EMPLOYMENT PASS (EP) AND WHAT IT GIVES TO THE HOLDER

Employment Pass is an endorsement in the Passport constituting permission to stay for a minimum period of two years.

To encourage the transfer of expertise and technology to the local workforce, it has been the Government’s policy to encourage companies, foreign and local alike, to prioritise hiring and training locals. Notwithstanding this, your company is still allowed to bring in expatriate personnel by applying an EP where there is shortage. This include where the expatriate himself is the shareholder of the company.

Of course you must have a company first before you can apply for an EP because it’s your company, rather than you, that must make the application. As an expatriate, you are not allowed by the Immigration Department to apply it yourself. The application must be done by the company that intends to hire you.

The procedure is roughly as follows; you must first apply for an approval for the creation of an Expatriate Post in your company from the relevant authorised agencies. Only when the Post has been approved we will proceed to apply the EP with the Immigration Department.

Unlike the manual application with the Immigration Department before, companies now must first register online with the newly established Expatriate Services Division (ESD) of the Malaysian Immigration Department. Once approved they will be designated as ESD-Approved company and can then apply for those Passes through the Expatriate Talent Service Centre (MYXpats Centre) which is a unit of the ESD.

Other than the two changes above the numerous hassles and intricacies remain, but with years of experience handling immigration matters on clients’ behalf, we may be able to help you do it easier. So, if you’d like us to do the registration and Passes application on your behalf, what we require is for your company to issue a Letter of Undertaking (LoU) signed by the Directors appointing us as agent and giving us the permission and access to manage your company’s affairs with the ESD and the Centre. We will then lodge this LoU when registering your company with the ESD and will take over the application from there onwards.

For more information you can read here.

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There are 3 types of EP namely;

EMPLOYMENT PASS CATEGORY I

  1. Allows the holder to be employed in West Malaysia by the hiring company.
  2. The holder’s spouse and children under 18 years old are eligible to apply for Dependant Pass.
  3. Children over 18 years old and unmarried are eligible to apply for Social Visit Pass (Long Term).
  4. Parents or parents-in-law are eligible to apply for Social Visit Pass (Long Term).
  5. Eligible to hire foreign maids.

 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  1. Hiring company is registered with the ESD,
  2. Applicant must earn a basic salary of minimum RM5,000 per month, and
  3. Applicant must have an employment contract valid for a minimum 2 years

 

Renewal of the Pass can be considered depending on the requirements.

EMPLOYMENT PASS CATEGORY II

  1. Allows the holder to be employed in West Malaysia by the hiring company.
  2. The holder’s spouse and children under 18 years old  are eligible to apply for a Dependent Pass.
  3. Children over 18 years old and unmarried are eligible to apply for Social Visit Pass (Long Term).
  4. Parents/Parents-in-law are eligible to apply for Long Term Social Visit Pass.
  5. Eligible to hire foreign maids.

 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  1. Hiring company must be registered with the ESD,
  2. Applicant must earn a basic salary of minimum RM5,000 per month and
  3. Applicant has an employment contact valid for less than 2 years.

 

Renewal of the pass can be considered depending on the requirements.

EMPLOYMENT PASS CATEGORY III

  1. Allows the holder to be employed in West Malaysia under the hiring company.
  2. Not allowed to bring dependents.
  3. Not eligible to hire foreign maid.

 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  1. Hiring company must be registered with the ESD.
  2. Applicant earns a basic salary between RM2,500 to RM4,999 and
  3. Applicant’s employment contract must not exceed 1 year.

 

This pass can be renewed for maximum two times, subject to review.

It is also mandatory for successful applicant to obtain Visa for entry into the country (only applicable for countries requiring visa).