I missed posting this last week but there is regular interest in the passport status so here is the latest! Good news – the passport processing agencies have done a great job in catching up on the backlog! Here is where we are now.
Progress on Waiting US Passports
Since the passport centers started processing US passports again, a big milestone has been reached. They have now processed over 1 million passports! Last month, the backlog sat at 1.6 million passports so this means they are rapidly closing the gap on those waiting passports!
Remember, they are processing them a first come/first out basis. So, these 1 million passports processed so far would likely cover all of March and possibly much of April. Here is a look at the last three weeks of passport processing:
| Week (Thursday-Wednesday) | Applications Received | Passports Awaiting Issuance | Passports Issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| This Week (July 9-15) | 124,000 | 1.31 million | 274,000 |
| Last Week (July 2-July 8) | 112,000 | 1.43 million | 188,000 |
| 2 Weeks Ago (June 25-July 1) | 133,000 | 1.51 million | 236,000 |
As you can see, they hit their best week ever last week with 274,000 passports. The previous week of just 188,000 passports was due to the July 4th holiday.
They are able to crank out more passports than in previous weeks, thanks to some passport centers entering Phase Two operations. This means more employees getting through all of these.
Yes, the current number still sits at 1.31 million to go but there have been 369,000 passport applications received in just the last three weeks. With a net positive of 150,000 passports processed last week, things are looking good for passports being mailed out!
First in, first out likely refers to the applications received at each individual center, not all applications nationwide. All the centers still in Phase One likely have a backlog that is much worse than the few who are in Phase Two.
That’s what I had originally thought but I was told it was nationally? Maybe they went to the processing center and were distributed as different centers were open because peoples’ checks were being deposited as they were received.
Hi Charlie, Do you have an educated guess on the turn around time for a passport renewal if one sends in the application today?
Hi, James – Based on the tracking and what I have been hearing, it could be something like 6 – 8 weeks if sent in now. More applications are being sent in now than in a while but they are still getting out more than are coming in and they say that this is like their typical summer numbers as far as time to process. Summer time can be 6-8 weeks normally.
We applied for our children’s passports on April 13th. Found out early June that they were back logged. I had been checking online application status and calling since early to Mid May. We are still waiting for our children’s passports. They’ve never had passports before, they are both under 16 my wife and I have valid passports. I am very frustrated by the lack of transparency because based on the numbers they have posted we should already have their passports. The tiny bit of information I’ve been able to glean is they are at the National Passport Processing Center in Portsmouth, NH. Which is in Phase One this phrasing of “First in First Out” means nothing it is t first come first served and if it is what date are they processing now? They won’t tell us. We are trying to move overseas and that is the only thing holding us back. The European country has already approved our visa’s!
They received our application on June 7th, we leave for Jamaica on Sept 10th, do you think I will get it in time…I’m freaking out, I called and of course they cant give a definite answer..what date should I hold off to till i have to cancel my trip?…this is my first trip out of the country…I cant believe this is happening…
The USPS said it is taking 6-8 weeks to process passports. You should be good to go.
My passport renewal application was received March 31st. Until today, the status is “In Process.” I called the National Processing Center multiple times and all they said was that I have to keep waiting. They took my money when they were still saying they were OPEN, not CLOSED, and they’re now withholding my old passport and the new one I paid for. Definition of lying and theft right there. I read comments on other articles and other applicants said they submitted their applications in May and got their new passports in July, so the “first in, first out” line is crap. From what I’ve managed to find out, your wait time depends on where you live. I’m in California. I have already filed 2 complaints to the Department of State but there’s no transparency or accountability.