The Erratic State of US Passport Issuance Continues: What Works and What Doesn’t - July 2 Update

By PHK

July 2 Update: For practical suggestions on navigating the passport application process see our Tips Page.

June 13 am update: Trying to get through to the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs on passport delay problems? One commenter just suggested trying State's Task Force number: 202-647-7948. Let us know whether this helps. - or not. Your feedback is incredibly useful to others.

June 12 pm update: AP is reporting that the State Department told Congress last week that those people who have paid for expedited service and did not receive it will get their $60 refunded. Details on how to obtain refunds can be found in the link. Hope State adds enough staff to handle this one in a timely fashion - or maybe it will outsource it.

June 12 am update: Many thanks to Bob Sullivan at MSNBC for the reference and link. Most appreciated. We agree: Having to cancel trips at the last minute when people follow State's rules is worse than unacceptable.

June 9: AP and the Houston Chronicle are reporting today that "the rule changes (that the Bush administration announced on Friday that 'temporarily waive a requirement that US citizens have passports to fly to and from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda, provided he or she has already applied for a passport) won't apply to travelers who haven't applied for a passport yet." If AP and the Chronicle are correct then the temporary passport waiver is only available to people who have already applied for their passports. According to State on June 13, this interpretation must not be correct. See more recent information below.

June 13 Update on June 9 AP story above: State says that the temporary passport waiver also applies to people who will apply or have applied for a passport even after the announcement of the new policy last Friday. So, for instance, if you apply for a passport today and get confirmation of receipt of application hopefully in a week, then the waiver's still effective for travel after receipt of the confirmation you received via State's website. If you have not received that confirmation you need to call or e-mail the Department. Let us know. (Or a WV caveat: if this fails, try the Congressional route.)

State, however, also cautions US citizens planning to travel to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda by air and without a passport that they check first with their airline and the Embassy or Consulate of the country they plan to travel to to make sure that their arrival without a passport is also acceptable to the other country involved. Good point. Other countries have border regulations that also need to be met. Please check State's website for this latest advice.

It is clear, however, that the temporary passport travel waiver expires September 30, 2007.

Home Security is unhappy and was obviously dragging its feet about the temporary waiver. The State Department finally admitted in public that it cannot meet the demand. This is good news - but how will it help those planning to travel elsewhere with passports applications stuck in a passport never-never land? Interesting that the temporary waiver decision was announced just as the story is belatedly being picked up by the national media.

Note to readers: This is WhirledView’s sixth post on US passport issuance delays since February 7, 2007. The other five posts can be found most easily through WhirledView Categories: US Passports and Visas. This post includes information including travel to and from Mexico not included in previous posts. If you're experiencing passport issuance delay problems and need help navigating the system and/or want to learn from others' recent experiences, please read WV's fifth post on the topic dated May 16, 2007 . The May 16 post includes numerous thoughtful and helpful reader comments. Some suggestions from those comments are incorporated in this June 3 post, but not all.

A hearty thanks to the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) and Elizabeth Fernandez at the San Francisco Chronicle for raising WhirledView’s profile in the blogosphere and especially among internationally minded, wanna-be globe trekking Americans who feel like they are living on a reverse Ellis Island because their passports are delayed – or these crucial travel documents have arrived just in the nick of time but only after feats of incredible personal ingenuity and perseverance.

The US Passport Agency which comes under CA’s jurisdiction – but ultimately reports to Condi Rice – has been unable to cope with the increased number of passport applications since the post 9/11 homeland security law went into effect on January 23, 2007. The US Passport Agency in Houston – to which State recently sent a 12 person special “spot” team to help out – reportedly had a backlog of 90,000 applications pending as of last week.

The new US law requires passports for people entering the US from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda by air. CA tells us that the increase in volume of applications runs about 33 percent over last year and more passports have been issued between October 2006 and April 2007 than were issued in a single full year before 2003. We know from numerous comments on the previous five WV passport delay warning posts beginning on February 7 that any number of Americans has been unable to travel overseas without first experiencing major passport delay problems and many sleepless nights because of the Department’s sluggishness in rapidly fixing this eminently fixable problem. A number - and we do not know how many - have had to cancel trips in their entirety because of the passport delay problem.

We also know this from comments from friends and acquaintances who have had problems navigating the dysfunctional system and from local and regional media reports – a recent one in the Houston Chronicle chronicles the increase in private parking lot fees due to the surge of clients at the Houston Passport Agency. This thanks to Dave, a commenter on our May 16 passport delay post, for providing the link. Here are Dave’s links to two other relevant newspaper articles – one from Oklahoma, and another from Austin. The latter includes page after page of recent comments from frustrated passport applicants. They mirror the many similar comments we also have received.

This is a local, regional and NATIONAL STORY

You would hardly know it, however, from much of the national media – as several WV commenters have pointed out. Perhaps this is yet another ongoing story that needs to bubble up from the blogosphere and the local/regional media before it receives the national attention it deserves because in the end, it is a national story. Or perhaps the June 3 San Francisco Chronicle's front page feature on the problem and earlier reports in the Houston Chronicle will turn this story into the national one that it is.

What was once routine has, over the past several months, become a nightmare – at least for some Americans. People have had to reschedule or cancel trips abroad. They have reportedly lost anywhere between hundreds and thousands of dollars because they did not receive their passports in time. For anyone reading this, the reason, as we have explained before is the breakdown in the US government’s passport issuance process as a result of poor planning, outsourcing, lack of staff, additional requirements as a result of 9/11, and over taxed and probably outmoded equipment.

At the very least, State could have changed the dates on its website to reflect the realities. Somehow, the people in charge of this operation still don’t seem to understand that it’s far better to post the lengthiest wait time possible rather than promise a vital, time sensitive service that cannot always be delivered to everyone on time.

I won’t argue with CA’s cheery public affairs officer that many Americans are apparently receiving their passports on time and the wait times as indicated on State’s over-optimistic webpage are accurate for someone who applies today. I don’t have the data to quibble with the first assertion: State, however, certainly should. But I’m not sure how CA can be so sure of the latter since none of us will know for sure until nine weeks into the future. Maybe, however, the Department’s crystal ball is able to project beyond the present presumably because it has a better handle on the fixes – more staff (but will they be enough?), another passport facility termed a “mega processing center” in Hot Springs, Arkansas that came on line on March 27 - that are being implemented to help alleviate parts of the problem.

In fact, the Hot Springs mega facility should already have begun to alleviate lengthy delays - or not - but I also note from State’s press release that it will not be operating at full capacity until the end of 2007.

According to CA in its May 23 Press Release, this new facility “is dedicated solely to printing and mailing out large quantities of passports.” The Arkansas mega-facility is to receive electronically transmitted already approved applications from the other passport agency facilities. This will mean other agencies can focus their resources on “processing and adjudicating more passport applications.” Terrific. Sounds great. A consolidated plant with state of the art printing equipment may work better than the broken system in place.

Yet, the skeptic in me questions the further splintering of a process that is already delayed because of outsourcing at the initial stage to two Citigroup offices – one in Philadelphia and the other in Los Angeles – before the applications ever reach one of 13 agency offices scattered throughout the country. Citigroup backlogs are where the first delay begins. They can add one to four weeks to the turn around time. If numbers do not show up in the tracking system, blame Citigroup because it’s Citigroup that opens the envelopes, removes and cashes the checks, assigns a computerized tracking number then reseals the envelopes and sends the applications on to one of 13 US government passport agency facilities for document and data-base checks. Seems to me adding yet another location will just add one more place to misplace information - but then I haven't seen the production facility and don't know how the system fits seamlessly - or otherwise - into the existing operation. So maybe I've got it wrong.

The correct official line – or divine intervention from the Virgin of Guadalupe?

Meanwhile, I learned of someone here in New Mexico who recently received her expedited passport in three weeks. This must be something of a record because the times I’ve heard otherwise for expedited ones have been in the 4-6 week range. I’m not sure whether this should be taken as proof that the Department’s official line is accurate and everything is coming up roses or whether it is another miracle performed by the patron saint, the Virgin of Guadalupe whose statues and replicas grace many New Mexican homes and businesses because the earliest ever turn around time I’ve heard since January 23, 2007 is four weeks for expedited passport service unless, of course, one pays a fixer or in CA lingo a “passport courier” in DC. The latter seems to be taking 36 hours and anywhere from $160 to $250 over and above the government charges. Please note: WV does not endorse the use of passport fixers by whatever name.

Considering the record number of hits WV is receiving on our May 16 passport post – as well as the ever increasing comments which continue to dominate our right hand sidebar comments section, all, however, is not yet well in River City’s Foggy Bottom – or more accurately the State Department and its home in the city on the Potomac, not the city on the Rio Grande. For me, that jury remains still out.

NO WAIVER: PASSPORTS ARE NEEDED FOR FLIGHTS FROM MEXICO

Let me interject here, however, that whatever the airlines are saying about Americans not needing a passport for a trip to and from Mexico because there is some kind of a waiver, don’t believe them. This is not true. Here is what the US Customs and Border Patrol website says. They mean it.

I personally asked both Consular Affairs and Customs and Border Patrol public affairs officers on May 29 and was told that 99.9% of Americans flying to Mexico and back have valid passports.

In so doing, I learned that the Mexican government does not require a passport for entry so part of the airlines’ story is accurate. Now that works for getting there – but how about the return? If one is driving, or taking a bus back to the US the lack of a US passport may be fine until the more stringent US passport for land travel requirement kicks in in 2008.

Right now, I was advised, not having a valid passport on return to the US via air will mean being pulled out of the immigration line, put in a secondary line for additional border patrol checks and who knows how long that will take. A birth certificate doesn’t cut it. So yes, a person may be able to get back in to the US after a flight to Mexico without a passport, but my advice: don’t chance it – particularly if you have another flight to catch or need to be back at home at a particular time or day. Besides, the US Border Patrol does not have to let you back in at all – or can substantially delay your return – until it figures out you are who you, and your other documents, say you are.

Other Tips for US passport applicants: additional does and don’ts

There are several State Department Consular Affairs Bureau tips for US passport applicants worth reading and following before and during the process. They are found on State’s May 23, 2007 press release.

Read the final section: “Important Points for Travelers” and follow it carefully – including marking EXPEDITE on the outside of the envelope that contains your application and use the other tips included in the section’s first paragraph.

• Do not, however, expect the status of your application to appear online when State says it will. Do not expect to get through to the 1-877-487-2778 number at the National Passport Information Center in a timely fashion. There are other numbers that may be helpful that have been recommended by several commenters on our May 16 post (scroll down). Here’s one in DC that may help: 202-647-7948.

• There is also a 9-3-1- trick that may help you navigate State’s overloaded automated call center system. Here’s how a WV commenter explained it: “The ‘9-3-1’ trick...when they try to kick you off the 800 number with ‘All our agents are busy and we can not answer your call at this time’....hit ‘9 ‘, ‘3’ and then ‘1’ and it takes you back to ‘please hold’ without having to redial. It worked for me several times and I got through in about 20 minutes. Then you go to music but that is a good sign, a real person comes soon after.”

• Meanwhile, do not expect all the call center operators to give you the straight story: they are overwhelmed, probably new, poorly paid and inadequately trained. Besides, the information they have access to may not itself be accurate.

As you get to crunch time, e.g. two weeks before your intended departure and if you still have not received your passport, your best recourse is to call your Congressional District Office and ask for help. Many Congressional office staffers are very helpful – although even they cannot guarantee success – other Congressional offices are less so (see comments on WV's May 16 post.) The offices are themselves swamped with constituent pleas for help with the same problem. In Oklahoma, all members of Congress interviewed by NewsOK for an article published on May 30 described a land swell of constituent calls the past two months for help to overcome the obstacles in obtaining a passport. Each Oklahoma Congressional Delegation member normally receives a handful of such cries for help at any one time. Now Representative John Sullivan’s office has over 500 alone pending.

In addition to a list of WV suggestions for navigating the system included in our May 16 post “The Erratic State of US Passport Issuance,” you will find any number of suggestions from readers themselves.

Please continue to share with us your own experiences both pro and con. We wish you success and hopefully a wonderful trip abroad.

Comments

[Anne Meservey]

Why is this story not in the New York Times? on CNN?

What can you do to get in both the NY Times and the Wall Street Journal, which are the only really national papers??

Without national media coverage, this problem will not be remedied!

I live in Atlanta and happen to be in San Francisco today. So I read the story on the front page of the SF Chronicle.

I am quite concenred. I need to travel abroad on short notice for my work. My valid pasport will expire in October. I cannot afford to give it up for months.

I have been told by the Atlanta passport authorities 'not to worry' that 'renewal never takes more than 8 weeks.'

From this site, I now know to send the passport office an older, expired passport and not my current valid one since it might fall into the processing 'black hole' for many months.

Have there been reports of folks going abroad to the nearest US Embassy with their US passports that were about to expire in hand in order to get fast replacements?

I recall that when I lived in Rome, Americans could replace their US passports on the same day when needed. That was a common occurrence due to widespread pickpockets and thievery.

I wonder whether we need to resort to that measure today to get fast passport renewals before they expire.

[PHK]

Anne: I don't know what it takes to get this or other important stories in the NYT, Washington Post, WSJ, LA TImes or on CNN. Wish I did. Suggestions are most welcome. I'm hoping with the Chronicle's front page coverage now that it will get picked up elsewhere.

The first thing I would do is apply for expedited passport service. It too is erratic - but it's a lot faster than regular - and mark EXPEDITE on the outside envelope to be sure this is how it's treated. And as the State website states, be sure all your paperwork and documents are in order in your application. I'd also ask for the FEDEX rapid return mailing - and I'd probably certify the application when I mailed it in just so I had some kind of record of receipt.

If you find you need a new passport in a very short window you can use a fixer. It's expensive (depends on time frame and location), I think its outrageous and third world and you're handing your documents over to a third party whose reputation you may or may not know. But I don't think you can go this route once you've filed an application yourself.

As insurance, ask around as to which of your Congressional representatives is providing the best passport constituent service, and then as you get closer to your travel deadline (I believe two weeks before)and if you've received nothing, contact the Congressional office most willing to help and ask for it. Time after time we've seen reports of Congressional intervention as the most effective way of dislodging passports from "black holes" or making emergency appointments for people at various Passport Agencies.

[PHK]

Anne: Re applying for a passport renewal overseas. The only case I've heard of is someone who lives in Australia and got a passport renewed at one of the Consulates on short order.

[Barbara Lane]

Renewals for my husband and I took 12 weeks. We sent them in March 4, 2007. We were told 6 to 8 weeks and no need to expedite. Maybe it would take 8 weeks if you expedited it.

[Tom]

After 3 days of trying to call, we finally got through and were told that it takes 5 weeks for them just to process our check, and that once it has cleared, THEN they begin processing the application itself.

Unbelievable!

We tried at the post office to get them to accept our debit card for payment, but they don't take credit or debit cards ... which means that they REFUSE to potentially shave 5 weeks off the processing time.

We are a family of 8, scheduled to fly to London the morning of June 6 and here it is, June 4 and no passports. With $8,000 expended just in air fares, we also have the added stress of knowing that my wife's grandfather (who lives in France), has fallen and isn't doing well.

If he were to pass away before we can see him, I'd be a part of a class action suit in a heart beat.

This isn't caused by a sudden demand in passports, this was caused by a failure to prepare for it.

[Ryan]

Applied three months ago; leaving in two weeks, and have not received my passport.

FINALLY got through to a real, live human at the NPIC a few minutes ago. I was using a landline on my end, and she was barely audible, but it was going well enough for a little while. Then she started sounding like she'd put me on hold after asking me a question.

Her: Sir, mushmouthmushmouthmushmouth home phone number.
(click... COMPLETE silence)

Me: Hello? Uh, XXX-XXX-XXXX

(click... can hear background noise again)

Her: Sir, I'm still waiting for your home phone number.
(click... complete silence again)

Me: Uh, XXX-XXX-XXXX... Hello? Did you get that?

Her: (Hangs up).

Unbelievable.

A friend is a press secretary in congress; I'm giving him a call next to see if his guy can do something on my behalf.

[Anne]

Here is a link to an article that appeared on the front page of the Kansas City Star a couple of days ago: http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/133271.html and another article from USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2007-05-31-passport-woes_N.htm?csp=34.

Last Wednesday, a NH NPC employee confirmed via e-mail that my 3/23/07 passport renewal app. is being upgraded to expedited status and I will be receiving the passport via FedEx in 5-7 business days. I'm on business day 3 and will update this post if and when passport is received. I'm scheduled to leave for London next Friday *fingers crossed*

For fellow Missourians seeking passport help from elected officials: Thumbs up for Representative Cleaver's office and thumbs down for Senator McCaskill's office.

[Terri]

We are leaving for Europe on June 14 and have not received my husband's passport. He applied mid-March for renewal. Have tried the passport office 72 times with no success (yes, I'm keeping track - it has become an obsession). I can't even get in a queue.

Called our U.S. Senator and Representative's office and the staff was prepared to take the information; locator number, SS#, DOB etc. I was told that they would forward the information and request expediated service, but not to expect to receive the passport until a day or two before departure.

In retrospect we should have tried to renew earlier, but U.S. State Department's website in March indicated that "you should receive your passport within 8 weeks from the date you applied." The website now states 10 weeks (?). I don't think 10 weeks can possibly be correct.

Will check back if this site is still accepting posts and let you know the outcome. I believe contacting your U.S. Senator or Representative may be the way to go. Any other suggestions?

[Beach Family]

We applied for our daughter's passport on March 10th (regular routine service) at a local library, which served as a Passport Acceptance Facility.

It is now June 4th, 2007 (12 1/2 weeks later) and her passport has not yet arrived.

We contacted our congressman and both state senators. All they can do is send an urgent email to the passport agency that is processing her passport.

Private passport firms WILL NOT service you if you have already begun the process with the State Department.

Our only recourse will be to wait for the passport to arrive to to get a congressional letter and an appointment to apply in person at Washington D.C.

[Tony]

Applied March 12. Still no passport. AMAZING!!! This is typical public sector inefficiency. I am sick and tired of reading these people who say "well, you knew you were traveling so you should have applied early." How in the world can you tell people that when they walked into the agency and were told 8-10 weeks from DATE OF APPLICATION??? By my calculations I should have received mine at the latest on May 21st. I am leaving on the 13 of June. That is a 3 1/2 week buffer. STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR GOVERNMENT INCOMPETENCE!!! And we have politicians running for president who want the government to run health care. America would have to be nuts to want that. I can just see my Dad dieing waiting for a new pacemaker battery. I contacted my congressman today and they took my info and said they would get back with me. I will let you know if that helps. GOOD LUCK ALL!!!

[Tina]

We applied for passports on February 17 and were told 6-8 weeks. We thought since there were so many people applying for passports that maybe it would be more like 10-12 weeks so we did not expedite as we had plenty of time, we were set to leave on May 31. I called repeatedly from 14 days out. They supposedly expedited our passports and also put an urgent request with same day fed ex delivery for the morning of May 30. It is now June 4 and we still do not have passports. We also tried to get an appointment in Houston to go and pick them up but were told no appointments were available. Needless to say we had to cancel our trip. What infuriates me the most is that "they" honestly don't care. I had one call center agent laugh and tell a friend as I was listening ha ha I got another one from Houston. I was also treated as though I dropped the ball and did not apply in time. Are you kidding me... applying in February for an end of May trip is too late????

[Katie]

Just wanted to write and say thanks for the tips about passport applications. I called my senator's office yesterday and they told me to go to the passport agency in San Francisco early and wait in line - even without an appointment. I got there at about 7:30 (the agency opens at 9) and there were about one hundred people in line already. I waited in line for an hour and a half outside and was in the "pending applications" line for one-half hour. The woman listened to my situation and gave me a number. I waited for an hour and then went to the window and was told that my passport will be ready for pick up tomorrow! Moral of the story: If you have the luxury of time, you can get your passport in a few days. Just make sure you bring the following items:
1. Passport photos
2. Application DS-11
3. Proof of identity (Birth certificate, marriage licenese for name change, driver's license)
4. Locator number
5. Proof of flight arrangements

Thanks so much for the helpful hints!

[Mary]

When I try to check my passport info there's nothing there after 5 weeks. It only says will not show any info if it hasn't been 4 weeks or if my name is in their database more than once. I email them and asked what more than once in their database ment but no answer. Does anyone out there know what they're talking about?

[Kevin]

Thank heaven the terrorists haven't made the government disrupt anyones lives...

:-/

[Dave Stolte]

Mary, I had a similar situation with my wife's passport. It hasn't shown up on the web site (submitted 3/22, same day as me - and I got mine FedEx on Friday 6/1).

Reason being: instead of entering her last name as "Stolte", they had entered "Stolte UIXDSSGDH".

[Audrey]

Katie - thanks for your info. I'm in the SF Bay Area and thinking about doing the same thing. My daughter is still over 3 weeks from her travel date and her passport is in the Charleston "black hole". When you went to SF agency, were you within 14 days of travel? I'd like to go there and afraid to wait until we are 14 days away.

[Lisa Schneider]

Our family applied for passports March 9 (regular service, because they said no need to expedite, plenty of time til June 16 departure). After much redial on June 1 I reached a live human at the official 2778 number; she promised to put an "expedite" notice in our files. I believe she said our passports were in Charleston, which I now understand means they are basically lost. On Friday afternoon I left a message for our congresswoman; her staffers been very nice and responsive, but as of tonight (Tuesday, June 5) I still don't have an ETA. Why am I writing this? I guess I want to add our numbers (3 people, about $5000 in nonrefundable tickets and reservations, 1 trip of a lifetime) to this documentation of gross imcompetence and intentional misrepresentation. I understand sovereign tort immunity is pretty formidable, but there must be some sort of accountability for flat-out lying. There doesn't seem to be any accountability just for doing a heckuva horrible job.

[Mike]

My family applied for passports on Feb 15th in Tulsa Ok. We were also told that it would be 10 weeks max to get our passports (we were 18 weeks out). We were supposed to fly to Cancun on June 18th. My wife cannot change her vacation so we canceled our trip to Cancun and booked a cruise that leaves out of Galveston Texas on June 17th. It cost us $250.00 (trip insurance) to cancel our first trip but the good thing is I have never been on a Cruise and I will not be stressed out about receiving our passports on time. Maybe we will go to Cancun next summer.

[Mike]

Follow up to my previous post on cancelling our Cancun trip and taking a cruise. We did try calling the passport place last week and could never get a hold of anyone. My wife stayed on hold for 2 hours. I e-mailed them last Thursday May 31 and as of June 6th we have not received a reply. We also contacted our congressman and they said they could not do anything until we were 14 days out and they could not guarantee anything. If we would have expedited in the first place we would have saved some money and a lot of headaches versus having to use the trip insurance to cancel our trip (We applied on Feb 15th). Vacations are supposed to be fun and a way to get out of the stressful environment at work so we we made a decision to not be on the phone 24 seven for the next 14 days trying to get our passports and booked the cruise. I feel for all of you that do not have trip insurance and wish you luck on getting you passports.

[Ben]

Different person, same story - applied on March 13, scheduled to depart on June 15, was told by the Post Office to expect delivery on May 20, still no passport. Have contacted Congresswoman and two Senators. All have been very nice, but it seems like all they are able to do is submit an expedite request. I have been able to get through on the hotline (877-487-2778) right at 6 a.m. EDT for the past three mornings and they have been fairly informative. The gentleman I spoke to this morning said that my application had been expedited and should be sent out FedEx on Friday or Monday. The website, which he told me is updated at 8 a.m and 10 p.m. EDT, will report that it has been completed and shipped (instead of "currently being processed") but I will need to call the hotline to get the actual tracking number. I am cautiously and prayerfully optimistic.

[Bryson]

Same as everyone else- Applied on March 16th for June 9th Honeymoon. Was told by our courthouse not to expedite since it would be no longer than 8 weeks. Started calling the 877 number two weeks out until I started reading this blog and realized the waste of time that was. Monday 6/4 called my congressman Joe Barton's office and received my passport this morning. Trust me, if it is getting down to the wire don't rely on the 877 number to help you. Call your rep and start calling the State Department 202-647-4000 and demand to find out about the status of your passport.

[Barry]

I spoke with my Congressman's office this morning venting my frustration in not being able to secure even an appointment over the phone. They said just go there 3-5 days prior to your trip and get ready to wait on line. The passport office has to accomodate you since you have a flight itinerary in hand with a departure within 5 days.

I'm dealing with the Philadelphia office so if anybody has had an experience there or can offer any tips for that location please let me know.

[Tracy]

Perhaps I am a bit incoherent due to lack of sleep but did the State Department just change their processing times information? I could swear that when I applied May 15, it said that expedited took up to 4 weeks due to increased volume. When I looked at their website it today, the processing time has been decreased to 2-3 weeks. Are they insane? From what I have read on this site they have not reliably been meeting the 4 week time frame for expedited.

[Pat]

Applied March 5 for kid's passport; scheduled to leave on June 10. Agent stated that there was no need to expedite--it would be done in 6-8 weeks, max. We are now into the 14th week--no passport. This is beyond the 8-10 weeks that was on their website when I first checked in April and even the 10-12 weeks they have now.

Called as soon as I could within the 14 day "countdown" period. After all the phone b.s., I finally got through. "No problem--it's almost ready and we'll expedite it for you." Operator repeatedly assured me that there was nothing to worry about. No status change after a few days, so I called again. "Well, it's in the 'middle stages' and the office hasn't responded to a request to expedite." Got one of our senator's offices working on it and that seems to have pushed them to do something. By last Sunday, after another call, I hear, "it just needs one tiny step before being mailed. Call back tomorrow for tracking number" On Monday: "it's ready to be mailed. Call back tomorrow for tracking number." On Tuesday evening: "waiting for the courier to pick it up. There was a quality control problem last Friday with it. It's ready to go." This was the first time any quality control issue (or any reason for delay) had been mentioned. Operator had no explanation for why it hadn't gone out Monday or Tuesday. Could not (or was unwilling) to say whether it would be sent overnight and did not respond when I asked directly whether it would in fact go out today (Wednesday). Senator's office called this morning, admitted that they could not determine how it was being sent or if it was in fact completed. Implication of the aide was that the office (New Orleans) was basically in state of meltdown. Aide suggested that I travel 300+ miles to nearest passport office--since the Passport Office has all of the documentation, how am I supposed to do this, even if I could get time off? It's now too late to get another birth certificate, since my kid was born out-of-state--even the fastest service needs 4 business days.

It seems pretty clear that the modus operandi of the operators is to make soothing noises to get callers off the phone as soon as possible. I have been given different stories every time I have called. I have never gotten through in under 30 minutes (even calling at the second they open in the morning) and sometimes it has taken over an hour.

If they had admitted there was a problem last week, I could (barely) have gotten replacement documents and applied in person this week. The whole performance rises to the level of criminality. It is absolutely unbelievable that they are STILL claiming that people will receive passports in 10-12 weeks. I will probably need to eat $1000 in change/cancellation fees.

[Tony]

Pat,

Don't waste your time with the national hotline. Call straight to the New Orleans center. Use this link to find the numbers:

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/82073.pdf

Area code for New Orleans is 504. Start going down the list and find numbers with this area code and keep calling until someone tells you they will help you. If they ask how you got the number tell the truth. You go it from the State department website.

I tried this approach to get my passport in New Hampshire. After a couple of calls on Monday I reached a nice lady who took my info. Today at 11am she called back and told me the passport was finished and gave me a tracking number. I checked Fed Ex this afternoon and sure enough it is scheduled to arrive tomorrow at 3pm.

YOU STILL HAVE TIME. DO NOT GIVE UP. 14 Weeks is unacceptable. You deserve to get that PP.

Good Luck.