New Processing Center Opens, Brings New Visa Process Allowing Faster Entry
July 13, 2015
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Executive Summary
A new processing division called the MYXpats Centre should bring faster and more consistent Employment Pass and work authorization processing for employers who are registered to hire foreign employees. With the new center comes a new online Visa with Reference (VDR) letter that allows foreign workers to apply for an entry visa with a copy of their VDR letter instead of awaiting the original.
The Immigration Department of Malaysia and Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp) officially opened the new Malaysia Expatriate Talent Service Centre (MYXpats Centre) in Surian Tower, Petaling Jaya on July 1, 2015. MYXpats Centre issues faster Employment Pass (EP) applications and other EP-related passes that were previously processed only by the Immigration Department of Malaysia’s headquarters in Putrajaya. With the new center comes a new online Visa with Reference (VDR) letter that allows foreign workers to apply for an entry visa with a copy of their VDR letter instead of awaiting the original.
MYXpats Centre expects to process Employment Pass, Professional Visit Pass, Dependant Pass and Long-Term Social Visit Pass applications in five business days upon complete filing. Employers can also direct their work authorization-related questions to the Centre instead of inquiring at the headquarters of the Immigration Department of Malaysia.
Employers must still undergo the same registration and compliance check process under the Expatriates Service Division (ESD), which was launched last year by the Immigration Department of Malaysia, before utilizing the MYXpats Centre. Once they are registered under ESD, employers can use the MYXpats Centre to apply for EPs and other work authorizations without a separate registration process.
New Visa with Reference (VDR) Process
Under the new procedures of the MYXpats Centre, foreign workers can obtain an online Visa with Reference (VDR) letter through the ESD's online system. After the applicant receives the VDR by email, they can apply for a Single Entry Visa (SEV) at a Malaysian consular post abroad using a copy of the VDR letter. Once the foreign worker enters Malaysia with an SEV, he or she can proceed with the next stage of the EP process.
What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals
MYXpats Centre brings together multiple resources in one location to improve efficiency and delivery of services to employers and foreign workers.
EP applicants should benefit from faster entry with the online VDR letter, after which they can proceed with the next stage of the EP application in Malaysia.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
