The Hong Kong Immigration Department in an effort to avoid gathering large numbers of people in its office during the Corona outbreak, imposed new rules for the visa application process for migrant domestic workers (PRT) today.
Reported RTH K, if possible Migrant domestic workers who will apply for a visa are requested to submit the application by post or via online (the official website of Immigration). For those who need to come to Immigration directly, when the queue will be tagged with an estimated time of their turn slots and then asked to leave, to wait their turn outside the Immigration office.
Then the staff on duty will call the person who has registered in line to inform or call if it is their turn to re-enter the Immigration office. At the Immigration Tower in Wan Chai today, officials were seen asking people not to live in the lobby or other areas of the building.
Migrant domestic workers who wait near the tower to renew their visas say that they are more pleased with the new arrangement that is requested to wait outside the Immigration office because besides being not boring, the air is also fresher than having to wait inside with many people.
“They gave paper and then called us. We can’t wait there anymore. Inside is crowded. lf we already have an appointment or booking, they will give us time and we can get out. We can sit alone in the park better to avoid spreading the virus in the tower, “said a number of migrant domestic workers as quoted by RTHK.
Offlcials said in a statement that there would be sufficient appointment slots available for those who would apply for a visa so that they would no longer need to queue up too early or stay overnight in the Immigration office grounds The Immigration Service urges Migrant domestic workers to encourage their workers to submit applications electronically or by mail to avoid unnecessary risks from spreading the virus caused by long waits at the Immigration office.
