> For some unknown number of weeks I will be in limbo, unable to legally leave the country, at the whims of the mail and some unknown bureaucrat who may or may

> For some unknown number of weeks I will be in limbo, unable to legally leave the country, at the whims of the mail and some unknown bureaucrat who may or may not decide to grant my renewal or decide that the photo I've submitted is not quite the right size or whatever. Agreed that the system sucks and is generally antiquated. That being said, if you travel frequently and need to avoid that limbo state, you may be able to maintain a second US passport: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/second-passport-book.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-pa...