Foreign nationals who want to work in Malaysia will need a Malaysian work visa. To get a work visa, you must find an employer in Malaysia who is willing to hire you. If you want to work in a Malaysian company or organization in a professional and high-skilled position, you will need a Malaysia Employment Pass.
The Employment Pass is one of the work permits types which the Malaysian government issues. Before you can receive an Employment Pass for Malaysia, your employer must get approval from an authority body to hire you.
This article will detail the process and requirements of getting an Employment Pass for Malaysia.
There are three types of Employment Passes for Malaysia, depending on your position and salary.
Employment Pass Category 1, which includes key post positions in a company, such as executives, CEOs, technical or managing directors, project managers etc.
Employment Pass Category 2, which includes managerial and professional positions in a company, such as a marketing or investment manager, lecturers, directors, architects, etc.
Employment Pass Category 3, which includes non-executive positions in a company that require significant work experience and specific technical or practical skills. For example, designers (fashion, manufacturing, furniture), craftsmen, food technologists, etc.
To qualify for a Malaysia Employment Pass, you must meet the following requirements:
As a foreign employee, you do not have to apply for your own Employment Pass. it is your employer who submits the application on your behalf in Malaysia, before you travel. The process of obtaining a Malaysian Employment Pass is divided into two parts:
Depending on your profession, your employer has to apply for the Expatriate Post at one of the following government-approved agencies:
Once the Expatriate Committee or another authorized agency has approved your employer’s application to hire you, your employer must apply for your Employment Pass.
Your employer has to submit the Employment Pass application in the Employment Pass Division of the Immigration Department of Malaysia. They have to submit the application by mail or in person.
When your employer applies for the Employment Pass, they must submit the following supporting documents:
The Malaysia Employment Pass processing time is three days.
A Visa With Reference (VDR) means that you had to get approval from the Immigration Department of Malaysia (ie. the Employment Pass) before the Malaysian Representative Office abroad could issue you a visa. The VDR is simply an entry visa issued to foreign nationals who are travelling for long-term purposes, such as for work or studying.
Most foreign nationals who want to travel to Malaysia for work must apply for a Malaysian Visa With Reference. You are exempt from holding a VDR only if you are from one of the following countries:
If you are a national of the countries mentioned above, you can enter Malaysia without a Visa With Reference, only with your Employment Pass approval letter.
You have to apply for a Malaysia Visa With Reference at the nearest Malaysian Embassy or Consulate.
Once you arrive in Malaysia, you must appear in person at an Immigration Office and submit your Employment Pass fee payment as well as your passport. The Immigration Officers will affix an Employment Pass sticker on your passport, endorsing your stay, and issue you with an expatriate card.
Yes, as a Malaysia Employment Pass holder, you are allowed to bring your dependents with you, unless you are a Category 3 EP holder.
Malaysia Employment Pass holders (Category 1 and 2) can bring the following family members through a Dependent’s Pass or a Long Stay Social Visit Pass:
The Dependent’s Pass allows the holder to join their family member in Malaysia, but they’re not allowed to work, unless they convert their Dependent Pass to an Employment Pass.
The Long Stay Social Visit Pass allows the holder to visit their family member in Malaysia for a temporary period longer than six months, up to five years.
Malaysia Employment Pass holders (Category 3) are not allowed to bring their family members with them to Malaysia.