Spending a day at Immigration Tower is sort of like going to a DMV in the states. Depending on the…read moretime of arrival, it be disorganized, crowded and above all, confusing. There is a certain level of efficiency here, but chaos tends to reign supreme.
Since Immigration Tower is actually quite big, it's important to know how to get there. Take get out the Wanchai exit A1 and walk the footbridge north until one reaches the dead end building. From there walk through the security guys and let them know you're heading to the main lobby of the immigration offices.
Naturally, there are all sorts of people here. Immigrants, expats tend to dominate the ID card area, but there are also folks who are just looking to square away their travel / visa situations as well. English is definitely spoken here, but one's mileage will vary depending on how good the desk agent is. It is important to come prepared, so do a little research on their official website (http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/index.html) ahead of time.
There are copy machines on the 4th floor and ATMs are available on the bottom level in case cash is needed. When it comes to the ID session, the picture taking is the most fun. Choice of photo and autoadjust is pretty awesome. Don't get too carried away though, the desk agents have a several other hundred people waiting behind you.
