Passport Question

[cruising sister]

My sons passport took 5 months and always showed in process. The status never changed. In hindsight he should have paid for expedited with 2 day return. He almost gave up. 

[Softail1340]

Was it an online application?

[hawk/hornfan]

We renewed our passports in Feb. at a local post office. They said 6-9 week turnover. It is now 8 weeks. 
We don't cruise to Oct/, so I think we are ok????

[Essiesmom]

I renewed online, late on Jan. 13.  By the next day the status was ‘received’.  It stayed there until I finally decided to upgrade to expedite on Feb. 25, late Saturday evening.  I did not pay for expedited shipping.  On Monday 2/27 it went to in process, Tuesday 2/28 it said mailed, and it arrived from New Hampshire on March 1, just as I was leaving for my cruise the next day.  EM

[Harley167]

11 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

I renewed online, late on Jan. 13.  By the next day the status was ‘received’.  It stayed there until I finally decided to upgrade to expedite on Feb. 25, late Saturday evening.  I did not pay for expedited shipping.  On Monday 2/27 it went to in process, Tuesday 2/28 it said mailed, and it arrived from New Hampshire on March 1, just as I was leaving for my cruise the next day.  EM

Wow ! I will have them try That ! Thank you !

[taba]

I renewed passports for DW and myself on 17 March. I used USPS  priority mail and expedited service. Both passports were listed processing by 20 March. On 16 April my passport status changed to approved. DW's passport status was processing. On 18 April, I received my passport. DW's passport status is still listed as processing. We leave on our trip at the end of June.

[saltycat]

20 hours ago, Softail1340 said:

Did your status change to process quick

The check was cashed before the status changed 🤣. I think it was about 6 days before it changed to processing.

[Softail1340]

I did the same USPS priority mail and expedited service. Mine was received on 4-1 check cashed 4-5 and still shows not available in the system. I don’t know what to do. I wrote down travel beginning 8-16

[Mum2Mercury]

On 4/18/2023 at 5:03 PM, Smileyatsea said:

... It really just depends on what passport office processes it.  Your renewal can go to any of them once you mail it in and the one that processes it may not be the one where it is printed ... 

What I think happens:  They bring in a bunch of envelopes and throw them in a pile. If yours happens to be at the top, you get quick service.  If you're unlucky enough to land on the bottom, slow service. 

On 4/18/2023 at 5:36 PM, pilot said:

... When I checked my status on the site it stated "in Process".

 

April 12 the status changed to "Printed".

 

April 13 the status changed to "Shipped" ... 

Even when my passport was in the mailbox, it still said "In Progress" online.  I don't know if this is typical. 

[Nebr.cruiser]

My sister sent in a renewal (expedited) in Dec.  In early April she got notice that it was processed.   As far as I know she hasn't received it yet.  

[taba]

On 4/19/2023 at 1:29 PM, taba said:

I renewed passports for DW and myself on 17 March. I used USPS  priority mail and expedited service. Both passports were listed processing by 20 March. On 16 April my passport status changed to approved. DW's passport status was processing. On 18 April, I received my passport. DW's passport status is still listed as processing. We leave on our trip at the end of June.

Mystery solved. DE received a letter via email from the passport processing center that said her photo was rejected because she was wearing glasses. The requirement changed on 1 November 2017. One the rare occasion that she was wearing glasses instead of contact lenses, she had her passport photo taken at a pharmacy. 

 

She had a new photo taken on Thursday without glasses and we express mailed the photo and letter to the passport office. It was received on Friday.

 

I hope this didn't restart the clock. We are now nine weeks away from our trip.

[Harley167]

Wow! Good luck ! Hope it comes soon!

[taba]

10 hours ago, taba said:

Mystery solved. DE received a letter via email from the passport processing center that said her photo was rejected because she was wearing glasses. The requirement changed on 1 November 2017. One the rare occasion that she was wearing glasses instead of contact lenses, she had her passport photo taken at a pharmacy. 

 

She had a new photo taken on Thursday without glasses and we express mailed the photo and letter to the passport office. It was received on Friday.

 

I hope this didn't restart the clock. We are now nine weeks away from our trip.

The the status of DW's passport has never changed from processing even though it was on hold because of the rejected photo.

 

 

[Softail1340]

4 minutes ago, taba said:

The the status of DW's passport has never changed from processing even though it was on hold because of the rejected photo.

 

 

That’s terrible I can’t believe the pharmacy person didn’t know the rules. I took my glasses off myself before the photo person had a chance to either tell me or not if they didn’t know. Hope it all goes well and fast at this point 

[taba]

17 hours ago, Softail1340 said:

That’s terrible I can’t believe the pharmacy person didn’t know the rules. I took my glasses off myself before the photo person had a chance to either tell me or not if they didn’t know. Hope it all goes well and fast at this point 

I hope so too. I don't think she would feel like she is almost there just from reading my "Live from" posts on Cruise Critic. 

[theloo]

On 4/18/2023 at 2:36 PM, pilot said:

I did an online application on January 31.  I did not pay for expedited service. I received an email the same day stating routine applications were 6-9 weeks.

 

On February 6 I received another email stating that my application was being reviewed.  This email said processing is now 8-11 weeks.

 

When I checked my status on the site it stated "in Process".

 

April 12 the status changed to "Printed".

 

April 13 the status changed to "Shipped".

 

I received the passport in the mail April 14

 

Total time 10 weeks and 3 days for normal service.

Do you have to check the status frequently?  I signed up for email notification, but haven't received any.  I wonder if it is working and whether I need to start checking weekly.  Last time I checked, it said "in process."  

 

BTW, my situation is a little different.  I applied for new passports for my children, non-expedited.  At the time, I hadn't booked a vacation, so there was no hurry.  Expected delivery was 8-13 weeks. 
We just booked a cruise, which will start at 17 weeks from when they received the application.  I'm worried that if it's delayed, I won't have time to "apply" for expedited delivery.  

[Softail1340]

I never got an email and most people say they never got one. I’d keep checking daily. I did expedited mail in for a renewal and got mine today. 24 days total from when I mailed it to receive it today. Way quicker than I expected as they were saying 7-9 weeks 

[UGACamper]

We have not received any emails. We received our supporting documents today but still no passport. 

[Softail1340]

11 minutes ago, UGACamper said:

We have not received any emails. We received our supporting documents today but still no passport. 

You mean like your old passport and other papers? If so those should h Az be come afterwards. I got my passport today but don’t expect the other documents for a few weeks or more. What does online status show? 

[UGACamper]

2 hours ago, Softail1340 said:

You mean like your old passport and other papers? If so those should h Az be come afterwards. I got my passport today but don’t expect the other documents for a few weeks or more. What does online status show? 

Yes old passport came back today. Online status says approved. 

[Softail1340]

3 minutes ago, UGACamper said:

Yes old passport came back today. Online status says approved. 

I’d be calling because that’s not the way it works. Have never heard of someone getting old passport and documents back before the new one. To me it raises a red flag. 

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, Softail1340 said:

I’d be calling because that’s not the way it works. Have never heard of someone getting old passport and documents back before the new one. To me it raises a red flag. 

I did and my passport showed up a few days later (2015)

[Elaine5715]

4 hours ago, theloo said:

Do you have to check the status frequently?  I signed up for email notification, but haven't received any.  I wonder if it is working and whether I need to start checking weekly.  Last time I checked, it said "in process."  

 

BTW, my situation is a little different.  I applied for new passports for my children, non-expedited.  At the time, I hadn't booked a vacation, so there was no hurry.  Expected delivery was 8-13 weeks. 
We just booked a cruise, which will start at 17 weeks from when they received the application.  I'm worried that if it's delayed, I won't have time to "apply" for expedited delivery.  

I checked on my partner's daily when he was renewing.  His "in Process" was so long, I bugged him to call and found out that the Post Office had given him the wrong renewal form.  I don't think they would have ever contacted him.  

[pilot]

4 hours ago, theloo said:

Do you have to check the status frequently?  I signed up for email notification, but haven't received any.  I wonder if it is working and whether I need to start checking weekly.  Last time I checked, it said "in process."  

 

BTW, my situation is a little different.  I applied for new passports for my children, non-expedited.  At the time, I hadn't booked a vacation, so there was no hurry.  Expected delivery was 8-13 weeks. 
We just booked a cruise, which will start at 17 weeks from when they received the application.  I'm worried that if it's delayed, I won't have time to "apply" for expedited delivery.  

I checked the status every couple of days.  I only got 3 emails from them…they received my application, they were processing my application, and they shipped my passport. 

[Softail1340]

Just now, pilot said:

I checked the status every couple of days.  I only got 3 emails from them…they received my application, they were processing my application, and they shipped my passport. 

I never got one email from them.