Passports Quicker than Expected

[moonltnite]

4 hours ago, minimotorin said:

My 'non-expediated' renewal took 16 weeks to get, my wife's 'expediated' app took 5 weeks.  Money seemed to work for me.

How long ago did you send in your application?  They're claiming regular service is 8-11 weeks now (we sent ours 11/3).  

[minimotorin]

Mine was back at the end of September when it was 'received'  

[erinsmom03]

23 hours ago, jerseygirl3 said:

You can go to the website for passport renewal and it will give you the status of your application 

Yeah, I know, that's how I knew they was done and we would be getting them soon. But didn't expect them to be in the mailbox that same day lol!

[erinsmom03]

23 hours ago, BND said:

It will still be good for 10 years.  They'll just phase them out as they expire.

 

 

I know, I was just joking 😉

 

8 hours ago, Jimbo said:

What do you mean by obsolete? Will they be accepting different kind of ID for traveling that I did not hear about? I think  mine expires in 18 months.

 

They won't actually be obsolete... they are introducing a new format, and we got the old style. Ours will still be good for 10 years, just not as "fancy" as the new ones 🙃

[erinsmom03]

9 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

Why do people pay an extra $60 to "expediate" it, when in reality, if you don't pay, you can still get it fast. It's just a money grab for the government, but it really doesn't seem to help

 

 

We didn't pay the extra, but I almost wished that I had. People were paying extra because they were so behind for awhile with processing passport renewals and apps. When I mailed ours, it said it would take 16 weeks, and I was nervous we wouldn't get them before our cruise. Thankfully we did, so we don't have to tote around our 50+ year old birth certs with us.

[erinsmom03]

9 hours ago, moonltnite said:

How long ago did you mail your applications?   I'm just curious how long it's been between then and when you saw them approved.  We mailed ours on 11/3 - so I'm expecting them some time between 12/29 and 1/19.  Our cruise is March 6th. 

 

We mailed ours on Aug 25 and received them on Nov 15. They are processing much more quickly now though. You can log on to their website and check the status. 

 

https://passportstatus.state.gov

[moonltnite]

On 11/18/2021 at 5:38 PM, erinsmom03 said:

 

We mailed ours on Aug 25 and received them on Nov 15. They are processing much more quickly now though. You can log on to their website and check the status. 

 

https://passportstatus.state.gov

It's been just over 4 weeks now since ours were received (November 3rd) - and both still say in process.  It seems strange how some are getting them within a month and others 3 months - for the same "regular" service.  We should get them between end of December and mid-January based on the 8-11 week estimate on their site.  That's plenty time prior to our March 5th departure for our cruise on the 6th - but I do have a question related to check-in. 
 

I read on some other posts that as part of the check-in process, you have to enter in your passport number (or I'm assuming something else if you plan to travel on a birth certificate).  We have check-in on January 20th.  So it could be iffy that we'd have our passports prior to check-in.  Can you check-in without your passport numbers?  

[erinsmom03]

On 12/2/2021 at 3:29 PM, moonltnite said:

It's been just over 4 weeks now since ours were received (November 3rd) - and both still say in process.  It seems strange how some are getting them within a month and others 3 months - for the same "regular" service.  We should get them between end of December and mid-January based on the 8-11 week estimate on their site.  That's plenty time prior to our March 5th departure for our cruise on the 6th - but I do have a question related to check-in. 
 

I read on some other posts that as part of the check-in process, you have to enter in your passport number (or I'm assuming something else if you plan to travel on a birth certificate).  We have check-in on January 20th.  So it could be iffy that we'd have our passports prior to check-in.  Can you check-in without your passport numbers?  

 

I've never done it, but I was told that you could, then go back and add the passport numbers later. I know that you can go back and add things, because I have to take pictures to add to our my family's. 

 

Good luck, I'm sure yours will be done in plenty of time!

[SwissMiss USA]

My daughter’s passport took 5 months. Her dad lives in a foreign country and I marked his “she can have a passport” declaration to be passport book only. I marked her final application (sent Dec 29) as passport book and card. Got a notice in February 2021 that they need a new document from him as he did not approve the card ... right ... I wrote them back and said we only need the book. The card would have been nice as we cruise a lot (pre-Covid). Called three times to check status (for impending European travel)and no one can help. I called one week before our “May 2021” cruise (obviously didn’t happen but was the scheduled travel on her application). Magically her passport was complete. I get the mail and here is her passport .... and card. IDK but I think they work toward the travel dates.

 

I submitted my renewal October 17. My daughter wants to cruise at Christmas. I told her I don’t want to rely on a birth certificate.... November 15 I get my passport. So odd. She says “it’s a sign. We are meant to cruise”

 

we are now on harmony over Christmas. 
 

Weird how it works huh? 

 

 

[vegas7df]

My husband's took only 3 weeks to get back and it was not expedited.  The website indicated a 6 to 12 week turn around, I guess he was lucky. 

[Scottyren]

I mailed in my passport on October 27th for a standard renewal. My new passport arrived in the mail today. Just over five weeks with a holiday in there too.  

[moonltnite]

4 hours ago, Scottyren said:

I mailed in my passport on October 27th for a standard renewal. My new passport arrived in the mail today. Just over five weeks with a holiday in there too.  

Hopefully - we get ours soon!  We mailed it October 30th - and the passport office noted it was received on November 3rd.  It's still in "processing" status.  Our expired a couple years ago - but we could still re-apply by mail.  You can re-apply within 5 years of expiration. 

[chiguy67]

Received my new passport today, sent all the paperwork in on November 13. It actually wasn’t a renewal since it expired in 2015. I checked the website on Monday and there was no info available then on Tuesday it said it was in progress. Not bad for less than a month. 

[moonltnite]

1 hour ago, chiguy67 said:

Received my new passport today, sent all the paperwork in on November 13. It actually wasn’t a renewal since it expired in 2015. I checked the website on Monday and there was no info available then on Tuesday it said it was in progress. Not bad for less than a month. 

Ours had also expired - in 2019.  I checked the status just now - and both are still "in Process".  It's 5 1/2 weeks now since they received our applications (Nov. 3rd).  So we're hoping we get them within the stated 8-11 weeks (between 12/29 and 1/19).  

 

[beshears]

I will acknowledge you are right.  The reason being, I was worried stiff as our cruise was to be the first part of January, and at that time it told how many weeks it might be.  Each time I checked, in was in the Process mode, and this had been going on since early July. I had not paid to expedite like some, but since I was concerned it might not arrive on time, the lady took my info, and said unless it looked like I would not get it in time, they would use my credit card. I checked in November, and it said it was being mailed out.  So my thought, it will come in about two weeks. To my amazement, I had checked on Monday, and received it by FedX on Wednesday.  Now unless they charge my credit card, I don't know how it got to me that fast! So far, I haven't found the $60 charge as yet.

[chiguy67]

48 minutes ago, moonltnite said:

Ours had also expired - in 2019.  I checked the status just now - and both are still "in Process".  It's 5 1/2 weeks now since they received our applications (Nov. 3rd).  So we're hoping we get them within the stated 8-11 weeks (between 12/29 and 1/19).  

 

I hope yours come soon, maybe am early Christmas present? It is strange how some get them quicker than others. I had signed up for email notification but never received anything, I even checked my junk mail. I basically had to reapply for a new one since my old passport was issued in 2005. I really didn't expect to see it until around the first of the year.

Edited December 11, 2021 by chiguy67

[walkabout07]

Mailed my renewal of expired passport on 11/9/21.  Per website inquiry it was received on 11/16/21. Then every time I checked status - receipt of passport application was only thing acknowledged. Never said it was being processed. My new passport came in the mail yesterday (and finally the website says it is in the mail and I should receive it by 12/14/21). I got it 12/9/21 - only took a month (including mailing).

[moonltnite]

12 hours ago, chiguy67 said:

I hope yours come soon, maybe am early Christmas present? It is strange how some get them quicker than others. I had signed up for email notification but never received anything, I even checked my junk mail. I basically had to reapply for a new one since my old passport was issued in 2005. I really didn't expect to see it until around the first of the year.

 

I have this bad daydream in my mind.....  passport application envelopes thrown randomly into baskets or boxes.  Once a box/basket is full, someone takes them and plops them on the desk of a passport processor.  They pull envelopes from their box/basket one at a time to work on.  As they're just in a box/basket.... they aren't getting processed in the order received.  Both my husband's and mine keep slipping to the bottom of the box/basket.  

 

This is probably way off base - but it sure could explain why some regular applications (vs expedited) are completed and received in 4-5 weeks and others in 3+ months!   

Edited December 11, 2021 by moonltnite

[Biker19]

6 hours ago, moonltnite said:

This is probably way off base - but it sure could explain why some regular applications (vs expedited) are completed and received in 4-5 weeks and others in 3+ months!   

You may have forgotten about gov't "efficiency" at work.