Singapore Government Press Release

Media Division, Ministry of Information and The Arts

36th Storey, PSA Building, 460 Alexandra Road, Singapore 119963.

Tel: 3757794/5

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The Immigration Department was set up to enforce the Aliens Ordinance in January 1933, to control the flood of immigrants in the late 1920s. Many things have changed in the intervening 65 years. The department is now much larger and handles a wider and more complex range of responsibilities.

Today the department, known as Singapore Immigration (SI), continues to enforce the immigration laws but with a strategic perspective. In addition to regulating individuals entering and travelling out of Singapore, SI also facilitates assimilation of foreign talents. It serves citizens, permanent residents (PRs) and foreigners. Besides the Head Office in this building, SI manages 9 other checkpoints situated around the island. The newly opened Tuas Checkpoint and the launch of its Immigration Auto Clearance System (IACS) at the Changi Airport were recent achievements which exemplify SI’s use of advanced information technology and commitment to service excellence.

The National Registration Department or NRD, which comprises four operational sections, namely the National Registration Office, the Registry of Births and Deaths, the Registry of Citizens, and the Registry of Societies, has similarly evolved over the years. NRD is responsible for official individual and group identification and processes citizenship applications. Its nation-wide credit-card sized IC conversion exercise, completed in October 1994, is the authoritative identity document for citizens and PRs.

SI regulates the entry of individuals in and out of Singapore while NRD ensures proper identification of individuals residing in Singapore. Clearly, immigration and registration matters are components of a complete process for citizens and PRs. Services offered by both departments are inter-related. The Registry of Citizens grants citizenship but new citizens apply for passports at SI. SI grants PR status but successful applicants apply for blue identity cards at NRO. With the two departments now housed under one roof, it does not make sense to require the public to make separate stops at SI and NRD counters. Integrating related services offered by SI and NRD will benefit customers as they can then be served at one location. Seamless integration and sharing of data and resources will also allow both departments to reap significant synergies and improve their service quality. There will also be significant savings in manpower and other operating costs. I am therefore very pleased to announce that from 1 April 98, SI and NRD will merge to form one organisation called Singapore Immigration and Registration, or SIR.

SIR will not only reap significant economies in administration, but the element of Quality Service in Public Service 21 will become evident. Services of both departments will be re-organised into 3 sections according to the type of customers, namely Citizens, Permanent Residents, and Visitors. Each will have its own services centres. This move revamps the overall service delivery system, enabling SIR to better respond to customer needs. Since the building was planned with this merger in mind, there will be no problem implementing the new operational structure. Work processes will be streamlined to reflect the "holistic" approach to service.

SIR will begin the change with the Citizen Services Centre. From 1 April this year, the "Citizen Services Centre" will process applications for both passports and citizenship. New citizens will benefit from one-stop collection of their citizenship certificates, pink identity cards, and passports when they participate in the Citizenship Ceremony. There will also be counters at the 3^rd storey to process IC replacements and passports together for Singapore citizens.

From 1 Apr 98, first time citizen registrants can collect their identity cards within a day. This is a great improvement from the current waiting time of 7 working days.

The Singapore blue IC and the Re-Entry Permit will soon be combined. The expiry date of the REP will be incorporated into the blue IC. Singapore PRs will, by the end of this year, no longer be required to apply for a REP separately when he/she wishes to travel out of Singapore. The right to reside in Singapore permanently will then depend on whether blue ICs are renewed before they expire.

The Visitor Services Centre which is already in operation will fine-tune procedures and guidelines to better serve foreigners who are here to work, study, seek medical treatment, or those who are here for social visits. The changes will be effected efficiently and with little or no inconvenience to the public.

The SI/NRD merger puts SIR in a better position to support the government’s policy of bringing in the best foreign talents. This is because the granting of PR and citizenship, both active components of the policy, are now under one roof.

Both SI and NRD shifted into the Singapore Immigration Building in July last year. The planning of the building took about 5 years and had taken into consideration that both departments will eventually wire-up to share resources and provide interactive, value-added services. Network infrastructure was specially laid in anticipation of this strategic move. Being conveniently located outside the CBD and next to the Lavender MRT station, the Building is also readily accessible. Comfortable public waiting areas, increased public seating, a basement car-park, a 300-seat cafeteria, and a 250-seat auditorium are some features of this new building.

With the impending merger, it is not appropriate to call this "SI Building". Instead, the building will henceforth be named the "Singapore Immigration & Registration" or "SIR" Building.

SIR will meet higher customer expectations in terms of service. Its Citizen and Permanent Resident Services Centres have major roles to play in making Singapore an attractive place for Singaporeans and talented foreigners to work and live in. SIR is geared to support and work as an integral part of the entire Home Team to help realise the Ministry’s vision of providing a safe and secure home for all Singaporeans. It is now my pleasure to declare the Singapore Immigration and Registration Building, officially open.

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