Has anyone here gotten their passport recently; how long did it take? My wife

[AlinPA]

and I sent in for a renewal on March 12 asking for "routine" service and 14 weeks later we don't have them. They are saying "10-12 weeks".

[WritingIsMyReligion]

1. My aunt sent away for a renewal six weeks ago and hasn't heard boo back.

I think it's the whole "MUST HAVE PASSPORT TO GO TO CANADA/MEXICO!1!!11!!" decree that's coming up. People are sending in like mad, and there's a backlog. Dunno, though; it could be something different.

[AllegroRondo]

2. I've heard it may take 5 months or more

Congress is considering pushing back the requirement for passports to enter on land from Canada and Mexico because of the delays.

[AlinPA]

3. I saw the senate grilling the State Dept person responsible; they have stopped that

Mexico - Canada - Islands requirement. The State Dept woman had no idea what was going on. Nelson (D-FL) asked her if her staff should testify instead of her and she thought he was joking.

[TheProphetess]

4. I got my first passport about a year and a half ago

and it took forever to arrive in the mail! They are very slow with the process and I don't think they care much about the wait.

[NewJeffCT]

5. Another government process gone to shit under Bush

It should not take that long - check the State Dept. website to see if there is anything you can do if your passport is overdue.

[huskerlaw]

6. I got mine in March.

It only took about 2 months. However, I read somewhere last weekend (so sorry, don't remember where except that it was an online newspaper) that there's a huge backlog due to the passport requirement for visiting Canada and Mexico. They have agreed to allow travel to those places without the passport until all of the kinks are worked out.

Ok, I felt bad about not having a link, so I went and found one: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11216162

So yes, it's the backlog from the Canada/Mexico requirement!

[grace0418]

7. We sent ours in two weeks ago and got them yesterday. I was shocked!

I mean, we paid extra to have them expedited but I have friends who did the same and it still took 14 weeks or so. I think my husband and I may have sent them in at a good time. Just as we sent them, the problems with passports were ALL OVER the news. My guess is that a bunch of people at the passport office got in trouble right then and all the passport renewals at the top of the giant pile got processed immediately.

Who knows, though. It seems like a total crap shoot. I was fully expecting to be placing panicked phone calls to Sen. Durbin's or Obama's office at the end of September in order to get our passports before our trip in October. It's nice not to have to worry about it.

Good luck AlinPA. I hope you get yours soon! If not, call your senators. My friend had to do that recently because he was going out of the country in less than a week and still didn't have his. He called Obama's office and they helped him out.

:hi:

[Left Is Write]

8. No, but it's on my list of things to do.

Just as I told our copycatting friend moments ago.

[Midlodemocrat]

9. It's taking anywhere from 90-120 days.

There is a terrible backlog. I have to renew my kids' passports; they expire in September.

[UTUSN]

10. Those who have received them: Do they come in regular USPS?

I'm on my 12th week. I was nervous about turning in my birth certificate with the application. So is it by regular mail?

[Coventina]

16. Yes. n/t

[QMPMom]

11. 2 weeks from the time I sent in the application via UPS Overnight.

I paid for expedited service and got the passport last week.

[SKKY]

12. I got mine done in a day at the Embassy in Madrid...

...but I believe you can rush it (for an extra fee of course) and you'll have it in like 2 weeks.

[LostinVA]

13. I got mine in a day at the special passport office in DC

Your Senators are allowed to have a certain number of constituents a day do this at this office. It's the ONLY good thing George Allen ever did for me.

[murielm99]

14. My son applied for his about eight weeks ago,

and he heard nothing. He applied using the expedited process, because he was advised that would work best for him. He is going storm chasing in Canada. He has done that in the past with no problems.

I told him I would ask our chairman to find someone in Durbin's office to help him out. But now they have pushed back the requirement, because of the backlog. All he has to do is prove that he applied for a passport.

This whole thing is so stupid. I see no need for a passport to go to Canada or Mexico. It will probably cause more delays at the borders, and create bad feelings with our neighbors.

Thanks, *. Thanks for making a mess of everything you touch.

[Coventina]

15. I applied Feb 8th. It arrived May 14th.

So yours should be coming soon. Unless they've fallen further behind.

[SarahB]

17. I did one last Fall.

I got it in 3 weeks.

I applied for a new one under my married name last month (because it's free under a new name for up to a year) and they said, "Expect it in October!" It's really backed up right now.

[Godhumor]

18. Border requirements have massively screwed things up

Every time they change rules like this in any of their documentation agencies stuff gets royally messed with. My wife and I ran into massive issues with her employment card (She's a permanent resident) in 2003 after they changed rules about applying for one. In the past you were issued a temp card the day you applied so you could start working. In 203 they changed to you had to apply and wait for the actual card to start looking for employment (technically, even volunteer work is illegal without one, for some reason.). They also made the rules that you could get your temp card if your application was more than 90 days old.

Needless to say, we had to get the temp. card.

[Jimbo S]

19. Aplied early March and got it a couple of weeks ago. eom