The U.S. Department of State issued an unusual nationwide alert on 26 January announcing the one-day closure of eleven domestic passport agencies—from Boston to Houston—because of life-threatening winter weather. Impacted facilities include high-volume centers in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., where same-day or 72-hour passports are normally processed for urgent business and humanitarian travel.(travel.state.gov)
Customers with appointments were told to reschedule via the online system or the National Passport Information Center, but many reported wait-times exceeding two hours. The shutdown coincided with peak demand from travelers preparing for Chinese New Year and Carnival trips, creating a backlog just as processing times had finally normalized to six-eight weeks after pandemic-era delays.
![State Department Shutters 11 U.S. Passport Agencies as Storm Hits]()
For travelers scrambling to adjust, VisaHQ can serve as a one-stop resource for updated processing timelines and alternative expediting options. Its portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) tracks real-time government closures, offers application reviews, and can secure visas for hundreds of destinations, helping individuals and companies navigate sudden disruptions like these agency shutdowns.
Mobility advisers warn that corporate travelers who rely on emergency passports—for example, employees who must transit third-country consulates to obtain work visas—could face cascading delays. “If you lose even two days on the front end you may miss hard-to-get visa slots abroad,” noted Rebecca Torres, global-mobility lead at TechCore. Employers are being advised to build extra buffer time into assignment schedules this quarter.
The Department of State said it expected to reopen all facilities on 27 January but cautioned that additional weather closures are possible. Applicants with life-or-death travel needs can still request limited validity emergency passports at select centers, though availability remains extremely limited.
Customers with appointments were told to reschedule via the online system or the National Passport Information Center, but many reported wait-times exceeding two hours. The shutdown coincided with peak demand from travelers preparing for Chinese New Year and Carnival trips, creating a backlog just as processing times had finally normalized to six-eight weeks after pandemic-era delays.
For travelers scrambling to adjust, VisaHQ can serve as a one-stop resource for updated processing timelines and alternative expediting options. Its portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) tracks real-time government closures, offers application reviews, and can secure visas for hundreds of destinations, helping individuals and companies navigate sudden disruptions like these agency shutdowns.
Mobility advisers warn that corporate travelers who rely on emergency passports—for example, employees who must transit third-country consulates to obtain work visas—could face cascading delays. “If you lose even two days on the front end you may miss hard-to-get visa slots abroad,” noted Rebecca Torres, global-mobility lead at TechCore. Employers are being advised to build extra buffer time into assignment schedules this quarter.
The Department of State said it expected to reopen all facilities on 27 January but cautioned that additional weather closures are possible. Applicants with life-or-death travel needs can still request limited validity emergency passports at select centers, though availability remains extremely limited.
