THE long queue to pick up a new passport could be a thing of the past amid a continuing push by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to move some services onto the Internet.
People who apply for passports from next month can log on to the Web and book an appointment to collect the travel documents. The service is expected to shave waiting times at ICA counters.
Innovations like this - revealed yesterday at the ICA's Workplan Seminar - are designed to help the authority deal with a growing demand for its services, which include applications for passports, social visit passes and other permits.
At the annual planning session, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said the changes have helped the ICA meet rising public expectations without compromising security.
'More importantly, they reflect ICA as an innovative organisation determined to use technology to better serve its customers,' he said.
The Straits Times understands door-to-door delivery of some ICA services may be looked into. For example, people who are disabled and unable to collect their identity cards could see them sent by courier to their homes.
Another service, expected to be ready in a few months, lets permanent residents renew, transfer and check the status of their re-entry permit applications online. The document allows a permanent resident to travel outside of Singapore without losing his PR status.
The process should take about 15 minutes and spare applicants a trip to the ICA's office in Lavender, which can take a few hours, factoring in the journey and waiting time.
The authority also launched a pilot project last November that lets visitors apply for long-term social visit passes online. As well, their local sponsors no longer have to report in person and can log on to the Web service with their SingPass accounts.
Meanwhile, the ICA - formed from a merger of the Singapore Immigration Department and the Customs and Excise Department five years ago - has also been concentrating on border security.
After terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari escaped from a detention centre on Feb 27, inspections at land, sea and air checkpoints were stepped up. The crossings have remained on alert since the jailbreak.
ICA officers have been clocking overtime throughout weekends and public holidays to keep traffic flowing while making sure the borders remain secure, said Commissioner Eric Tan.
'It was an unprecedented challenge for the ICA to make sure that the fugitive does not slip through our borders. We should take pride in our hard work.'
DPM Wong added: 'Working under close public scrutiny, coupled with the unprecedented strenuous and tedious nature of heightened security checks...our officers persevered and did a good job.'
With the integrated resorts and events such as the Formula One race and the Youth Olympics coming up, the ICA's challenge, he said, was to manage a rising volume of trade and travel without 'diluting the emphasis on border security'.
