Work Permit

Send us a message to get more information if you want to apply for one of the visas presented above.

EMPLOYMENT PASS ( CATEGORY I )

Eligibility criteria:

• Hiring company must be successfully registered and eligible with the Expatriate Services Division (ESD)
• Applicant must earn a basic monthly salary of RM20,000 or above
• The position must obtain the applicable approval from the Expatriate Committee (EC) or relevant approving authority, where required
• Companies may apply for an employment period of up to 60 months at a time, subject to the employment contract and approval. The revised policy provides an overall employment framework of up to 10 years.

Features:

• Allows the holder to be employed in Peninsular Malaysia by the company named on the Employment Pass
• The Employment Pass is employer-specific; a change of employer requires a new application
• Eligible Employment Pass holders earning above RM5,000 per month may apply for applicable family-related passes, subject to Immigration requirements
• Spouse, children under 18 years old and legally adopted children under 18 years old are eligible for Dependant Pass
• Children over 18 years old and legally adopted children over 18 years old may be eligible for Long-Term Social Visit Pass
• Parents / parents-in-law may be eligible for Long-Term Social Visit Pass, subject to the applicable requirements
• Eligible Employment Pass holders may apply for a Social Visit (Temporary Employment) pass for a foreign domestic helper, subject to Immigration requirements.

Conditions:

• Renewal of the pass is subject to the prevailing requirements and approval
• The revised Employment Pass salary policy applies to new and renewal applications under the applicable 1 June 2026 implementation rules
• All new applications must obtain the required Approval Letter before entering Malaysia for the purpose of employment
• Where applicable, the applicant must obtain the required visa/Visa With Reference before entry
• Employment Pass endorsement is now handled through the ePASS system rather than the old standard physical EP sticker process
• After entry, the company must complete the applicable ePASS endorsement process through ESD Online.

EMPLOYMENT PASS ( CATEGORY II )

Eligibility criteria:

• Hiring company must be successfully registered and eligible with the Expatriate Services Division (ESD)
• Applicant must earn a basic monthly salary between RM10,000 and RM19,999
• The position must obtain the applicable approval from the Expatriate Committee (EC) or relevant approving authority, where required
• Companies may apply for an employment period of up to 60 months at a time, subject to the employment contract and approval. The revised policy provides an overall employment framework of up to 10 years.
• A succession plan requirement applies from 1 January 2027.

Features:

• Allows the holder to be employed in Peninsular Malaysia by the company named on the Employment Pass
• The Employment Pass is employer-specific; a change of employer requires a new application
• Eligible Employment Pass holders earning above RM5,000 per month may apply for applicable family-related passes, subject to Immigration requirements
• Spouse, children under 18 years old and legally adopted children under 18 years old are eligible for Dependant Pass
• Children over 18 years old and legally adopted children over 18 years old may be eligible for Long-Term Social Visit Pass
• Parents / parents-in-law may be eligible for Long-Term Social Visit Pass, subject to the applicable requirements
• Eligible Employment Pass holders may apply for a Social Visit (Temporary Employment) pass for a foreign domestic helper, subject to Immigration requirements.

Conditions:

• Renewal of the pass is subject to the prevailing requirements and approval
• New and renewal applications are subject to the revised Employment Pass salary policy under the applicable 1 June 2026 transition rules
• All new applications must obtain the required Approval Letter before entering Malaysia for the purpose of employment
• Where applicable, the applicant must obtain the required visa/Visa With Reference before entry
• Employment Pass endorsement is now handled through the ePASS system
• A succession plan will apply from 1 January 2027 under the revised expatriate employment framework.

PROFESSIONAL VISIT PASS (PVP)

Eligibility criteria:

• Hiring/host company must be successfully registered and eligible with the Expatriate Services Division (ESD)
• The foreign professional must possess acceptable professional qualifications or skills and undertake an approved PVP activity
• Current approved PVP positions include:
Technical Expert, Invited Lecturer, Trainer, Doctoral Fellow, Speaker, Researcher, Assistant Researcher, Student Under Practical Training, Attending Course, Attending Training, Attending Seminar, Volunteer and Exhibitor
• Student Under Practical Training must satisfy the applicable education, training and host-company requirements
• Special hotel trainee arrangements are subject to additional requirements, including a maximum duration of 6 months and non-renewable for that specific hotel-training arrangement.

Features:

• Allows the holder to provide temporary professional services or undergo approved practical training in Malaysia on behalf of an overseas company
• The holder may only undertake the activity with the company named in the PVP
• Maximum contract/assignment period is 12 months and is restricted to one contract/project at a time
• The PVP is non-salaried under the ESD PVP framework, with the underlying overseas employment/service arrangement remaining relevant
• PVP holders are not entitled to apply for a Dependant Pass
• PVP endorsement is handled through the ePASS system rather than the old standard physical PVP sticker process.

Conditions:

• The maximum PVP duration is 12 months per issuance
• An extension may be requested within the 12-month maximum with the same company, subject to the applicable requirements; the application should be submitted at least one month before the pass expiry date
• All new PVP applications must obtain the required Approval Letter before entering Malaysia for the approved activity
• Where applicable, the applicant must obtain the required visa/Visa With Reference before entry
• Applicants who have entered Malaysia must complete the applicable PVP ePASS endorsement within 14 days from the entry date
• In case of a change of employer while the PVP is still valid, the existing PVP must be cancelled and the holder must leave Malaysia before applying for a new PVP with the new employer
• The former general three-month PVP cooling-off period no longer applies as a general rule
• Companies under the categories of Food & Beverage, Restaurant, Café and Convention Centre are not allowed to apply for the PVP positions of Student Under Practical Training and Attending Training, subject to the current ESD requirements.

Your contact

Christelle DIDESCH
Business Support Services Manager
Immigration & Translation Service

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