THE Bureau of Immigration opened its new satellite office at the SM Aura Tower mall in Taguig City to bring its services closer to foreigners based at the Bonifacio Global City business district and neighboring areas.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente led BI officials and employees in attending the “soft opening” of the BI office at the 8th floor of the mall.
Morente said the new office was opened a few days after the BI executed a memorandum of agreement with SM Prime Holdings Inc. which agreed to provide the bureau, free of rental charges, a space at the mall.
“With the opening of this new facility, we expect a further reduction in the volume of transactions and decongestion of the crowds in our Manila main office. Consequently, it will usher in a more efficient and speedy delivery of services to the transacting public,” Morente said.
Morente added the new office will also make it more convenient for foreigners residing, doing business or working at the BGC to transact with the bureau as they no longer have to travel to Intramuros, Manila to have their immigration papers processed.
In a department order last Sept. 27, Aguirre said the new office “will provide the BI and its clientele a new, modern and spacious frontline transaction area” and provide “comfort and relief to the transacting public.”
The office was authorized to process applications for pre-arranged employment visa, treaty trader’s visa, special visa for employment generation, and visa for business executives and expatriates of the top 1,000 corporations and multinational firms with operating headquarters in the country.
It can also process applications for extension of temporary visitor’s visa of foreign tourists; updating and extension of tourist visa for alien visitors; and payment of annual report; long-stay visitor visa extension; special work permit and provisional permit to work; ACR I-Card; BI clearance certificate and certificate of not the same person; emigration clearance certificate; and payment of annual report.
