US halts passport services

[Jeff13]

Sent ours in on April 20th.  they have not even cashed the checks yet.  Online has no status.

[twins_to_alaska]

His status says

 

Application Status: In Process

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot provide an update on when you will receive your passport and the return of your citizenship documents until we resume normal operations and staff return to our agencies and centers.

While we continue to accept applications, process your payments, and safeguard your forms, we cannot update your passport status at this time.

[Kylie]

19 hours ago, Jeff13 said:

Sent ours in on April 20th.  they have not even cashed the checks yet.  Online has no status.

 

We mailed our renewal in April 29 and the checks were cashed May 5.   Obviously no passports yet though.  

 

[nascarcruiser]

Wonder when they will open back up?

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, nascarcruiser said:

Wonder when they will open back up?

Phase 1 should be next week.

[erber]

I mailed my Passport in for renewal on March 17. The check was cashed and when I checked the status online it has said “in process” ever since March 23. I assume it will not be processed until the end of the summer at best but who knows. I originally needed it for a 2020 Thanksgiving cruise but we lifted and shifted that until Thanksgiving 2021. So I don’t have a need for it now until next year. And, I have a Real ID license so I am good for air travel if I need to fly. 

[bigrednole]

When they were shutting down in late March, we rushed in to get our passports in process for our August sailing on March 27. The checks were cashed about 3 days later. I know it is slow going and no updates in 2+ months. They do have somewhere to contact them if you need your passport within 14 days. We need our passports prior to a Thanksgiving cruise now. We have 5 months, but as I time moves and no action takes place, I will have to contact the passport office in September if we don't have them by then.

[A&L_Ont]

I know it’s different but renewed our Nexus (Global Entry in the US) on May 6th and it was renewed 2 days later. The cards came in the mail 2 weeks after that. 
 

It obviously is a different than a passport, but we figured we would still be waiting today for renewal alone. 

[Jeff13]

On 6/5/2020 at 2:55 PM, Jeff13 said:

Sent ours in on April 20th.  they have not even cashed the checks yet.  Online has no status.

 

HA!  Someone from passports must be reading this forum.  (Just kidding.  I know they have better things to do.)  Just got an email this morning that mine is in process.  Checked online and it says the same thing.  Looked up my wife's and her's is now the same In Process.  Funny how that happened a couple of days after posting here about it.  🤔

 

Application Status: In Process

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot provide an update on when you will receive your passport and the return of your citizenship documents until we resume normal operations and staff return to our agencies and centers.

While we continue to accept applications, process your payments, and safeguard your forms, we cannot update your passport status at this time. For more information, read our COVID-19 update.

 

[Akina13]

On 6/6/2020 at 7:08 PM, A&L_Ont said:

 

NVM - I can google

Edited June 8, 2020 by Akina13
NT

[WeatherFx]

I can't take vacation until September. Since our cruise was cancelled, we were looking into an all-inclusive and flying in. Our passports expires 02-02-2021, which falls out of the 6 month window. Looking for opinions for which I should do? (1) Mail in the renewal to get in the cue for FIFO or (2) wait until they reopen and go with expedite when it becomes available. Of course, with the back log it probably doesn't wont even matter anyway.

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, WeatherFx said:

Our passports expires 02-02-2021, which falls out of the 6 month window.

Unless the location you are planning to vacation requires it, ignore the 6 month window requirement.

[bigrednole]

6 hours ago, Jeff13 said:

I just got an email this morning that mine is in process. 

Mine said the same thing on like March 30, 3 days after we applied.

[zalusky]

Both my wife and I renewed our Global Entry programs on the same day.  Mine was approved and completed the next day.  Her's has been in the queue for 3 weeks now.  Go figure.

[Kellie in Texas]

Update:  Got an email last night that older son's passport application is now approved and his new passport is being printed.  Whew!  Younger son's passport application was received in the office on Feb. 20 and we got his passport in about three weeks.  Older son's was received on Feb. 27 and it got hung up in the quarantine.  

 

We were supposed to fly today to Vancouver for our Alaskan cruise on Serenade (with an aft balcony!) for younger son's high school graduation.  😞  It's rescheduled for next year.  

[villager70]

We sent our renewal in  on certified mail and they received it March 5th. They received  check  and bank got notified on payment.  Checked on line two or three times and says  being processed. Also on their site said anything received after March 20th would be delayed. Ours there 15 days earlier and  old ones sent, and nothing received. Goverment in action.  Bob

[AlohaLivin]

On 4/20/2020 at 9:27 PM, APDMOM said:

Our local post office did it on 3/17.

They did a renewal? I had understood that the rule indicated PO’s only do first time passports and renewals had to be done by mail.
 

We had just done our renewal by mail weeks before the shutdown, thank goodness (although the post office service, the only mailing option per the website instructions, took 2 weeks vs. 2 days to delivery the application and prior passports - we held our breath).

Edited June 14, 2020 by AlohaLivin

[bigrednole]

On 6/8/2020 at 10:44 AM, WeatherFx said:

(2) wait until they reopen and go with expedite when it becomes available. Of course, with the back log it probably doesn't wont even matter anyway.

Expedite won't matter for many months because of the backlog. I think they will shut that down until they catch up. I think their expedite service may tell people to go to the "pay for expedite" places that charge a ton.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

On 6/8/2020 at 9:04 AM, Jeff13 said:

 

HA!  Someone from passports must be reading this forum.  (Just kidding.  I know they have better things to do.)  Just got an email this morning that mine is in process.  Checked online and it says the same thing.  Looked up my wife's and her's is now the same In Process.  Funny how that happened a couple of days after posting here about it.  🤔

 

My sister-in-law works in the main Passport processing office.  This is all quite simple to explain, albeit a pain in the posterior for those that made application earlier this year.

 

COVID drove the closure of their office (like most other businesses), and the process cannot be done securely from stay-at-home remote employees.

 

So the work is backed up.

 

There is a rotating skeleton staff that is doing what they can on a first in first out basis. Until the office opens again to all staff, delays are inevitable.

[Kylie]

2 hours ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

 

There is a rotating skeleton staff that is doing what they can on a first in first out basis. Until the office opens again to all staff, delays are inevitable.

 

Do they have any idea when that will be?

Our renewals went in the end of April - I wrote our next travel is the end of Sept. for a Mexico resort stay so we need our passports back by then since we are still planning on going on this trip.   What are our chances of seeing the passports so we can travel then?!   

[floatn]

Eleven passport offices were opened this week. There is a 1 million passport backlog to work through. https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2020/06/state-dept-reopens-11-passport-services-sites-confronts-million-case-backlog/?fbclid=IwAR11qPVXXP9vXrzCTscDNcouM6A5RPb0ixvhSJ-PkVv4hPDJcUYSGaiozAg

[LuCruise]

11 minutes ago, floatn said:

Eleven passport offices were opened this week. There is a 1 million passport backlog to work through. 

Hope Canadian passport offices open soon too.  The longer they are closed, the larger the backlog.  Our son's expires in January.

[APDMOM]

20 hours ago, AlohaLivin said:

They did a renewal? I had understood that the rule indicated PO’s only do first time passports and renewals had to be done by mail.
 

We had just done our renewal by mail weeks before the shutdown, thank goodness (although the post office service, the only mailing option per the website instructions, took 2 weeks vs. 2 days to delivery the application and prior passports - we held our breath).

Our local post office helps with renewals - they take passport pictures for a fee and will make sure you have the right paperwork (free service), then you walk over to the counter and mail it in yourself.  🙂 

 

[AlohaLivin]

3 hours ago, APDMOM said:

Our local post office helps with renewals - they take passport pictures for a fee and will make sure you have the right paperwork (free service), then you walk over to the counter and mail it in yourself.  🙂 

 

That’s very nice of them 😊 All the PO did for us was have it circle Atlanta a few times and then circle Pilly for a week (we never did get a final scan). We were so relieved when we got the “in process” email.

Edited June 15, 2020 by AlohaLivin

[APDMOM]

9 minutes ago, AlohaLivin said:

That’s very nice of them 😊 All the PO did for us was have it circle Atlanta a few times and then circle Pilly for a week (we never did get a final scan). We were so relieved when we got the “in process” email.

I agree!  They are very “small town hospitable”.  We love living here!