Passport Renewal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't worry about the "Application Status: Not Available" message you are still receiving. I applied for a new passport for my minor DS (and paid for expedited service) on December 27 and the State Department website was still showing me the "Application Status: Not Available" message when I received DS's new passport 12 days later.

Based on lots of other passport-related posts on here, it seems like I applied at the perfect time and hit the sweet spot for extremely short processing times.

If you need the passport soon for upcoming travel, I would do what the PP at 11:07 helpfully suggested. And call the office of your Congressional representative if need be. They routinely help constituents with passport issues. But if you don't have travel fast approaching, I wouldn't get anxious about the "Application Status: Not Available" on the State website. If your check has been cashed, your application has been received.

This. It's possible. My passport was showing in process when it showed on my mailbox about three weeks after I submitted it. This was in February.

My kids passports, submitted at the same time, are still in process. Fingers crossed. We leave in 30 days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I sent in my passport renewal application on 02/06. The check expedited processing was cashed on 02/14. It's been over 2 weeks and the online status is "Application Status: Not Available."

Anyone else in a similar situation?

I’m in the exact same situation. Mailed same day and check cashed same day as well. I’ve tried calling several times but am told the wait is over 2.5 hours.

[Anonymous]

I was one of the unfortunate "volunteers" for the online renewal. If they ever bring it back, do not do it! They will not allow you to schedule an appointment within the 14 days of travel, like they do for everyone else whose passport doesn't show up on time. I was willing to travel to get the appointment and they finally relented and said, fine, how about Honolulu, the day before my international flight. I spent a total of 6 hours on hold today, still nothing. I leave in 6 days. They are a complete mess.

[Anonymous]

My non-expedited renewal took about 2 months.

[Anonymous]

Update (not OP)

My own non-expedited passport was processed and sent to me in around three weeks. My kids, however, took longer and I was starting to become concerned. We just received them.

The gov received their application on January 24 and we received their new passports on March 4. Not expedited.

[Anonymous]

I’ve been reading that some passport offices will take same day walk-ins (even if it isn’t advertised) if you get there early in the morning. Does anyone know if this is true?

Also, for those who have called to make an appointment at the 14 day mark, were you lucky to get an appt in Dc or Philly, or did you have to fly somewhere?

[Anonymous]

OP here. Looks like they were having issues around the time my application was submitted and check cashed. Now its a waiting game

"Note for customers who applied in person or by mail from February 6-13: We are resolving a technical issue that may prevent you from getting your passport status online. If you see a status of "Not Available" and applied in early February, please know that we are working on your application."

[Anonymous]

My husband submitted an expedited renewal online in January when website still said 3-5 weeks expedited. It now says 5-7 and he has still not received it. This is absolutely ridiculous. We're going to request a refund but that's really secondary to the issue. I'm glad we don't travel until the first week of April so we do have some wiggle room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Looks like they were having issues around the time my application was submitted and check cashed. Now its a waiting game

"Note for customers who applied in person or by mail from February 6-13: We are resolving a technical issue that may prevent you from getting your passport status online. If you see a status of "Not Available" and applied in early February, please know that we are working on your application."

Ooh interesting- we applied for my kids passports at the post office during that window and their status has not updated either so that makes me feel a bit better. I sent my renewal in by mail but only around 10 days ago so it made more sense that my status hasn't chowed up yet but I was worried about theirs.

I'm still a bit worried in general about how long this is going to take though! Our travel isn't until July but I would have to cancel accommodation's a month out to avoid penalty. I didn't pay for expedited because I thought we had plenty of time and now I'm not so sure.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone called the 877 number on the passport website and gotten any additional information on status of your passport beyond what you see online?

I renewed by mail, system finally turned to “in process” yesterday and when I called (after waiting on hold for 3 hours) I was told they don’t have any other info. I have travel on 3/29.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the update OP. We applied during that early Feb timeframe and the status was Not Available.
Just checked today and it says In Process. However it says it was received yesterday (a Sunday?) and that expedited service takes 5-7 weeks from when it was received. We leave in 3 weeks.

[Anonymous]

We're supposed to go to London for spring break on April 1. I got my daughter a new passport. Went to the post office for the application the last week of Jan. and I got her new passport about 3 weeks later.

I applied online to renew my passport on Jan. 21 and I'm still "in process." I'm still at least a week away from that 14-day window and I'm obsessively checking the mytravel.gov website. The tales about people not being able to get an in-person appt. are stressing me out. I've never asked my congressman for anything before but that could change in a few weeks.

In the meantime, I'm just doomscrolling this forum. Don't mind me.

[Anonymous]

same here .. applied 1/16 online and now I am in limbo .. they don't let you get an appointment till 5 business days out of trip and I am now in no mans land waiting for my renewal. The other one has been "shipped" since 3/4 but the usps just says awaiting package in arizona.. so not really sure what to do but definitely the most stressful situation.

[Anonymous]

Nightmare.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I tried to call last week and my hold time went from 5-6 minutes to over an hour! Insane!

I wish I had renewed my passport last year with my kids and wife. We had their passports renewed in less than a month!