business days. If they say they can get it pushed through in the next 3 - 4 days, I'd pay them right now.

Passport processing Delays
 

I found out about this option from other forums, most people have their passport back within 24 to 48 hours after they contact their representative or senator, members of Congress have a lot of influence within the national passport processing center and can get things moving. You already have your application in the system so they will be able to help you

If you track your passport tracking number, where were the new passports shipped from? Was it the TX center. Seems national passport center takes on applications but then routes them internally all over the country.

If your's were processed in TX, that is 6 weeks just for the In process to Approved status. That is NOT good for my case.

Passport processing Delays
 

The Irving Texas processing center is just a mailing center where application envelopes are opened and applications are scanned and sent electronically to the passport processing centers in New Hampshire, Minneapolis, Virginia or Charleston South Carolina depending on the processing service you paid for. The actual passport books are mailed from Arkansas or Arizona

IIRC, it was sent from Tucson. But in my case, I applied from my address in IL, but had it shipped to another address in KY since I was in the middle of moving apartments in Chicago. Not sure if that had an effect on processing time or processing center

Odd. We definitely sent our's to Philadelphia, PA. But the representatives helping us on the 877 number told us our application is in Houston, TX. I don't think they mentioned Irving.

Passport processing Delays
 

then you're in even better shape, the Houston facility is a final processing facility so once they get approved they will be mailed from either Tucson Arizona or Little Rock, Arkansas. Irving Texas is the reception center for those of us who live in the more populated states of Florida, Texas, California and New York, I thought you were referring to that. Good luck and contact your representative to get things moving

Yup. We live in NC and per the online application process, we were to mail our renewal application to Philadelphia, PA. I did call our senator's passport help line and they have sent us the forms to fill out. They have said, once we fill the forms out, we may need to pay for the expedited service (which we're willing to pay) and that they can get the passport to us in about 4 - 5 business days.

I sent my passport renewal to Philadelphia on 1/27 and still have no updates.

Was it sent with tracking? We mailed ours on 3/4 at 4:45PM from Charlotte, NC to Philadelphia. They show as received on Sunday 3/7 on USPS. Then, they finally showed up on the Passport Status check site (after 2 or 3 calls) on 3/23 and show as processing.

If you mailed on 1/27 and have proof of delivery, you should call the National Passport Center and ask where your application(s) are at. Has your fee check cleared?

Mailed mine priority for expedited processing on 3/16, arrived 3/18. Received approval email Thursday, and received passport book today.

Wow this is so fast. Did you mail to PA or TX? I sent mine expedited to PA on Saturday (4/3). USPS shows it arrived on Monday (4/5). Getting it delivered is I guess the first hurdle but nervous about all the stuff I’m reading about delays in PA. My travel date is 5/26. This is a renewal.