How to be a Permanent Resident (PR) in Malaysia?

Invest in Malaysia
One of the ways to be a PR in Malaysia is to invest in the country. In order to attract foreign direct investments to the country, the Malaysian government incentivises investors with the opportunity to be a PR or citizenship. This is the best way to get a PR in Malaysia, especially if you are a high net-worth individual.

Requirements as an investor in Malaysia:

• Open a fixed deposit account in any bank in Malaysia
• Deposit a minimum of USD2 million – only can be withdrawn after 5 years
• Need a good-standing Malaysian citizen to sponsor you

Be an expert
If you’re an expert in the fields of expertise mentioned below, you are also eligible to apply for PR in Malaysia. For this route, you will be required to detail why your skillset is valuable to the Malaysian society, and this will be approved by the immigration authorities.

The skills of expertise and the governing agencies are listed below:

Be a top professional
Aside from experts, professionals who are working in top Malaysian corporations can apply for PR after 5 years. The company you are working in can recommend you to be a Malaysian PR should you wish to apply.

Requirements as a professional in Malaysia:

• Must have top skills that can be contributed to the industry you are in
• Must be certified and obtain a letter of recommendation by the relevant agencies in Malaysia
• Certificate of Good Conduct from the country you were born in – this can be obtained from the Malaysian High Commission or your country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Minimum 3 years of work in the company
• Need a good-standing Malaysian citizen to sponsor you

Attain points through Malaysia’s points-based system
One of the most unique ways to attain your PR in Malaysia is through their point-based system which has 7 criteria that measures your eligibility, which are:

• Age
• Qualification
• Duration of stay in Malaysia
• Familiarity with the Malaysia Institute
• The value of investments
• Working experience in Malaysia
• Proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia

To be eligible for PR application, you must score at least a minimum of 65 points out of 120 points.

Employment Pass

• For individuals who possess specific skill set in a technical or managerial position
• Minimum validity period of 2 years
• Divided into 3 categories – Category I, II, and III.

Temporary Employment Pass (TEP)

• For individuals with a monthly drawn salary of less than RM5,000
• Applicable for employees with an employment period of less than 2 years

Professional Visit Pass (PVP)

• For skilled foreign worker who intend to provide service to a company in Malaysia on behalf of a foreign company
• Usually for a short-term attachment
• Issued for a minimum of 6 months
• Must not exceed 12 months

Those who are younger than 50 years old must have:

• Minimum liquid assets of RM1,500,000
• Minimum offshore monthly income of RM40,000
• A fixed deposit account in Malaysia which contains at least RM1,000,000

Individuals who are 50 years or older must have:

• Minimum liquid assets of RM1,500,000
• Minimum offshore monthly income of RM40,000
• A fixed deposit account with a Malaysian bank which contains at least RM1,000,000
• For retirees, there is a requirement to show proof of receiving pension from government RM10,000 per month

Other requirements include:

• One-off personal bond payment which costs approximately RM2,000
• Social pass will also require an annual payment of RM90