A Complete Guide To Sarawak Employment Pass Applications

While expatriate visas for Peninsular Malaysia go through federal Immigration, Sarawak visas are issued by their own state institutions.

Specifically, Sarawak Employment Pass (EP) applications are submitted via the Expatriate Platform for Recruitment & Talent (EXPRT) platform managed by the Sarawak Immigration Labour Management Unit (ILMU).

The bulk of the work is handled by employers, and for those unfamiliar with the process, our guide covers the essentials to help secure your first EP.

Here’s how we’ve broken it down:

• employer, expatriate, and role requirements
• EP categories
• fees and required documents
• common reasons for rejection, and 
• a typical application timeline

Of course, you’re welcome to skip the guide and talk to our EP experts directly

Otherwise, let’s begin.

EP processing time breakdown

Employer requirements

To sponsor expatriates and submit Employment Pass (EP) applications, the hiring organisation must register for an employer account on EXPRT.

To register, they must meet eligibility criteria by the Sarawak government.

• Be a legally registered Sdn Bhd 
• Meet minimum paid‑up capital requirements:
  • 100% Malaysian‑owned: RM250,000
  • Joint venture with ≥30% foreign equity: RM350,000
  • 100% foreign‑owned: RM1,000,000
• Meet minimum individual shareholding value for each owner:
  • Malaysian citizen: RM50,000 / shareholder
  • Foreigner in joint venture: RM100,000 / shareholder
  • Foreigner in foreign-owned company: RM150,000 / shareholder
• Employers with >50% foreign ownership must have a Wholesale, Retail & Trade (WRT) or Unregulated Services Sector (USS) license

Employers who meet these can register on EXPRT by following this link.

Expatriate requirements

Foreign talents are assessed based on formal qualifications, work experience, and expatriates must meet one of the following thresholds:

• Degree holder with minimum 5 years’ experience
• Diploma holder with minimum 7 years’ experience
• Technical certificate holders with minimum 10 years’ experience

All academic qualifications and work experience must be in a field relevant to the role and Certified True Copy (CTC).

Candidates are also assessed on potential of breaching visa terms, and any overstays, blacklists, or improperly cancelled work passes can negatively affect approval prospects even if they are academically qualified.

Role requirements

The sponsored role must:

• be managerial, executive, or technical in nature, and
• require specialised skills or expertise that cannot be easily filed by local candidates

Additionally, unless it is for a foreign shareholder, director, or highly senior specialist role, employers must make efforts to hire locally through job postings on JobSarawak, newspapers and radio stations for at least three days.

At the end of the vacancy advertisement, a Hiring Outcome Report must be submitted listing local candidates interviewed and explaining why they were unsuitable for the role. 

Finally, depending on the Employment Pass category being applied for, the role must pay a minimum of RM3,000 – RM5,000 per month.

Sarawak EP categories

Sarawak has two Employment Pass categories designed for different levels of seniority, and only approves applications if role, pay, and candidate qualifications align with the category.

Category	Minimum salary	Validity period	Dependants	Typical roles
1	RM5,000	5 years	Permitted (spouse and children under 18)	Directors, C‑suite executives, senior management
2	RM3,000	2 years	Not permitted	Managers, professional specialists, subject‑matter experts

Both categories can be renewed indefinitely so long as the employment arrangement continues and can be upgraded as salary / roles change.

Common reasons for rejection

Besides issues with applicants which cannot be helped, most EP rejections or returns are due to technical or procedural non‑compliance, especially:

• missing or improper JobSarawak advertisements
• incorrect or incomplete CTC academic certificates
• no WRT or USS licences for foreign‑owned companies
• submission of new EP applications while the applicant is in Sarawak
• misalignment between salary, job scope, and EP category

These issues absolutely can be helped, so take care to avoid them as rejected applications not only delays this hiring but can cause all future applications to receive stricter scrutiny.

EP application fees

As of April 2026, ILMU charges RM1,854 per approved expatriate Employment Pass application, only payable once the approval letter is issued.

Required documents

While there may be additional supporting documents needed, a typical EP application requires the following:

• certificate of incorporation 
• summary of share capital & shareholders
• details of director & officers
• valid business licenses
• tenancy agreement / S&P
• latest company SSM profile
• latest financial Annual Statement (for joint ventures or foreign-owned entities)
• latest e-Filing with receipt (if operating more than one year)
• copy of candidate passport
• signed Offer Letter
• resume with CTC academic certifications
• award letter / project contract
• authorisation letter from company
• copy of MyKad / passport of company representation
• proof of Employment in the Company
• organisation chart

SSM profiles can be purchased from MYDATA or e-Info and documents can be CTC by the Embassy / High Commission / Consulate General of the candidate’s home country or the Human Resource Head of the employer.

Application process & timeline

An employer’s very first-time EP application typically takes five to six months, depending on document readiness, sector approvals, and Immigration workload.

Stage	Description	Estimated time
1. EXPRT registration	Company profile registration and activation on the EXPRT portal	~2 months
2. JobSarawak compliance (if needed)	Job advertisement and local interview process to prepare Hiring Outcome Report	~1 month
3. EP application	Submit Expatriate Personnel application and via EXPRT	~1 month
4. Approval letter & payment	Receive approval and make payment	n/a
5. Visa issuance	Apply for e-Visa Dengan Rujukan (eVDR) and eVISA with Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia Negeri Sarawak (JIMS)	~2 weeks
6. Endorsement & ePass	Entry into Sarawak and final endorsement (sticker or ePass issuance)	~2 weeks

Renewals are significantly faster and can often be done in one to two months.

That said, this is a good time to bring a possible EP alternative to your attention.

Sarawak EP vs Professional Visit Pass (PVP)

Employers who cannot meet the salary demands of a Sarawak EP may consider a Sarawak Professional Visit Pass (PVP) for their talent needs.

Here’s a quick side by side comparison of the two.

Criteria	Employment Pass (EP)	Professional Visit Pass (PVP)
Purpose	Long‑term employment with a Sarawak company	Short‑term assignments, projects, training, or consultancy in Sarawak
Work arrangement	Formal employment contract with local entity	Remains employed by overseas company (in most cases)
Salary requirement	RM3,000 – RM10,000 (higher after June 2026)	No minimum salary
Validity	2 – 5 years	Up to 12 months total
Renewability	Infinitely renewable	Renewable once (and not guaranteed)
Dependants allowed	For Category 1	No
JobSarawak advertisement	Required for most non-key roles	Not needed

Sarawak PVPs are used for short‑term arrangements such as one-off projects, training, or consultancy needs. They are also generally only valid for up to 12 months including extensions, and do not allow dependents or long‑term employment, making them unsuitable for candidates who would need a Category 1 Sarawak EP.

However, they allow employers to hire expatriates with no minimum salary requirement, making them a viable alternative to Category 2 EPs in certain scenarios.

Let MISHU handle your Sarawak EP application

Our team enjoys a 98% success rate across our Employment Pass applications and renewals over the years and can provide end-to-end expatriate hiring assistance from EXPRT account registration to completing Hiring Outcome Reports, handling Immigration queries on your behalf, and more.