Passport Application is Under Review at the Regional Passport Office?

That passport application is under review at the regional passport office …. And you wait, and wait some more after having booked a long-awaited trip to Europe.

But your passport application is taking much, much longer than expected. You’re stuck in bureaucratic quicksand, unsure if you’ll get your passport in time.

If this sounds familiar to you or people you know and work with, you’re not alone. Passport delays have frustrated travelers far and wide in recent years. So in a survey by Passport-online.com of more than 1,154 Americans much was learned about what goes wrong and what goes right in the journey made by the U.S. passport application ahead of that important and non-moveable trip.

Passport Application is Under Review at the Regional Passport Office: Key Takeaways

+ The most challenging aspects of getting a passport are waiting for it to arrive (22%), understanding how the whole process works (17%), and gathering necessary documents (14%).

+ Most surveyed Americans (52%) received their passport within 5–11 weeks of submission—yet 7%waited 16 weeks or longer.

+ Over half of survey takers (51%) were unhappy or very unhappy with their application processing times.

+ A majority of respondents (55%) said their application processing times put a major dent in their travel arrangements.

+ Disrupted travel plans led to significant stress (22%), missed work opportunities (17%), and financial losses from non-refundable bookings (13%).

+ The top advice for a quick passport process is to apply well in advance (23%). It’s followed by ensuring your application is error-free (15%) and comprehensive (12%).

Bad Passport Photos

Bad photos are the top reason why passport applications are put on hold, according to the US Department of State.

The data shows that most people flock to places like CVS or Walgreens (17%) to get the shot. It’s a particularly popular option for Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, clocking in at 25% and 22%, respectively.

In contrast, Gen Zers usually gravitate towards mobile apps or online services (25%).

A Majority Received a Passport in Under 11 Weeks

The fact is, currently, when that passport application is under review at the regional passport office the applicant will receive it in less than three months. That may not seem like something to brag about. If you applied for a passport at the start of 2023, the routine processing times stood at 6–9 weeks. But as the calendar pages flipped (and backlogs rose), the wait time first stretched to 8–11 weeks and then to 10–13. Just as summer was in sight applicants were looking at a total of up to 17 weeks.

The good news is that period did not last long. In fact, data shows most Americans who applied for or renewed a passport in the last 24 months didn’t have to wait that long. The majority of those applicants (52%) received the travel document within five and 11 weeks of submission.

It’s likely because they applied before the surge in demand, expedited their application — OR paid for faster delivery and/or return shipping, among others.

For those whose passport application was under review at the regional passport office it was accuracy and completeness of those submitted documents (26%) that has been and remains the highest concern, especially among Gen Zers (33%). On the other hand, Baby Boomers, having possibly gone through the process multiple times marked much less concern.

Passport Application is Under Review at the Regional Passport Office …and Missed Travel

With countless articles, stories, and social media posts voicing the public’s displeasure over passport delays, travelers in this survey weighed in on whether or not they were caught in the fray. Sadly, it was noted that most respondents (55%) were affected by passport delays and said their application processing times put a major dent in their travel arrangements. Significant stress and anxiety resulted even as travel already comes with pressures and myriad uncontrollable circumstances.

Actionable Tips to Expedite a Passport Application

Those who took the survey and weathered the vagaries of concern and successes as their passport applications were under review at the regional passport office offered a handful of tips and confirmations on measures that can mitigate worry and hurry the passport process. Top advice: start the process early (23%). Then the application must be error-free (15%) and comprehensive (12%). If time a concern, consider investing in expedited services offered by the passport office (8%).