Americans face months-long wait for passports as State Department deals with massive backlog
CNN
American travelers who do not currently have valid US passports may not be able to travel overseas this summer due to extensive wait times as the State Department deals with a backlog of more than a million applications caused largely by the coronavirus pandemic, a department official said Wednesday.
"Currently, our wait time for both new and renewal routine passport applications can be up to 18 weeks, and that includes our processing time, the initial internal intake of the applications, and mailing," Deputy Assistant Secretary for Passport Services Rachel Arndt told reporters on a call. She said wait times for expedited passports -- which cost a $60 fee -- are up to 12 weeks. "This means people who submit new passport applications right now will not get their new passport until well into the fall," she said, noting that "last-minute passport appointments are extremely limited."
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