- Malaysia's Immigration Department outlined specific categories of foreigners who qualify for a Residence Pass, including those with family ties to citizens
- Applicants must meet residency requirements of between three and five years on a valid long-term pass, depending on their category
- Both the sponsor and applicant are required to be physically present when submitting documents at an Immigration office
Malaysia's Immigration Department has published the conditions under which eligible foreigners may apply for a Residence Pass, covering several distinct categories tied to family relationships and former citizenship status.
The scheme is divided into recognised categories. Category 3 applies to foreigners with direct family ties to a Malaysian citizen, including spouses, biological or adopted children aged 18 and below, and biological parents of citizens. Divorcees, widows, or widowers of Malaysian citizens who have been granted full or joint custody of a biological child by a court of law also fall under this category. Parents-in-law of a Malaysian citizen who already hold a valid pass in the country are similarly eligible.
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Category 4 covers those connected to a Malaysian Permanent Resident, specifically spouses and biological children aged 18 and below.
A separate provision, Category 5, exists for ex-Malaysians: both those who voluntarily renounced their citizenship and those who were deprived of it by law.
Conditions Applicants Must Meet
1. Regardless of category, all applicants must hold a valid travel document or passport with at least six months of remaining validity.
2. Applicants must already be residing in Malaysia on a valid long-term pass.
3. Residency duration requirements differ by category. Those applying under Category 3 must have lived in Malaysia for at least three years on a valid long-term pass, while Category 4 applicants are required to demonstrate five years of continuous residence under the same conditions.
4. Every application must be sponsored by a Malaysian citizen aged 21 or older. For applications submitted in West Malaysia, the sponsor must be a Malaysian citizen, while applications in Sabah and Sarawak must be sponsored specifically by a citizen of Sabah or Sarawak origin.
5. Applications for Categories 3 and 4 can be submitted at the nearest Immigration office or at Immigration Headquarters in Putrajaya. Category 5 applicants must submit both original copies and photocopies of all supporting documents to the same offices.
6. Any photocopied documents issued by a foreign country must be certified by the relevant foreign mission in Malaysia.
7. Crucially, both the sponsor and the applicant are required to be present in person at the Immigration office when documents are submitted.
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