Nghe An: Pilot implementation of electronic declaration form for issuing ordinary passports

(Baonghean) - In addition to promoting administrative procedure reform and creating favorable conditions for people, the Immigration Department of the Provincial Police Department has actively and synchronously deployed measures to grasp the situation of entry and exit of foreigners and people in the province, promptly preventing and handling violations of the law.

Officers of PA 72 Department guide citizens to register passport application online. Photo: Thanh Le

Implementing online passport issuance

Coming to the Immigration Management Office (PA72 Provincial Police), although the number of people coming to transact is large, it is very orderly and serious, especially since the implementation of the automatic queue number system, which has contributed to ensuring order and science in handling administrative procedures. Especially since July 2017, Nghe An is the third locality in the country after Da Nang and Hai Phong where the Immigration Department has piloted the system of receiving and processing electronic declarations for ordinary passports for Vietnamese citizens. PA 72 Office has coordinated with PA72 Department to organize a training conference and deploy the program. At the same time, the citizen reception area has been rearranged, with a separate area for computers with internet connection for citizens to fill in electronic declarations for passports.

To help people access the new service, Department PA72 assigned staff to guide citizens to fill out electronic declarations and directly fill out declarations for citizens in remote and mountainous ethnic minority areas. Mr. Tran Chau Hung (Do Luong) shared: “I find that filling out passport declarations online is very convenient, reducing waiting time. People can proactively fill out declarations at home, make an appointment to appear at the immigration office to submit their applications, reducing the waiting time for people to submit their applications. At the same time, all information of the people is standardized, reducing the time to process passport applications for citizens, reducing pressure on the immigration office.”

In addition, to facilitate citizens, Department PA72 continues to coordinate with Nghe An Provincial Post Office to contract with citizens to expressly deliver passports to recipients, contributing to saving time and travel costs for citizens, while reducing the number of people coming to receive results at the unit's headquarters, limiting congestion and overload at the headquarters in cramped conditions.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Cuong - Head of the Immigration Management Team said: "The Department has implemented administrative reforms right from the smallest tasks. The immigration management force has innovated the professional process from the very beginning of guidance, reception to document verification, shortening the time to 8 days for passport application procedures and processing on the same day for cases that have completed all procedures when applying for a Vietnam - Laos border pass."

In the first 6 months of 2017, Department PA 72 has done a good job of receiving and handling immigration procedures for Vietnamese and foreign citizens; verification work to serve the approval and issuance of immigration documents. In 2016 and the first 6 months of 2017, the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security received and approved 106,947 passports; received applications and issued 26,112 Vietnam - Laos border passes to Vietnamese citizens. Received applications, reviewed and issued 34 temporary residence cards, 573 visas, 1,674 temporary residence extensions and 61 permits to enter restricted areas for foreigners.

Officers of Department PA 72 handle administrative procedures for people. Photo: Thanh Le

Tighten management of immigration activities

In the current context of international integration, reforming procedures towards modernization to facilitate entry and exit activities is an urgent issue not only for Vietnam but also for countries around the world.

Along with the expansion of friendly relations and cooperation with countries in the region and the world, in recent years the number of foreigners coming to Vietnam, including Nghe An province, for tourism and investment has increased. Besides economic development, there are also many issues related to security and order.

Therefore, the immigration management force must regularly coordinate closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Planning and Investment... in the work of grasping the situation, checking the current status of foreign labor use at enterprises in the province, handling exit and entry procedures for foreigners to ensure compliance with the law, work procedures and professional requirements, meeting political stability, actively serving the socio-economic development and investment attraction policies of the province. In addition, advising departments, branches, sectors, and the Provincial Police Department to develop coordination regulations in immigration work; guiding the police of districts, cities and towns in managing entry and exit of foreigners and local citizens in accordance with the provisions of law.

Regarding the program of declaring, receiving, managing and exploiting temporary residence information of foreigners, Department PA72 has simplified the form of temporary residence declaration for foreigners. Accordingly, agencies and enterprises can proactively enter temporary residence declaration data for foreigners and directly transfer the data to Department PA72 without having to print the list and directly submit it to the police, ward or commune. At the same time, the temporary residence data of foreigners is regularly updated, complete, accurate and timely, serving the state management of the entry, exit and residence activities of foreigners.

However, the current difficulty is that the situation of law violations related to acts of falsifying passport application documents and helping and facilitating others to go abroad illegally continues to increase and become more complicated. Some foreigners operate outside the registration program without permission from the competent authority, foreigners violate Vietnamese law.

To manage immigration, the unit has implemented synchronous measures, strengthened the inspection of temporary residence, procedures and activities of foreigners entering investment areas, surveying, working at agencies and enterprises; promptly detected, combated and handled illegal activities, violations of regulations on foreign management and immigration management.

In the first 6 months of the year, 292 cases (267 Vietnamese citizens; 21 foreigners, 2 agencies, enterprises and 2 accommodation establishments) violating the law on immigration were detected, clarified and administratively punished, with a total fine of 968 million VND. Notably, Department PA 72 has completed the investigation, verification and proposed handling of 48 cases of violations related to the act of falsifying documents and papers for passport applications, creating conditions for others to go abroad illegally.

Colonel Tran Xuan Vinh - Head of the Immigration Management Department, Provincial Police, said: In recent times, the Party Committee and commanders of the unit have regularly inspected, supervised, improved the responsibility, discipline, administrative discipline and public ethics of officers and soldiers; attitudes when working, contacting and handling procedures for citizens, foreigners and agencies and businesses in the field of immigration.

In addition to promoting administrative procedure reform towards streamlining and reducing procedures, receiving applications for ordinary passports for Vietnamese citizens and issuing temporary residence cards, visas, and temporary residence extensions for foreigners according to regulations, Department PA72 synchronously deploys professional measures, grasps the situation of citizens illegally leaving the country, promptly detects and handles subjects and networks that organize people to flee abroad illegally. Strictly and effectively implement the provisions of the law on exit and entry, contributing to maintaining political security and social order and safety in the province.

Article and photos:Thanh Le