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August 2, 2023
State Department Passport Services: Background and Issues
for Congress
Background
many passport agencies and centers offer in-person passport
The U.S. Department of State (State Department, the
services by appointment to those with urgent international
Department) defines a passport as “an internationally
travel needs. Once a passport application is approved,
recognized travel document that verifies the identity and
information is electronically transmitted to a book print
nationality of the bearer.” Congress has vested authority in
facility where the passport is printed. CA maintains two
the State Department to grant, issue, and verify U.S.
such facilities, located in Hot Springs, AR, and Tucson, AZ.
passports. State Department data indicate that the number
After printing, the passport is mailed to the applicant.
of passports it issues on an annual basis has increased
substantially since the mid-1990s. The Department’s
While the aforementioned procedures generally apply to
Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) issued over 5.5 million
U.S. citizens in the United States, U.S. embassies and other
passports in FY1996, and this figure more than doubled by
overseas posts offer passport services to U.S. citizens
FY2006, reaching over 12 million. In FY2022, CA issued a
abroad. Specific procedures vary by post. In most cases,
record 21.9 million passports and expects to exceed this
U.S. citizens must apply for all passport services in person
total in FY2023 (see Figure 1).
at the relevant embassy or consulate. Similar to passport
agencies and centers in the United States, overseas posts
Figure 1. U.S. Passports Issued, FY2019-FY2023
offer appointments to U.S. citizens who require a passport
for immediate international travel.
The 2023 Passport Surge
CA’s published processing times for routine passport
applications increased from 6-9 weeks in January 2023 to
10-13 weeks by March, and have not since decreased.
Processing times for expedited passport applications also
Source: State Department, Bureau of Consular Affairs, “Reports and
increased during this period, from 3-5 weeks to 7-9 weeks.
Statistics,” https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/about-us/reports-
In July 2023, the State Department said it was working to
and-statistics.html.
return processing times to pre-pandemic levels, which were
Notes: The FY2023 figure is an estimate provided by Assistant
(as of December 2019) 6-8 weeks for routine applications
Secretary of State Rena Bitter; U.S. Congress, House Committee on
and 2-3 weeks for expedited applications, by the end of the
Foreign Affairs, Examining the Fiscal Year 24 Bureau of Consular Affairs
calendar year. Several Members of Congress have raised
Budget, hearing, 118th Cong. 1st sess., June 7, 2023.
concerns about longer processing times. In May 2023,
approximately 200 Members transmitted a letter to
Passport Application Adjudication and
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Rena
Processing Steps
Bitter stating that processing delays were affecting
Current State Department regulations require first-time
constituent travel plans and causing an influx of passport-
applicants for a U.S. passport, along with most applicants
related constituent inquiries to congressional offices that
under age 18, to submit their application in person at a
had grown to comprise a “disproportionate percentage” of
passport acceptance facility. There are over 7,400 passport
constituent services caseloads. Additionally, the letter
acceptance facilities across the United States. These sites
called on CA to improve its communications with
include post offices, clerks of court, public libraries, and
congressional offices and constituents regarding passport
other local government offices. In many cases, those
processing challenges and accurate processing timelines.
seeking to renew their passport are eligible to do so by mail.
In March 2023, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while
Department of the Treasury-administered payment
testifying before Congress, attributed increased processing
processing centers (often referred to as “lockbox facilities”
times to “unprecedented demand,” stating that the State
or “lockboxes”) are responsible for opening and sorting
Department was receiving 30%-40% more passport
passport application packages, processing passport
applications weekly than it did in 2022. When Congress
application fees, entering relevant application data into
convened hearings in June 2023 regarding the Department’s
State Department servers, and transmitting application
consular services, Assistant Secretary Bitter noted several
packages to passport agencies and centers for adjudication.
factors she attributed to longer processing times, including
CA currently administers 29 passport agencies and centers
• attrition within CA’s passport adjudication workforce
across the United States. In addition to adjudicating
following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and
applications received from payment processing centers,
continued in-person work requirements;
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State Department Passport Services: Background and Issues for Congress
• pent-up demand for passports among the American
recommendation that it develop a plan to assess what fee
public following the relaxing of COVID-19-related
authority changes were needed to cover consular costs,
international travel restrictions;
arguing that it has existing processes in place to track
•
similar information. Should Congress wish to provide
the fee-funded nature of CA’s passport services, which
additional budgetary support for consular services without
prevented CA from bringing on additional passport
making flexible fee authorities permanent, it may consider
adjudicative staff until application fee revenues began
authorizing CA to use funds appropriated for other
increasing as international travel restrictions receded;
diplomatic programs for consular services, or providing a
• the lengthy process involved with hiring, vetting, and
direct appropriation to meet consular needs.
training new passport adjudicative staff; and
•
Online Passport Renewal. Assistant Secretary Bitter
growth in the percentage of American citizens who
characterized CA’s online passport renewal pilot program
possess a passport—according to Assistant Secretary
that concluded in March 2023 as a successful effort that
Bitter, 46% of U.S. citizens currently hold a U.S.
would help inform the launch of a comprehensive online
passport, an increase from 30% in 2008 and 5% in 1990.
renewal option later in 2023. However, some Members of
Congress expressed concern that technical difficulties
Assistant Secretary Bitter also noted several means CA was
during the pilot caused uncertainty among applicants and
employing to adjudicate passports promptly in the
questioned State Department oversight of the program. As
immediate term, including authorizing between 30,000 and
CA plans to offer a permanent online passport renewal
40,000 overtime hours per month for staff, offering
option, Congress may consider what type of oversight to
extended hours and weekend appointments at passport
conduct of the preparation and what communication to
agencies and centers, and recruiting volunteers (including
require from CA to renewal applicants.
State Department retirees) and assigning Foreign Service
officers to meet workload requirements. According to
Passport Agency Nationwide Footprint. Some Members
Assistant Secretary Bitter, these efforts enabled CA to issue
of Congress have advocated that CA increase the number of
5.4% more passports in the first five months of FY2023
passport agencies nationwide, particularly in what they
than it had over the same period in FY2022.
view as underserved areas in the western United States. For
example, in April 2023 Utah’s congressional delegation
Assistant Secretary Bitter also indicated that the
transmitted a letter to Secretary Blinken requesting that the
Department’s efforts to meet higher passport demand over
State Department open a passport agency in Salt Lake City.
the medium and longer term (in other words, beyond the
The State Department has argued that opening such
scope of the current surge) focused on two lines of effort:
facilities does not constitute the most efficient means to
(1) modernizing consular systems and technology and (2)
improve passport services nationwide, maintaining that
increasing staffing. She noted that CA intended to release
systems modernization (including online passport renewal)
an online passport renewal option before the end of 2023
offers the best pathway toward preserving the affordability
that would initially enable 5 million Americans to renew
of passports and increasing the speed and convenience of
their passports online. CA also increased its number of
passport services for the largest share of U.S. citizens. As
passport specialists from 1,197 in June 2022 to 1,316 in
Congress continues to engage with CA on the best options
June 2023, and intends to bring on more personnel.
to improve consular services, it may consider whether or
Issues for Congress
not to pass legislation requiring the establishment of
additional passport agencies.
As Congress weighs possible means to enable CA to
alleviate the current passport demand surge and improve
Consular Affairs Communication and Outreach. Given
passport processing, it may consider the following issues.
that the 10-13-week passport processing timeline is longer
than that to which many U.S. citizens are accustomed, some
Fee Authorities. U.S. law has generally required CA to
Members of Congress have suggested that the State
either remit many of the consular fees it collects to the
Department implement a public relations initiative to ensure
Treasury or expend them only on specified consular
greater public awareness of current wait times.
functions. However, following the onset of COVID-19, in
Furthermore, some Members have noted that CA does not
March 2020 Congress began providing CA new temporary
always provide clear, up-to-date information to constituents
authorities enabling it to expend these fees on consular
and congressional offices about efficiently navigating
services generally. Assistant Secretary Bitter noted that
passport processing challenges. While CA has noted that it
making these authorities permanent would enable CA to
is prioritizing improvements in this area, Congress may
plan and advance its passport-related IT modernization and
consider strengthening oversight of CA’s public
hiring efforts more effectively. While some Members of
engagement efforts, including through legislation requiring
Congress have supported this proposal, others have
these efforts to meet certain standards or thresholds.
expressed concern with Government Accountability Office
(GAO) findings released in April 2022 indicating that CA
had not comprehensively documented its analysis of
Cory R. Gill, Analyst in Foreign Affairs
potential impacts of its requested fee authority changes.
IF12466
Furthermore, CA has not concurred with a GAO
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State Department Passport Services: Background and Issues for Congress
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