U.S. Department of State

Thank you for contacting my office regarding your request for assistance with the U.S. Department of State. If you or another U.S. citizen is experiencing an emergency abroad and need immediate assistance, please call 888-407-4747 (U.S. and Canada) or 202-501-4444 (overseas) – or contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

Obtaining a Passport

The United States Passport Agency is experiencing an unprecedented demand for expedited passport processing and is currently prioritizing inquiries for applicants who have life or death emergencies or scheduled travel within the next two weeks (or within the next four weeks if they need to apply for a foreign visa). The agency has requested that congressional staff limit inquiries for passengers traveling more than two weeks out (or four weeks for visa applicants), in order to reduce the demands on their inbox and to access the most time sensitive requests first.

The agency has updated the guidance on their website on steps applicants can take if they need their passport as soon as possible: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast.html

Congressional Inquiries:

If you have followed all the steps recommended by the Passport Agency and you still need your passport within two weeks of travel (or four weeks for visa applicants), you can submit a privacy release form to allow our office to submit an inquiry to the agency on your behalf. Please review the below instructions before you submit your privacy release form:

All Privacy Release forms MUST include:

The full name, birthdate, and passport application number for the passport applicant/s.
- If you do not know your passport application number, you can find it by looking up your application status online at: https://passportstatus.state.gov/
- If you do not have a pending application, please indicate why in the description box.
- All adult passport applicants must submit a separate form, but if you are inquiring on behalf of a child's application, then a parent or legal guardian must sign the form and include the names, birthdates, and application numbers for each applicant.
The date you submitted the application, and whether you paid for expedited processing or expedited shipping.
- If you did not initially pay for expedited processing or shipping, you want your passport faster and you are still within current processing times for your application, you may be asked to pay the expedite fee. You can do so over the phone by calling 1-877-487-2778
  - If you already paid for expedited processing and shipping, this step is not necessary.
Proof of your date of travel within the next two weeks (four weeks for visa applicants), or of the urgent nature of your request.
- Date of travel proof could include: a pdf or screenshot of your email receipt from the airline, the cruise line, your foreign hotel accommodations, etc.
  - Make sure that the proof you provide includes your name in addition to the date of travel. If you send a screenshot, make sure it does not crop out your name.
- If you do not have travel accommodations booked, additional evidence could include: a doctor's note or death certificate for a relative abroad, a funeral invitation, a letter from your employer detailing the urgent need for work travel, a copy of an invitation to an event abroad, etc.

Note: Please do not submit congressional inquiries through more than one Member of Congress or Senator. Duplicate inquiries increase the processing time for everyone.

Please click here to submit your privacy release.

Obtaining a Visa

If you are requesting assistance obtaining a visa from a U.S. embassy or consulate, please note that our office cannot make an inquiry until after your application has been submitted. If you are experiencing processing delays, our office can check to determine whether expedited processing is possible. There are many cases in which the State Department is required by law to pursue additional processing that cannot be expedited. In those instances, there are no additional steps that our office can take beyond checking on your application status after 30 days or more.

Below, you will find a link to a Privacy Release Form, which will allow my staff to share your request with the State Department. For expedited processing requests, please attach documentation of your need for expedited processing, such as a note from a doctor or evidence demonstrating a financial need to travel.

Please click here to submit your privacy release.