How Long is a Malaysia Employment Pass Processing Time?

What are Malaysia Employment Pass Categories?

A Malaysia Employment Pass has three types. Each type depends on the employee’s position and salary.

To obtain category 1 of Employment Pass, the employee must have key post positions in a Malaysian company, such as executives, CEOs, technical or managing directors, project managers, etc. Here are the conditions for a Malaysia Employment Pass:

• The employee must have at least RM10,000 as a monthly salary.
• The employee’s work contract must be up to five years.
• The Employment Pass is subject to renewal.
• The employee can hire a Foreign Domestic Helper.

Employees who have managerial and professional positions in a company can apply for category 2 of the Employment Pass. These job positions can be marketing or investment manager, lecturers, directors, architects, etc. Here are the conditions for this type of Malaysia Employment Pass:

• The employee’s salary must be between RM5,000 and RM9,999.
• The employee’s work contract must be up to two years.
• The Employment Pass is subject to renewal.
• The employee can hire a Foreign Domestic Helper.

Category 3 of Employment Passes includes non-executive positions. The position requires some technical or practical skills, as well as significant work experience. For example, designers (fashion, manufacturing, furniture), artisans, food technologists, etc.

• The employee must earn between RM3,000 and RM4,999 monthly.
• The employee must sign a work contract of up to two years.
• The Employment Pass can only be renewed two times.
• A Foreign Domestic Helper cannot be hired by the employer.

Who is Eligible for an Employment Pass in Malaysia?

The requirements below must be met for obtaining a Malaysia Employment Pass. The employee must:

• Possess the necessary academic qualifications for the job.
• Have a minimum of three years of experience in the field. In the case of more minor academic qualifications, employees may need more relevant work experience.
• Have a job in a managerial, executive, or technical position that requires specific skills.
• Must meet the requirements for the required salary.
• Not start working in a restricted sector.

How to apply for an Employment Pass in Malaysia?

Foreign employees do not need to apply for their Employment Passes. However, it is the obligation of the employer to submit the applications for the employees before they travel. The application process for a Malaysian Employment Pass has two parts:

1. Expatriate Committees (EC) or other approval agencies must approve the employer’s hiring request. This process is also known as applying for an Expatriate Post.
2. In order to apply for a Malaysia Employment Pass, the employer must submit the Expatriate Post application to the Immigration Department of Malaysia.

Applying for an Expatriate Post

Depending on the employee’s profession and skills, the employer must visit one of the following government-approved agencies and apply for the Expatriate Post:

• Manufacturing and Services sectors: Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA)
• Technology sector: Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC)
• Finance, Insurance, and Banking sectors: Central Bank of Malaysia (BNM)
• Biotechnology sector: Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation (BiotechCorp – BC)
• Securities and Futures market sectors: Securities Commission (SC)
• Other sectors: Expatriate Committee (EC)

The employer must apply for an Employment Pass to hire a foreigner after they get approval from the Expatriate Committee or another authorized agency.

Note: The Expatriate Committee is managed by the Immigration Department of Malaysia.

Applying for the Employment Pass

Employment Pass applications must be submitted to the Employment Pass Division of the Immigration Department of Malaysia. The employers have to submit the application to the Employment Pass Division by mail or in person.

Employers must submit the following documents when they apply for the Employment Pass:

• The application form for the Employment Pass.
• Passport-size pictures based on the Malaysian photo specifications.
• A copy of the passport.
  • The passport must have validity for at least six months. In any case, the Employment Pass is issued as long as the validity of the passport.
  • If the employee is from the PRC, they must include two copies of their passports.
• A Letter of approval from the relevant authority for the Expatriate Post.
• The company authorization to submit the application.
• The Employment Contract of the employee or an Offer and Acceptance Letter.
• Employee’s CV
• Copies of the employee’s diplomas and educational certificates.
• A copy from the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) showing the employer’s company profile.

How Long Does a Malaysia Employment Pass Process take?

The Malaysia Employment Pass processing time takes three to six days to be analyzed and approved.

Who Needs a Visa for a Malaysia Employment Pass?

Before the Malaysian Representative Office abroad issues a visa for the employees, they have to get approval from the Malaysian Immigration Department (i.e., the Employment Pass). To explain it thoroughly, the VDR is an entry visa for foreigners traveling for work, studying, and other long-term purposes.

To travel to Malaysia for work, most foreigners must obtain a Malaysian Visa With Reference. Nationals from the following countries are exempt from holding a VDR:

Nationals of the countries mentioned above can enter Malaysia without a Visa With Reference. They only need an Employment Pass approval letter for their travel.

A Malaysian Embassy or Consulate is the place to apply for a Malaysia Visa With Reference. Upon arrival in Malaysia, employees must visit an Immigration Office in person, submit their passports, and pay the Employment Pass fee. The Immigration Officers will attach an Employment Pass sticker to the passport and endorse the employees’ stay by issuing an expatriate card.

Can I bring my family to Malaysia with an Employment Pass?

To sum it up, yes. Malaysia Employment Pass holders can bring their family members with them unless they hold a Category 3 Employment Pass.

Holders of a Malaysia Employment Pass Category 1 and 2 are allowed to bring their family members using a Dependent Pass or a Long Stay Social Visit Pass:

• Spouse
• Children under 21

The holder of a Dependent Pass can join their family member in Malaysia. Still, they cannot work unless they convert it into an Employment Pass.

With the Long Stay Social Visit Pass, the holder can visit their families in Malaysia for up to five years, with a length of stay longer than six months.

In Malaysia, holders of Malaysia Employment Passes (Category 3) cannot bring their families.

The Bottom Line…

The Malaysia Employment Pass is for foreign nationals who like to work in a Malaysian company or organization as professionals or in a high-skilled position. There are three categories for an Employment Pass. The first two categories are for CEOs, managers, investors, etc., which give them higher salaries, longer visa validity, and renewal options. On the other hand, the third category is mostly for skilled workers and has fewer benefits.

In this article, we explained the Employment Pass, its processing time, the way to apply for it, and so on in detail. On the Visa Library website, you can learn about other Malaysian work visas (like Professional Pass and Temporary Employment Pass) as well as ways to immigrate to other countries.

If you like to learn about other types of Malaysia work visas besides Employment Pass, check the sidebar on the left.