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:.