- Malaysia's Immigration Department published the official application process for foreign workers seeking employment in the country
- The process is divided into two phases covering steps that must be completed before and after a worker arrives in Malaysia
- A mandatory medical examination with a FOMEMA-registered health centre determines whether a worker is approved to stay and work
Malaysia has outlined the official procedures that foreign nationals from 15 approved countries must follow to secure work permits, with the process managed through the country's Foreign Workers Centralised Management System under the Immigration Department of Malaysia.
The application framework is split into two distinct phases: one covering requirements before a worker arrives in the country, and another detailing what must happen once they have landed.
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Malaysia foreign workers scheme: Phase 1 application process
Workers must enter Malaysia only through designated entry points, carrying both a Visa with Reference (VDR) issued by the Immigration Department and an entry visa obtained from the Malaysian Representative Office in their home country.
Once a worker arrives, the employer is responsible for completing the clearance process within six hours. From that point, the employer has 30 days to arrange a medical examination at a health centre registered with FOMEMA, the government body that oversees foreign worker health screening.
A Visit Pass (Temporary Employment), commonly referred to as VP(TE), is only issued after the worker receives a clean bill of health. Workers who fail the medical assessment cannot remain in the country, and employers are required to apply for a Check Out Memo to arrange the worker's return home. The VP(TE) itself must be processed at the same Immigration Office that originally approved the VDR.
Malaysia foreign workers scheme: Phase 2 application process
The post-arrival phase mirrors several requirements from the first phase, though with slightly different timelines. Employers are given 24 hours, rather than six, to complete the clearance process at the point of entry, and the medical examination window remains at 30 days.
As with Phase 1, the VP(TE) is conditional on the worker passing the FOMEMA health screening. Failure to pass means the employer must immediately begin repatriation proceedings through the Check Out Memo system.
The Immigration Department noted that applications involving workers destined for Sabah and Sarawak fall under the jurisdiction of those respective state governments, and separate procedures apply in those cases.
Malaysia has approved 15 countries as eligible sources of foreign labour under this system, though the full list of nations has not been published alongside the procedural guidelines. Workers from non-approved countries are not eligible to apply through this channel.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng