State Department cashed my passport renewal checks - approved?

[squirk]

We renewed (actually, re-applied for) my kids' passports at our local post office last Monday, Nov. 21. The State Department has already cashed our checks.

Does this usually mean that everything looks good on the application and that the passports are just going through the process of being created? Or will they still cash your check even if they find a defect in the application that you will need to remedy?

 

[shoes99]

I mailed my renewal application on 11/18, it was delivered on 11/20 and my check was cashed on 11/21 at the Philadelphia location.
Hope that also means they are processing the renewals. You can also go online and check the status,
When I checked mine, it said "processing".

 

[squirk]

I mailed my renewal application on 11/18, it was delivered on 11/20 and my check was cashed on 11/21 at the Philadelphia location.
Hope that also means they are processing the renewals. You can also go online and check the status,
When I checked mine, it said "processing".

Thanks. Not sure if new apps or renewals take priority over the other, or if it's all just one single queue. The kids' renewals are treated like a whole new application, and a new application fee to boot.

 

[Skittlesmom]

I couldn't find the kids' passport cards, so I had to cancel them and ordered passport books (just under 4 weeks prior to the cruise) via expedited service and they arrived in barely two weeks from the day I ordered them. Make sure your paperwork is in order and it should go smoothly. You can also check the status of passports on the state department website: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/application-status.html . Good luck!

 

[squirk]

I couldn't find the kids' passport cards, so I had to cancel them and ordered passport books (just under 4 weeks prior to the cruise) via expedited service and they arrived in barely two weeks from the day I ordered them. Make sure your paperwork is in order and it should go smoothly. You can also check the status of passports on the state department website: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/application-status.html . Good luck!

Thanks. Yes, I already checked and they are "in processing".

I am in no rush, really. More just curious because I did the passport photos myself. The guy at the post office gave me a spiel five years ago about how our photos were "iffy" and he was not sure they would be accepted (they were). Five years later, the same guy gave me almost the same exact spiel last Monday on the kids' renewal photos.

I am wondering if he gives the same speech to everyone who does not have the photos done at the post office.

 

[eskimoinparadise]

Our renewals arrived about two weeks after the checks were cashed. The photos were taken with a small Canon Sureshot camera by the clerk at the office supply store where we did all of the paperwork. You couldn't have done any worse than he did when you took your kids photos.

 

[squirk]

You couldn't have done any worse than he did when you took your kids photos.

Don't be so sure. I'm quite the idiot.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We renewed (actually, re-applied for) my kids' passports at our local post office last Monday, Nov. 21. The State Department has already cashed our checks.

Does this usually mean that everything looks good on the application and that the passports are just going through the process of being created? Or will they still cash your check even if they find a defect in the application that you will need to remedy?

No. Once you apply, and they start processing, even if they deny, they get to keep the money. So checks are cashed pretty quickly.

Not sure if they just find something that needs to be fixed whether they will still process it on the same payment.

 

[squirk]

No. Once you apply, and they start processing, even if they deny, they get to keep the money. So checks are cashed pretty quickly.

Not sure if they just find something that needs to be fixed whether they will still process it on the same payment.

Drat. I was hoping the guy at the post office was already proven wrong once again for doubting my passport photo-taking skills.

 

[MunFam]

I did DD's passport photo myself when she was one. The photo got rejected a few times. One, she had a bow in her hair. Then because it was not a straight shot, you could not see both ears. I was so irritated.

 

[squirk]

I did DD's passport photo myself when she was one. The photo got rejected a few times. One, she had a bow in her hair. Then because it was not a straight shot, you could not see both ears. I was so irritated.

Did you have to re-apply from scratch? Or did you just have to send them the new photos?

 

[MunFam]

Did you have to re-apply from scratch? Or did you just have to send them the new photos?

We applied in person at the passport office and we had to come back three times. They sent our paperwork back home with us each time until they accepted the photo.

 

[5Texans]

If the photo is wrong you can just send another photo, no additional charge. This happened to my husbands photo. He has very light eyes and there was a microscopic amount of red eye (professional photog that does passports all the time).

 

[Birdie dog]

I recently sent in an application for DH and I to renew. Our check was cashed and my photo wasn't approved. I had to have a new picture back in a certain number of days so that I didn't lose my money. They kept the rest of my application. I took the letter back to where the photo was done, they did a second one for no charge and that photo was approved shortly after.

 

[Capt_BJ]

sign up for the e-mail status notifications

IME they are much more timely than the on line status check.

when we had our renewed passports in hand, on line status said 'processing'

we'd gotten an e-mail saying "mailed"

 

[Sepo]

For what it's worth, there is also passport photo software that is relatively cheap to download and facilitates an approvable photo. I realize most people know this but posting just in case.

 

[keishashadow]

Needed to renew our passports, my printer was broken, stopped @ nearby post office for forms on two days ago. They have the full passport services. The clerk had time to take our photos, so I figured why not do it one stop vs going to AAA for the pictures & I had everything with me.

She referenced it's a slow time, most are receiving their renewals within 2 weeks (yea!). Said a big uptick after holidays. Did suggest priority mail. I had booked a last minute cruise leaving in a month and didn't really expect to have it back in time but my passport's expiry is in June, figured do it now and forget it.

As clerk handed us receipts, she referenced the set of duplicate photos. I ask why the duplicates and she said handy if something comes back in error on the passport, different from our application, such as name, address, birthdate. Then, we could use the 2nd set of pics with the corrected submission She laughed and said it happens now & again...um, ok, I guess lol.

She also said that rarely her pictures are rejected (surprised to hear that) and that we should just stop back for a re-take.

 

[awinangie]

We had our passport photos at the end of September and noticed that one of my eyes wasn't opening properly. That started a saga that just today resulted in a "No cancer!" result (Hallelujah!).

The reason I mention it is because by the time we got the applications turned in during the second week of November, the rules had changed and photos are now NOT supposed to include glasses. They didn't mention my daughter's glasses, but they didn't think my photo would be accepted. I wrote a note explaining the situation, that since the photo had been taken my eye had swollen completely closed and the photo is a much more accurate representation of me than what I could provide now.

They may have been more flexible with the rule since it was new, but it worked. I received my new passport within 2 weeks. My daughter's came a week later.

Best of passport luck to all!!

 

[bumbershoot]

As clerk handed us receipts, she referenced the set of duplicate photos. I ask why the duplicates and she said handy if something comes back in error on the passport, different from our application, such as name, address, birthdate. Then, we could use the 2nd set of pics with the corrected submission She laughed and said it happens now & again...um, ok, I guess lol.

I think it's just a leftover from when we needed to send two copies in.

We had our passport photos at the end of September and noticed that one of my eyes wasn't opening properly. That started a saga that just today resulted in a "No cancer!" result (Hallelujah!).

Holy moly! I'm so glad you don't have cancer. What a way to find out you are having a problem, though.

 

[seigyoku]

I had to do an expedited renewal earlier this year, and even followed the recommend "fedex it to us" route. The new passport arrived before the check was cashed. I was in serious (but happy!) shock. And more importantly made my trip!