If you applied for a passport in the last few months, I bet you're pretty frustrated right now. Covid-19 has caused closures and pauses of many services. Passport servicing has been no exception. Passport processing offices closed. Because of the sensitive nature of the work and security concerns, Passports could not be processed at home. This means no new, renewal, or change applications were processed. In fact, the only applications that were processed were life and death emergency applications.
So what's happening now? A plan was developed to reopen passport offices in 3 slow phases. I'm happy to report that phase one started on June 1st. During this phase, a small number of employees returned to work and started Passport processing. There is still a significant delay in processing times, but the good news is they have started processing Passports again. Applications will be processed in the order they were received. Please note, Passport processing halted in March. What Happen's next? In phase two the majority of employees will return to work and continue Passport processing. In phase three all employees will return to work. Passports will continue to be processed first come first serve, starting with the backlog. You may notice changed business hours, social distancing measures, and a requirement for face coverings on your next visit. What else do I need to know?
Online Passport status updates are unavailable at this time.
Expedited Passport processing is not available at this time.
You can continue to apply for a Passport but expect significant delays.
Passports can still be renewed by mail up to 5 years after they expire (you will not be able to travel internationally with an expired Passport).
The REAL ID deadline has been extended by 1 year to October 1, 2021.
Check travel.state.gov often for travel and Passport updates.
As the world continues to open up, I'll continue to update you on changes. Hopefully, this will help you decide when it's best for you to start traveling again