The new headquarters of the Immigration Department in Tseung Kwan O will officially start its service on the 11th of next month. The new headquarters will provide 29 counters for handling document applications, as well as 44 “Personal Document Application Service Stations” and 10 “Personal Document Collection Service Stations” for citizens to apply for identity cards and SAR passports in a completely self-service manner. Additionally, the new headquarters will also offer marriage and birth registration services, featuring a wedding hall for couples to solemnize their marriage. Surrounding the wedding hall, there will be a heart-shaped flower garden and a wedding garden where newlyweds and their loved ones can capture memorable moments.
The immigration headquarters, situated in Tseung Kwan O, will officially commence operations on the 11th of next month. Covering an area of approximately 17,000 square meters, the headquarters consists of two buildings of 18 stories in total. The administrative and enforcement buildings are divided in such a way that the former primarily houses administrative offices, public service centers, and staff facilities, offering services like document processing as well as marriage and birth registration; while the latter accommodates enforcement and deportation office spaces.
The Immigration Department stated that the current “Immigration Tower” in Wan Chai has been in service for over 30 years, and with the department’s expansion, the existing space is no longer adequate. Coupled with the government’s decision to gradually relocate offices from three government buildings by the waterfront in Wan Chai to other areas to free up land for developing conference and exhibition facilities, the decision to re-establish the headquarters in Tseung Kwan O was made.
Regarding the transition arrangements, the Immigration Department mentioned that the Personnel Registration Office on the 8th floor of the “Immigration Tower” will continue to provide services at the original location to facilitate citizens in applying for identity cards and processing relevant applications. As for obtaining travel documents, citizens can continue using the Travel Document Issuing Office in the Central and Western District located in the Central Government Offices for relevant services.
However, in line with the headquarters relocation, the collection office on the 2nd floor of the “Immigration Tower” in Wan Chai will cease accepting documents from 12:00 noon on June 8th, while the drop box on the 1st floor will be removed starting from 5:00 pm on June 11th. From June 11th onwards, citizens can drop off documents at the collection office and drop box in the lobby of the administrative building of the Immigration Department headquarters in Tseung Kwan O.
The new headquarters will offer marriage and birth registration services, featuring a wedding hall for couples to tie the knot. The hall can accommodate approximately 80 guests and will officially open on June 26th, with applications being accepted since March. Each day, 23 couples can officially tie the knot, with each solemnization session lasting 15 minutes, and citizens are advised to make reservations around 15 days in advance. In addition to the wedding hall, there will be a heart-shaped flower garden and a wedding garden, which features a 3D-printed metal sculpture of a veil for newlyweds to capture special moments.