For the first time since the coronavirus closures had started, the US State Department now has less than 1 million passports to process. This is indeed great news as they have been receiving many new passport applications/renewals every week as well. Here is the latest US passport update so you know how your passport status may stand.
The Latest US Passport Update
Remember, they are processing them a first come/first out basis. To understand how the whole passport processing is accomplished (as well as where your passport is sent), check out this post for a cool infographic to break it all down.
Here is how the State Department did in the last week, as well as the two previous weeks:
| Week (Thursday-Wednesday) | Applications Received | Passports Awaiting Issuance* | Passports Issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| This Week (Aug 6-Aug 12) | 151,000 | 968,000 | 235,000 |
| Last Week (July 30-Aug 5) | 139,000 | 1.06 million | 213,000 |
| 2 Weeks Ago (July 23-July 29) | 143,000 | 1.15 million | 206,000 |
Not only has the State Department issued more passports this past week than they did in each of the previous two weeks, but they have now gotten below that big 7 figure number of passports awaiting issuance.
I have been hearing from readers lately that passports submitted in June are now being sent back out! This means we are right in the ballpark of the normal summer season for passport processing – great news indeed!
This is especially great news because the passport agencies are not even at Phase Three yet – many are not even at Phase Two! This means they are operating with more limited staffs yet still getting the job done!
Now, the State Department has made an effort to let people know that the number of passports awaiting issuance is not abnormal for past years during the busy season. They say this: “In prior years, the average number of passport applications in process during our busy season has routinely exceeded 1 million.”
So, if you have a passport that was sent in, chances are you may not have to wait more than a few weeks before you see your new one coming in the mail!
Getting Your Passport Status and Update
Here is what you need to do, per the US State Department:
Status updates are available online or by calling us at 1-877-487-2778. You can go to our Online Passport Status System and sign up for automatic email notifications about your passport status.
You will receive an email when your passport is 1) In Process: your application is being reviewed at a passport agency or center, 2) Approved: your application has been approved and will be printed, and 3) Mailed.
If you receive a status update of Not Found, your application is still in transit to one of our agencies and centers or we are experiencing a temporary, technical issue with our Online Passport Status System.
Got ours Today, almost exactly two months after submission in early June! Pretty happy about that given the circumstances. We don’t travel until February anyway, but were getting a bit antsy.
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