Need a passport? Don’t hold your breath

As international travel restrictions slowly start to be lifted in the weeks ahead and airlines gradually schedule more overseas flights, there’s still one thing that could stop many U.S. travelers from going abroad again: The lack of a passport.

While most U.S. Government offices are still working during the pandemic, passport-processing operations at the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs have come to a virtual halt in recent weeks, and anyone hoping to get their new or renewed passport for a trip later this year might be disappointed.