You sent in your passport application months ago and thought that your physical passport would be here by now, but it’s not. What gives? Trust us when we say that you’re not alone in this situation. Countless people across the country are finding themselves in the same boat and, unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is to be patient. It’s probably not the answer you’re wanting to hear, but it is the best answer we can give.
Why Do I Need to Wait?
Due to Covid-19, the U.S. Passport Agency shut down in March and stopped all passport operations (other than passports for life-or-death situations). The Agency re-opened in June, but it is going through a 3 Phase process (learn more about the process here). As of early July, we are still in Phase One.
If your passport hasn’t arrived yet and you’re looking for some clarity, here’s some information on the current status of passport operations:
I Applied For a Passport Months Ago. Why Hasn’t it Arrived Yet?
Due to the uncertainty of COVID-19, all U.S. Passport Agencies had to shut down their operations back in March, except for passports needed for a life-or-death emergency. If your passport doesn’t qualify as a life-or-death emergency, your passport was put “on hold”. The U.S. Passport Agency has said delays may last months for passport application processing.
Can I Expedite My Passport Right Now?
Unfortunately, all expedited passport services were suspended as of March 19, 2020. Expedited services may return during Phase 3 of re-opening.
When Will Passport Operations Return to Normal?
As of July 6, 12 U.S. Passport Agencies are in phase one of the three-phase reopening plan while 4 U.S. Passport Agencies are in phase two.
In phase one, appointments are limited to people who need to travel internationally within the next 72 hours due to a life-or-death emergency. In phase two, most staff will begin returning to the agency and the processing of previously received applications will resume.
There’s not a set date of when all passport operations will return to normal, but you can stay updated by continuing to check the travel.state.gov website.
When Can I Expect My Passport to Arrive?
As passport agencies are only just starting to reopen (and only for people with a life-or-death emergency), it’s not certain when normal passport operations will resume. Due to this fact, it could be months until your passport is processed and sent to you. Unfortunately, there’s no set date on when you (or anyone for that matter) will receive a passport.
How Can I Check the Status of my Passport?
You can check the status of your passport application by going to the U.S. Passport Application Status website.
At Swift, we are patiently waiting for passport operations to resume once again. We will do everything we can to share information as it becomes available to us. For the most recent updates, you can check the travel.state.gov website.
