Expat work permits in Malaysia speedier with new immigration service

An announcement by Malaysia’s PM of a new expat service was welcomed by employers as it shortens waiting times for expat work permits from a month to just five days.

Malaysian Immigration’s new Expatriates Services Division was launched yesterday, and shortens the waiting time for expat work permits to just five days. The scheme was introduced in order to give an advantage to the country in its drive to attract top foreign talent in competition with major countries such as Canada and Australia.

The centre will provide an integrated one-stop service for all immigration needs including the all-important work permits. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak told the media that government and leading employers must work together to provide responsive, relevant services according to the business needs driving today’s economic transformation.

The PM added that major businesses and investors will see significant improvements in the process of work permit approval, and incoming expat professionals will be able to start work without experiencing a month’s delay. Talent from overseas, he said, is critical to Malaysia’s economic performance, and will also influence the development of a world-class local workforce.

Everything from employment passes, resident passes and professional visit passes to dependent passes and visitor passes will now be dealt with at the new centre, saving time and smoothing expats’ progress from arrival to settling in. The service is to be rolled out in several more Malaysian states, beginning with Penang and Johor, and will be expanded to include other agencies such as the Development Authority and the Multimedia Development Corporation.