U.S. Passport Agencies Prioritizing Passports for Life-or-Death Emergencies: All other passport services are either on hold or subject to “significant delays.”
Here is some news on obtaining passports.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. State Department announced on April 3 that it is focusing in-person passport services on those who need a passport for a life-or-death emergency for immediate international travel within 72 hours.
“While you can still apply in person for a U.S. passport at some acceptance facilities and renew through the mail, you should expect significant delays receiving your passport and your citizenship evidence documents,” the State Department said in an April 3 statement.
A list of the facilities still handling regular passport issuance was not provided. One possibility is to contact the National Passport Information Center to find out what services each individual facility is offering.
The State Department is asking applicants to consider waiting to apply for passports other than those needed for life-or-death emergencies until passport agencies resume normal operations.
All other expedited passport processing services are not currently available. This new policy went into effect on March 20, 2020.
Life-or-death emergencies include serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family—i.e., a parent, child, spouse, sibling, aunt or uncle. The situation must require you to travel outside the United States in three days time.
KJ