A Quick Guide To Malaysia’s PVP Rules

A Malaysian Professional Visit Pass (PVP) allows Malaysian employers to engage skilled foreign talent on a fixed, short-term basis for a variety of use cases from internships to musical performances and more.

As with any expat visa, it comes with several non-negotiable requirements and below are eight key PVP rules employers / sponsors and expatriates must be prepared to meet.

Let’s begin.

Rules for employers

The sponsor must have an active employer account on the Expatriates Services Division portal through which the PVP application is made and renewed.

This comes with several requirements.

Must meet paid-up capital requirements

If the employer / sponsor applying for PVP is a Sdn Bhd, they must meet the following minimum paid-up capital thresholds based on foreign ownership:

• 100% Malaysian-owned company: RM250,000
• joint venture with at least 30% foreign ownership: RM350,000
• 100% foreign-owned company: RM500,000
• 51% or more foreign ownership operating in WRT or USS sectors: RM1,000,000

Must have WRT / USS license if 51% or more foreign equity

Companies with 51% or more foreign ownership in trade or service sectors almost always require a:

• Wholesale, Retail & Trade (WRT) license if dealing in trading sectors, OR
• Unregulated Services Sector (USS) license if dealing in services

Both licenses carry a minimum paid-up capital of RM1 million.

Must fall under a permitted PVP use case

Although far more broadly applicable than Employment Passes, the PVP application must still fall under one of the approved categories, including:

• expertise transfer
• research
• training
• volunteering
• internships
• exhibitions
• exchange programmes
• religious work, or
• government cooperation programmes

Some categories require additional approvals or conditions, such as PUSPAL approval for performers, age restrictions for religious workers, and types of hotels that can host trainees / interns – for more details see our full guide to PVP applications.

Must be for a 12-month arrangement at most

While a PVP holder may stay in Malaysia for up to 12 months in general cases, in practice, first approvals are usually only endorsed for six months, after which the employer or sponsor must apply for a renewal or extension to secure the remaining six.

Also, in general hotel and factory internship PVPs are limited to 6 months and cannot be renewed.

Rules for foreign expatriates

Assuming the employer qualifies for an ESD account and there is a valid use case for a PVP application, the candidate will be subject to the following rules.

No dependents allowed

Professional Visit Passes do not allow dependents, regardless of salary, purpose, duration, or nationality.

The ONLY exception is for PVPs under the De Rantau programme, a very special visa issued to digital nomads which does allow dependents – but it’s so different that we’d argue it’s no longer a PVP!

Cannot be in Malaysia during a new application

For new applications, the foreign applicant must not be physically present in Malaysia during submission. Being in Malaysia or entering the country while the application is processing may result in rejection.

Must be employed by a foreign company

A PVP is intended for foreign talents who remain employed and paid by an overseas company while temporarily carrying out assignments in Malaysia.

Of course, overseas companies with foreign-owned subsidiaries in Malaysia can still use PVPs since the expat is employed and paid by the parent during their stay in Malaysia, but it is not meant for those seeking full time employment in Malaysia by a local employer.

That requires an Employment Pass instead.

Must have relevant qualifications or experience

Sponsors must generally show that the expatriate has qualifications, certifications, technical expertise, or work experience relevant to the proposed activity in Malaysia – especially for technical, training, research, and expertise transfer roles.

A quick PVP application checklist

For employers who wish to handle their own PVP application, your next steps should be to:

1. Confirm you meet the paid-up capital requriements
2. Register an ESD account
3. Determine required documents for your specific use case
4. Prepare documents as per ESD requirements
5. Submit the PVP application
6. Pay ESD fees and collect final PVP sticker

We wish you all the best, and for a truly smooth application, consider engaging our services!

Let MISHU handle your PVP application

MISHU has many years of experience assisting sponsors with Professional Visit Pass applications and extensions with ESD, and we’d love to help your too.  Check out our PVP application services today.