Renew Passport Online

Renew Passport Online

United States Passport

According to the State Department's website, the current turnaround time for a standard passport renewal can take up to 11 weeks at this time. An expedited renewal application can take up to seven weeks if you pay an additional $60. When it comes to passport renewals, things are moving much more quickly than they were last summer, when travelers were forced to wait up to 18 weeks to renew their passports. However, the process is still significantly longer than it was prior to the pandemic when standard service took six to eight weeks and expedited service could take as little as two weeks.

The good news is that within the next few months, the turnaround time for passport applications should be significantly shortened.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order, Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government, today in the Oval Office. The order promises to bring key government agencies into the digital age and reduce red tape for a wide range of services, including passport renewals, while also increasing transparency.

USA.gov, the official website for federal government services, is being redesigned to serve as a centralized one-stop-shop and "digital federal front door," allowing users to more easily access the most frequently requested government services and programs. It affects 35 "high-impact service providers" across 17 federal agencies, making it easier to access social security benefits, file taxes, and pass through airport security.

"Americans will be able to renew their passports securely online," says a White House "fact sheet" on the executive order that was distributed prior to its signing. "This will save time by eliminating the need to wait, as well as the effort and cost associated with printing, going to the post office, and using a paper check," the fact sheet states. "

The executive order reads, “Every interaction between the federal government and the public, whether it involves renewing a passport or calling for a status update on a farm loan application, should be seen as an opportunity for the government to save an individual’s time (and thus reduce “time taxes”) and to deliver the level of service that the public expects and deserves."

passport

 

One obvious advantage of renewing your passport online is that you will avoid having to deal with the United States Postal Service, whose controversial new service changes went into effect in October and have the potential to slow down as much as 30% of first-class mail. The United States Postal Service's new 10-year plan is also expected to result in shorter operating hours at post offices and higher postage prices.

According to data from the State Department, more than 15.4 million passports have been issued to citizens of the United States so far in 2021. At this time, renewing a passport in the United States can only be done in person or by mail.

However, beginning this month, a limited number of Americans will be able to renew their passports online; however, according to Biden advisor Neera Tanden, the number of people who can do so will increase dramatically in the coming months.

Specifically, the executive order states that "government must be held accountable for designing and delivering services with a focus on the actual experience of the people whom it is meant to serve" and that "government must be held accountable for failing to do so." The President stated, "We must use technology to modernize government and implement services that are simple to use and accessible to all people in the United States," as well as equitable, protective, transparent, and responsive.

 

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