Malaysia is one of the popular destinations for professionals to live and work. To work in Malaysia, you must obtain an employment pass (EP). An employment pass is a permit issued by the Malaysian government which grants foreign professionals to live and work in Malaysia.
Types of Work Passes in Malaysia
There are 3 main types of employment passes in Malaysia, issued by the Immigration Department of Malaysia that a foreigner can apply for, which include:
- Employment Pass
- For individuals who possess a 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 workers 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
If you’d like to know more about the differences between these 3 work passes, you can check out our Malaysia working visa guide!
These work passes are not long-term passes and will require renewal before the end of the validity period. For foreign employees, you must secure a job offer from a Malaysian-based company and the offer should meet the minimum salary requirement for a successful employment pass application.
All passes are sponsored by the employer of the Malaysian company and all Malaysian companies must be registered with the relevant Immigration Department.
Reasons for Rejection of Your Malaysian Employment Pass
As the Malaysian government has to regulate and ensure that foreign talents meet the needs of its growing economy, strict regulations are applied. Some of the more common reasons for Malaysian EP rejection are:
- Full quota
- Incomplete application forms
- Records are not up to date
- Failure to provide certified copies of documents
- The salary profile does not meet the requirements
- Skills can be locally sourced
- Poor letter of justification by the employer
Appeal to Review Malaysian Employment Pass Rejection
If your application is rejected, your employer may submit an appeal, but the processing time for the appeal would depend on the circumstances and the reason for the appeal. An appeal can be longer than 14 days after receiving notice of the decision for your initial application.
Setting Up a Company Through Employment Pass
The other alternative to working in Malaysia is setting up your company and applying for an employment pass under the new company. In this case, you can dictate the salary bracket that you wish and overall have more control over your application after employment passes rejection.
Here is an infographic to sum up the main points of company setup in Malaysia:
FAQs
Aside from being able to live and work in Malaysia after securing your employment pass, some of the advantages include, among others:
- Opening of a bank account
- Doorway to Permanent Residency
- Employee Provident Fund contribution
You can find out more about the advantages in our article here!
Appeals must be made through the immigration department, similar to the application process.
The current regulations regarding the Employment Pass do not bar anyone from receiving one on the basis of nationality. Anyone who meets all of the relevant criteria may receive it. Therefore, any eligible person from any country may receive an Employment Pass.
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Hi, my employee’s employment has been rejected for more than a month, how can I reapply for it?
Hi Yong,
There are many potential reasons why the employment pass was rejected.
To find out more, you can visit https://www.paulhypepage.my/forums/business-forums-malaysia/reapply-for-employees-employment/
Feel free to interact with us in the forum if you need further clarification. We will be happy to assist.
Best Regards,
Paul
Hi, my visa application appeal was being rejected. Is there any chance for them to reconsider it? My social visa was expired during MCO.
Hi Diane,
We can’t say for sure. You can try to appeal but we do not have a service for it
Please contact us via Paul Hype Page to discuss further.
Thank you for your question.
Warm regards
Paul
Hi
We are Singaporeans (2 of us) and are currently directors of a Malaysian incorporated company operating in Johor. Do we need to apply for employment passes to work in Malaysia/Johor? If yes, please advise how you can assist us in the application.
Thank you.
Hello Benny,
Given your current situation, it would be in your best interest to apply for Employment Passes. Fortunately for you, one of the services provided by our company is that of making applications for Employment Passes of Malaysia. The fee is RM6,600 per pass, not including government fees.
Thank you for your question.
Paul