The U.S. Department of State released an update that passport services will restart in phases. Locations will have different restart dates, depending on local conditions. Operations will resume in accordance with public health date for that region and with local government response measures. The Department is encouraging those who are able to wait to renew applications, to wait, as delays will continue. The State Department reopened 11 passport agencies this week, across the United States, in the hopes of processing about 200,000 applications each week, going back to February.
- Phase One will have limited staff returning to work with a focus on life or death emergencies processed first.
- Phase Two will have most of the staff returning to work and applications will be processed on a first in, first out basis, starting with the oldest applications.
- Phase Three will bring back the rest of the staff and they will continue to work on applications on a first in, first out basis, though it will start offering expedited processing during this phase.
The Department is committed to working as hard as they can to process applications as quickly as possible, but there will be considerable delays with the backlog of applications. Please allow at least 12 to 16 weeks in order to renew your passport at this time.
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