State Dept. Faces Backlog in ‘Phase One’ Reopening of U.S. Passport Operations

The Department of State (DOS) reportedly faces a backlog of approximately 1.7 million applications as it begins opening passport agencies and centers under Phase One of its reopening plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A spokesperson said that was a “slight increase” over the usual monthly amount, and that capacity to handle the backlog is growing.

Passport centers that have reopened recently include Arkansas; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston, Massachusetts; Buffalo, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Colorado; Connecticut; Dallas, Texas; Detroit, Michigan; El Paso, Texas; Honolulu, Hawaii; Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; Minneapolis, Minnesota; National Passport Center (Portsmouth, New Hampshire); New Orleans, Louisiana; New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; San Diego, California; San Francisco, California; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Seattle, Washington; Vermont; Washington; Western Passport Center; and Special Issuance Agency (Washington, DC).

Related Links:

• DOS announcement on reopening of passport operations, which includes details on COVID-19-related restrictions
• State Dept. Reopens 11 Passport Services Sites, Confronts Million-Case Backlog