The U.S. Department of State has temporarily closed five passport agencies—Boston, Connecticut, the National Passport Center, New York, and Philadelphia—because of severe winter storms sweeping the Northeast. The closures, announced the morning of February 23, affect in-person appointments for expedited passport services. Applicants are being instructed to reschedule online or via the National Passport Information Center. (travel.state.gov)
While routine mail-in processing continues, the shutdown disrupts same-day or 72-hour issuance that many business travelers and relocating employees rely on for urgent departures. Employers should identify travelers with imminent international trips and explore alternatives, such as rerouting to the Washington DC or Atlanta agencies, which remain open.
![Winter Storm Shuts Five Northeastern Passport Agencies]()
For travelers scrambling to salvage tight itineraries, VisaHQ can help coordinate expedited passport processing through open agencies and provide personalized guidance on required documentation. By starting a request at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/ applicants gain access to real-time status tracking and expert review, minimizing delays while the Northeast offices remain offline.
The incident is a reminder that winter weather can pose a non-political but still material risk to mobility timelines. Companies with headquarters or large talent hubs in the affected corridor should consider maintaining a small inventory of emergency passports or building extra lead time into travel authorizations during peak storm season.
State says it will reopen the facilities “as soon as local conditions allow,” but has not provided a firm timeline. Applicants whose appointments were canceled will receive priority rebooking once operations resume.
While routine mail-in processing continues, the shutdown disrupts same-day or 72-hour issuance that many business travelers and relocating employees rely on for urgent departures. Employers should identify travelers with imminent international trips and explore alternatives, such as rerouting to the Washington DC or Atlanta agencies, which remain open.
For travelers scrambling to salvage tight itineraries, VisaHQ can help coordinate expedited passport processing through open agencies and provide personalized guidance on required documentation. By starting a request at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/ applicants gain access to real-time status tracking and expert review, minimizing delays while the Northeast offices remain offline.
The incident is a reminder that winter weather can pose a non-political but still material risk to mobility timelines. Companies with headquarters or large talent hubs in the affected corridor should consider maintaining a small inventory of emergency passports or building extra lead time into travel authorizations during peak storm season.
State says it will reopen the facilities “as soon as local conditions allow,” but has not provided a firm timeline. Applicants whose appointments were canceled will receive priority rebooking once operations resume.
