Recent Applicants

Type of Application:
First U.S Adult Passport

Application Date:
2023-03-27

Received Date:
2023-07-07

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
#40-#42 New Orleans Passport Center

Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Type of Application:
First U.S Adult Passport

Application Date:
2023-05-11

Received Date:
2023-05-26

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
I do not know

Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Optional Comments:
Originally picked standard processing. Decided to go on a trip this Summer. Called to have it expedited. It arrived a week later. Total time was only 2 weeks. So I guess that’s the secret lol. My daughters I did expedited may 18th. Took 6 weeks

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Application Date:
2023-04-27

Received Date:
2023-07-07

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
#58 – Philadelphia Passport Agency

Experience:
1 Star – Very Stressful

Optional Comments:
The whole process is very frustrating because there is no update on the website.
The wait time on the phone is more than an hour and when you get someone online, you don’t get any update.
They simply tell you to expedite and pay $60. Even after contacting senator’s, I got the call from passport office and the choice I was given is to expedite. I paid $79.59 after waiting 10 weeks.
My suggestion is to apply four months in advance before travel or apply for expedited service.
The website shows they got application on 5/02.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Application Date:
2023-05-05

Received Date:
2023-07-07

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
I do not know

Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Optional Comments:
This was sent via priority mail but I never received an acknowledgement that it had gotten there. So after two weeks I went to the post office but they said just to wait and keep checking the online status. Then i noticed that my bank account had indeed been charged so I figured they had my application. Finally, the online status was there and showed In Process and having been received only a few days after i had mailed it. So probably just no one signed upon delivery. A week before i received the new passport, my status changed to Not Available. I called to find out what had happened but the woman on the phone had no visibility. So I was in no-man’s land for a while. Fortunately it showed up shortly after that.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Application Date:
2023-05-02

Received Date:
2023-05-24

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
#54 – Minneapolis Passport Agency

Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Application Date:
2023-05-10

Received Date:
2023-07-07

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
I do not know

Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

We have a very small favour to ask………….

We really hope this information is helpful to you and reduces stress whilst you are waiting for you passport. If you are able to make a small donation for the cost of a coffee it really helps us to maintain the site and continue to make improvements for future passport applicants.

Type of Application:
Expedited Service

Application Date:
2023-05-02

Received Date:
2023-07-11

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
#77 – Buffalo Passport Agency

Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Optional Comments:
Date of Travel = 7-15-2023

Applied at local post office on 5-3-2023
Status changed to “IN PROCESS” on 5-9-2023
Called Buffalo Passport Agency direct 7-5-2023. They didn’t like that I had their “unlisted” phone number. – No Help

7-5-2023 called the National Passport Agency 877 number. Waited 1.5hrs. The lady notified 77 that the application was “urgent”

Late 7-5-2023 (after 8PM) status changed to “APPROVED”. Short time later USPS tracking was provided.

67 days total if received by their stated estimated time of delivery, 7-11-2023

Type of Application:
Expedited Service

Application Date:
2023-06-01

Received Date:
2023-07-05

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
#50 – Los Angeles Passport Agency

Experience:
1 Star – Very Stressful

Optional Comments:
Applied for a renewal on June 1 with expedited processing and express shipping. My online status said not available until July 3. I contacted our local representative Young Kim’s Office on on June 26. I’m not sure if this actually helped. I made constant daily phone calls, usually waiting on hold for about 90 minutes trying to get an appointment. About half of the time I was told that the “system was down, call back later”, the other half I was told that “there are no appointments. I truly empathize with those workers on the front lines of this broken system at the State Department. On July 3 within a few hours the status went from ‘Not Available’ to ‘In Process’ to ‘Shipped’ so we will make the travel date of July 9.

Collectively I think we all need to let the current Administration and Congressional representatives know how broken this system is and how unacceptable it is. The pandemic is not really an appropriate excuse, and the workers on the front lines answering phones and working the passport centers need help. We all know it should not be like this.

Thank you to the office of Young Kim for giving us time.

Type of Application:
Expedited Service

Application Date:
2023-04-27

Received Date:
2023-07-05

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
#55 – Dallas Passport Agency

Experience:
1 Star – Very Stressful

Type of Application:
Expedited Service

Application Date:
2023-06-12

Received Date:
2023-07-05

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
#19 – Washington Passport Agency

Experience:
3 Star – Average

Type of Application:
Expedited Service

Application Date:
2023-03-29

Received Date:
2023-07-06

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
#40-#42 New Orleans Passport Center

Experience:
1 Star – Very Stressful

Optional Comments:
I’ve finally received my passport!!! Here is the information I collected on my journey:

3/29: application received

3/30-7/6: processing

6/9: received a letter requesting marriage certificate. Sent back immediately 6/10.

6/26: called approx 14 days from DOT and put a urgent travel flag on my file, was told to call back if I didn’t receive by 6/30. Nervous but the lady seemed reassuring.

6/30: didn’t received so called back and told there was no appointments and I just had to wait and hope it came. I decided this wasn’t good enough so I called my congressman’s office and they gave me some forms to fill out. Sent it back same day and received a response that they started an inquiry for me.

6/30-7/3 called for an appointment nonstop and also called locator 42: New Orleans direct number.

7/3: I got a hold of Mike at customer service. I told him my situation and asked if it might be better to send my old documents back. He said he would ask the supervisor. He called me back saying yes that is fine, but they had to find my file because it must have been pulled to someone’s desk (that means between Friday with the inquiry and Monday, someone got my passport info in hand and the congressional flag was put on it as well). He explained that they were short handed with the holiday and would call me back that night or Wednesday 7/6. Some useful information that he gave me was that every time you flag your file, it goes to the bottom of that particular pile. For example when I flagged my file on 6/26– it went to the urgent travel pile and when I flagged it again with my congressman on 6/30, it went to the congressional pile.

7/5: called Mike back at customer service, he said they found my file and it was on someone’s desk for processing. Promised me he would call me back when they figured out if they were sending old passport back or processing new one. He finally called me back and gave me a tracking number. I was ecstatic! By 6pm, my status changed to shipping.

7/6: received passport by 10:30am.

This by far was one of the most stressful thing I’ve had to endure. I called every day for 8 hours a day for 7 days straight! I waited in the queue when I called 877 and hit the last number directly at 8am EST multiple times.

I called over 500 times to New Orleans. Someone’s 200+ a day to get through. Be persistent. My family came over at 8am to help me call NOLA and it was super helpful and we were able to finally get through.

I think the congressional flag definitely helped get my file to someone’s desk sooner.

Do not give up. Be prepared to drive or fly anywhere for an appointment. Be persistent and call your specific locator if you can and reach out to your congressman.

Thank you everyone in this group for your support, tips and tricks!!! I could not have done it without you!!!!

I’m happy to help anyone and answer any questions. This quite literally sucked. I thought I wasn’t going to make my honeymoon backpacking Europe.

Type of Application:
Expedited Service

Application Date:
2023-06-06

Received Date:
2023-07-06

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
#79 – Houston Passport Agency

Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Type of Application:
Expedited Service

Application Date:
2023-05-30

Received Date:
2023-07-07

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
#15,#20-#29,#45,#68,#69,#71 – National Passport Center

Experience:
3 Star – Average

Type of Application:
Expedited Service

Application Date:
2023-05-26

Received Date:
2023-07-07

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
#40-#42 New Orleans Passport Center

Experience:
3 Star – Average

Optional Comments:
Mailed 5/26. Received by Agency 5/31. Expedited with overnight shipping. Received without any intervention.

Type of Application:
First Child Passport (Under 16)

Application Date:
2023-03-01

Received Date:
2023-07-05

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
#34 – #39 Charleston Passport Agency

Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Optional Comments:
Had to resubmit parental affidavit with in-person (not online) notary

Type of Application:
First Child Passport (Under 16)

Application Date:
2023-04-08

Received Date:
2023-07-17

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
#34 – #39 Charleston Passport Agency

Type of Application:
First Child Passport (Under 16)

Application Date:
2023-03-17

Received Date:
2023-07-06

Application Method:
Paper Application

Passport Agency:
#55 – Dallas Passport Agency

Experience:
1 Star – Very Stressful

Optional Comments:
We had to call daily to get an appointment. We live in Fort Worth and drove to Houston to get our children’s passports. It was over 15 weeks since the Dallas office received them. We had to refile and expedite and spend another $190. It was so stressful but thankful we have them now. DOT 7/10