Passport Operations During COVID-19
COVID-19 has impacted travel and is also having an effect on United States passport operations.
The world has now been dealing with the fallout of Covid-19 for more than a year. The virus has caused havoc with global supply chains, workplaces, social gatherings, and of course, international travel. As we all learn to cope with the new normal, the State Department has been adjusting its procedures to help safeguard employees from potential exposure to the virus.
Although for a period of time there was an almost complete halt to the processing of passport applications, there was a recent update on February 2nd that now lists all of the agencies and centers as currently processing applications. It lists the wait times for passport operations as taking 10-12 weeks for normal service and 4-6 weeks for expedited service. It is also recommended that if you can apply via mail, to use that route as in person appointments are extremely limited.
The services that can be conducted via mail are:
Renew your U.S. passport
Change your name in a U.S. passport
Correct an error in your U.S. passport
Apply for your first U.S. passport card if you already have a U.S. passport book
Apply for your first U.S. passport book if you already have a U.S. passport card
Replace a limited-validity (valid for less than 10 years) passport
Report a passport lost or stolen (Note: You cannot replace a lost or stolen passport by mail, but you can report it as lost or stolen.)
There are still services available in person, but due to staffing changes due to the virus there are limited appointments available to individuals with immediate travel needs who have a “life or death situation” that requires you to travel internationally within 72 hours. The definition that State is using for this situation is serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family (e.g., parent, child, spouse, sibling, aunt, uncle, etc.) that require you to travel outside the United States within 72 hours (3 days). In order to apply for this exemption, you must provide proof of the life-or-death emergency such as a death certificate, a statement from a mortuary, or a signed letter from a hospital or medical professional. Documents must be in English or translated in English. You are also required to provide proof of international travel (e.g. reservation, ticket, itinerary) specific to the emergency. There are also extremely limited appointments for those who need to travel within 72 hours for a reason other than a life or death situation. You should check with the State Department website as appointments are required in these situations.
If you do decide to submit an application at this time and are required to do so in person (all children under age 16 and first-time applicants) you are still able to utilize post offices, clerk of courts, and libraries if they are open. You can even make an appointment directly on the USPS website. It is important to note that if you have a passport that is valid for 10 years, it is still possible to renew it after it has expired up to five years from the expiration date. The only situation where you would need to renew your passport immediately is if you were traveling internationally, for which most countries require a passport with at least six months until expiration upon entry.
The processing delays have also affected Real ID implementation. Since a passport could be used to fulfill the Real ID requirement, the deadline has been extended to October 1, 2021 to give people more time to either renew their passport or obtain a compliant ID.
Unfortunately, it seems as if this is just another one of the many frustrating parts of adapting to the “new normal” that Covid-19 brought with it. Luckily, it seems as if the State Department is starting to get their operations back to normal while also protecting their employees. Hopefully, this is a sign that things are starting to turn and we can once again get back to life as it was before the virus.