A Glance At Temporary Malaysian Employment Passes

For employers in Malaysia who want to hire skilled expatriates on a short-term basis, a suitable option in many cases is a Professional Visit Pass (PVP).

In short, a PVP is valid for 12 months, has no minimum salary requirement, and applies to a broad range of hiring needs, effectively making it a temporary version of the more permanent Employment Pass (EP).

If this sounds like the right visa for you, our guide provides a full overview of PVP applications, including:

• temporary work arrangements PVPs apply to
• sponsor and foreign candidate requirements
• fees and timelines
• required documents, and
• application steps

Note: As temporary EP applications are handled by employers, this guide focuses on their point of view. Expats can still read it for general knowledge, but if it’s your employer’s first time, share this with them!

Let’s begin.

Temporary work arrangements under PVPs

A Professional Visit Pass (PVP) is primarily used as a temporary Employment Pass for skilled foreign talents who need to reside in Malaysia for short term work commitments including:

• expertise transfer
• research
• volunteering
• training at ESD-registered companies
• conducting exhibitors under the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), and
• internships with a local organisation

PVPs issued are valid for 12 months and, at Immigration’s discretion, renewable for another 12 months, granting the holder a maximum stay of 24 months. However, PVPs for factory and hotel internships are generally limited to a 6-months and strictly non-renewable.

Other temporary work arrangements

While most commonly used by companies engaging skilled expatriates on a temporary basis, PVPs have fairly broad applications, and the following individuals can also apply for one.

Category	Notes
Experts not managed by the Visit Pass Unit (Ikhtisas) under ESD	Jockeys / volunteers / students under Exchange / Mobility / Industrial Training programmes at IPTA, IPTS, public and private schools, embassies, hotels, and companies
Overseas artists performing in Malaysia	Prior approval required from PUSPAL
Islamic religious teachers	Religious teachers (including mosque imams) Quran teachers Arabic language teachers
Islamic religious students	Separate checklists for students above and below 18 years old Applications must be submitted by the school sponsor at least one month before studies begin
Practitioners of other religions	40 years and above for Hindu monks (Gurukkal), Granthi, Dharma teachers and priests 35 years and above for religious musicians 30 years and above for religious sculptors Sponsors must submit application at least one month before commencement of duties
International students under Malaysia Bible Seminary	Eligible under religious study category
Invited for government cooperation programmes	Participation aligned with Malaysian government initiatives

Employer requirements

Employers and sponsors must register an account on ESD’s portal to apply for a PVP, which in turn requires meeting entity registration and for Sdn Bhds, paid-up capital requirements.

Registered entity

The sponsor must be one of the following:

• Sdn Bhd registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM)
• societies or associations registered with the Registry of Societies Malaysia (ROS)
• professional firms incorporated under relevant Malaysian legislation
• local government or government-supported organisations
• international organisations certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Paid-up capital (for Sdn Bhd)

Minimum paid-up capital depends on ownership structure:

• 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

WRT / USS license

in addition to RM1,000,000 paid-up capital, companies with 51% or more foreign ownership in trade or service sectors must have a Wholesale, Retail, & Trade (WRT) or Unregulated Services Sector (USS) license.

Employer ESD account

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

Get in touch if you meet these requirements and would like help registering an ESD account.

Fees & processing time

Not including ad hoc immigration and third-party fees, a PVP carries an application fee of RM1,200, and If all goes as well, the application can be processed with 14 – 21 working days depending on the program.

However, as we explain below, the actual application submission is just one of several steps, and the overall process can take up to 8 months, especially employers / sponsors applying for the first-time.

Supporting documents

The following documents are required for all application:

• application letter by sponsor
• recent passport photo
• copy of passport
• offer letter / agreement for services / contract / internship offer
• confirmation letter by host country company on the applicant’s employment details
• detailed job description
• CTC copy of highest educational certificates / professional certificates
• latest comprehensive resume
• security bond form (duly stamped by inland revenue board)
• personal bond form (duly stamped by inland revenue board)
• bank guarantee (for Chinese and Bangladesh nationals)
• letter of award (LOA) / contract, if applicable
• supporting document from approving agency / regulatory body, if applicable
• working schedule (month-to-month task breakdown for the project)

Applications will also need to include additional supporting documents for specific activities.

Documents for specific activities

• for machinery / equipment installation / commissioning / maintenance:
  • invoice of purchase of machinery
  • Form K1 / ZB4 / Others / BIor Letter of Confirmation from Customs Department to validate company’s physical location in FTZ
• for secondment in mining activities
  • approval letter from the Minerals & Geoscience Department Malaysia on mining activity
  • supporting letter from the Minerals & Geoscience Department Malaysia for individuals
  • mining license
• for flight simulator tester
  • supporting letter from the Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia
• for internship
  • Training schedule / job description of internship

Other documents may be requested, and readers are welcome to contact us for tailored advice.

Application process & timeline

For first-time PVP applications, the process typically takes 7 – 8 months and has six main stages.

Stage	Details	Estimated Timeline
1. ESD Registration	Company profile registration & activation	~2 months
2. JTK / Support Letter	JTK approval & XPats Gateway submission	~1 month
3. MyFutureJobs	Job posting and interview process	~1 month
4. PVP Application	Full documentation submission & review	~2–3 months
4. Approval & Visa	Approval letter & VDR/eVisa issuance	~2 weeks
5. Endorsement	Sticker endorsement & ePass issuance	~2 weeks

Subsequent applications start at Stage 2, reducing follow-up lead times by up to two months.

Note: The applicant must NOT be physically present in Malaysia at the time of a new PVP application submission, and entering the country during processing may result in rejection.

Why applications are rejected

Due to the sensitive nature of allowing foreigners to reside long-term in Malaysia, all work visas are strictly regulated, we’ve had numerous employers ask us for help after their applications were rejected.

Here are the four main reasons:

• poor handling of regulatory requirements due to confusing multi-agency rules (ESD, JTK, MDEC, MIDA)
• overlooking policy updates and submitting applications out of order
• submitting incomplete or inconsistent documents that are not Certified True Copies
• not following required formatting standards for academic certificates

Any one of these mistakes can cause delays or outright rejection, which not only affects this particular hire, but can cause all future applications by the employer to face added scrutiny.

We say this not to discourage you from applying yourself, but to warn you to be mindful of following the right steps – see our ESD account registration guide, and all the best with your application!

Pre-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 and 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 temporary EP 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.