Passports

[OrlandoDisneyFan]

The Bureau of Consular Affairs, who issue passports, is funded by applicant's fees rather than appropriated funds, so they are immune to this government shutdown nonsense. However, some State Department passport offices are located in federal buildings that may have to shut down (probably if the building has no essential employees located there, the doors will be locked <---last part is my speculation)

They electronically submitted a check for my wife's renewal a couple hours ago (Tuesday, the first day of the 'shutdown'), so I'm guessing someone is at work in the Philadelphia office today. (I mailed it to them Wednesday, they signed for it Friday, so they are still moving pretty quick, it seems).

 

[Kendal]

Wait a minute, this can't be right. According to an earlier post, Fox News reported that passports won't be processed during the shutdown.

do the previous posted explain what I had wrote??

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[neg58]

I had originally read that passports would still be processed because it is an area where the fees support the activities, but now have read several times that it is an area that will be limited if the govt shutdown is lengthy. They will still process some passports, but probably not for people going on a cruise (diplomats, emergency, govt officials, etc, are being processed).

Nancy - a non-essential worker but at an agency that is still working (we're self supporting)

 

[bumbershoot]

What if you're waiting on a passport?
If you're waiting on a passport, how long that wait will last depends on where the passport agency is located. Passport services, because they are funded by other revenue, are generally unaffected by a government shutdown, according to a U.S. Department of State spokesperson. There's just one possible catch: If the passport office is located within a government building that has been shut down, passport approvals may be affected. Bottom line: Check with your passport office Monday before close of business.

If you need a visa
Because consular services at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world are largely funded by application fees, not annual appropriations, visa applications filed by foreigners wanting to enter the United States will continue to be processed, according to the state department spokesperson.

And that's from Fox News.

I think the passport offices they talk about are the ones where you might drop off the passport. Not where the people who process them work. So if I have to go to a courthouse to do my forms and pictures, that could be a problem. But if I have other options it won't.

Shutdowns. Ugh. I was living with mom and stepdad end of '95 through '96 during one and it was so silly. Stepdad was way higher at the agency here they worked and he got a vacation. Mom was way lower at the agency and she was deemed essential. And stepdad ended up getting paid in full anyway so what on earth is the point?


From the State Department website:

In the event of a lapse in appropriations, the Department of State will continue passport and visa operations as well as provide critical services to U.S. citizens overseas.
Processing time for passport applications remain at four weeks or less for routine service and two weeks door-to-door for expedited service.
Customers planning to travel within two weeks or requiring passports to obtain foreign visas should make an appointment at the nearest passport agency.
Please check back for updates to the situation.

 

[neg58]

The Bureau of Consular Affairs, who issue passports, is funded by applicant's fees rather than appropriated funds, so they are immune to this government shutdown nonsense. However, some State Department passport offices are located in federal buildings that may have to shut down (probably if the building has no essential employees located there, the doors will be locked <---last part is my speculation)

They electronically submitted a check for my wife's renewal a couple hours ago (Tuesday, the first day of the 'shutdown'), so I'm guessing someone is at work in the Philadelphia office today. (I mailed it to them Wednesday, they signed for it Friday, so they are still moving pretty quick, it seems).

Immune is probably too strong of a word. The check may have been processed several days ago and just electronically hit today.

In the 1996 shutdown, more than 200,000 passport applications were delayed.

The processing center won't be shutdown because that is either the county clerk or the US post office, or a private vendor, none of which are federal budget entities (post office is self funded).

Nancy

 

[kjackson83]

My DH took our own. Printed them out at Target for 20 cents each and cut them to size. He's 'sort of' professional as far as photography goes. He used a DSLR & followed the instructions to a T from the website. We had no issues.

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Same here! I took the pictures using my Nikon D3200 while following the website's instructions and all of ours were accepted (5 of us) We used a white door as our background and had no issues thankfully. Saved us quite a bit and I am no professional by any means