You need a Malaysia visa to work in Malaysia as a foreign national. For foreigners, it acts as a work permit for employment in Malaysia. There are certain rules and regulations to obtain it.
As far as obtaining a Malaysia work permit visa is concerned, you can get it only when an employer applies for it on your behalf. So, to obtain it, you must find an employer. Also, a lot depends on the approval of those authorities who are responsible for endorsing the work permit applications of foreign nationals. It is only after their endorsement that you can get into employment in Malaysia.
To a large extent, your Malaysia work permit visa will depend on the nature of your job profile. Additionally, it may also depend on the duration for which an employer hires you. Read on to know more about different types of employment pass in Malaysia, and the criteria to obtain them.
Different Types of Employment Pass in Malaysia
Here is a list of the different kinds of employment passes in Malaysia for which you can apply with the concerned department.
The Employment Pass
Generally, foreign nationals who wish to land a managerial or technical job, or a job that corresponds to a higher position in a company in Malaysia, do so with a plan of residing in the country for a longer duration. The employment pass is for this section of foreign employees in Malaysia.
While an employer can apply for this kind of employment pass on behalf of their employees, they need to meet a key eligibility criterion for it. To do so, they must have the approval of a relevant regulatory agency or the Expatriate Committee.
In general, a foreign employee gets this kind of employment pass for a maximum duration of up to 5 years. However, the duration of the employment pass may vary from one individual to the other. Further, it is renewable. That is to say, one can apply for renewing it before the expiry of its validity.
The Temporary Employment Pass
Concerned authorities issue the temporary employment pass to those foreign nationals whom employers in Malaysia hire for not more than two years. They issue it to employees who belong to the following categories:
● FWTEP (Foreign Worker Temporary Employment Pass): This form of employment pass is given to foreign nationals who work in agriculture, plantation, construction, and manufacturing sectors from select countries.
● FDHTEP (Foreign Domestic Helper Temporary Employment Pass): This form of employment pass is for female workers who work in the residence of an employer who either has children or elderly family members.
The Professional Visit Pass
This employment pass is issued to those professionals who are hired by a company temporarily. In most cases, authorities issue it to those foreign nationals who wish to work in Malaysia for a maximum of 12 months.
Conditions for Obtaining a Malaysia Work Permit Visa
Before knowing about the conditions for the approval of a Malaysia work permit visa, you must understand that the type of permit visa for which you can apply will depend on how well you meet the stated eligibility criteria.
The Employment pass has different requirements concerning academic qualifications and work experience. To obtain it, you must have requisite educational certificates and a diploma. Plus, you must also have documents as proof of your work experience. Your monthly salary should be RM3, 000 at least. In some categories, it can go up to RM10000 for eligibility.
For the Temporary Employment Pass, you do not need a higher qualification. However, you must meet some stated criteria. Your age should be between 21 and 45 years, and you must be a national of one of the countries that belong to the approved list of nations. To work as a domestic helper, you must be a woman between 21 and 45 years of age.
To get a Professional Visit Pass, you must be a foreign national hired by a non-Malaysian organization for a specific duration of time. Under this pass, you can work in certain select categories. With a Professional Visit Pass, you can work as a volunteer, guest lecturer, student under training, government worker, religious worker, film worker, or a foreign artist.
Applying for a Malaysia Work Visa
Only employers can apply for a Malaysia Work Visa on behalf of their employees. In your case, your employer needs to apply to the concerned department with copies of the stated documents. The Immigration Department of Malaysia is responsible for issuing Malaysia Work Visa. You can travel to Malaysia legally only if this department approves your work permit application submitted by your employer.
Once you arrive in Malaysia, your next course of action will depend on your nationality. The nationals of some countries get an exemption in applying for a visa. If you belong to any one of these countries, you do not need to apply for a visa. Otherwise, you will need to file a visa application at the nearest Malaysian Representative Office.
Who can You Bring After Obtaining a Malaysia Work Visa?
You can bring your family only if you get an employment pass. If you meet this criterion, you can either bring your spouse or dependent children who are not above 21 years. You can bring a biological or adopted child above 21 years only if you have a Long Term Social Visit Pass.
Conclusion
Obtaining a Malaysia work permit visa is the legal option to work and stay in Malaysia. You need to apply for the right work permit visa depending on your academic credentials to get approval from the Immigration Department of Malaysia. Choose the category using the above information and contact your employer for your work permit visa application for hassle-free processing.