Professional Visit Pass Applications to Require In-Person Visit by Corporate Representative

Companies sponsoring foreign nationals for Professional Visit Passes (PVP) must send a corporate representative to appear in person at the Malaysian Immigration Department (MID) headquarters in Putrajaya when the application is filed, effective June 15, 2014. The MID has announced that it will more strictly enforce the in-person filing requirement, which was originally announced in June 2013. 

Upon filing, corporate representatives will be requested to verify their identity and employment by providing a copy of an Employee Provident Fund (EPF) statement showing contributions from one of the three months preceding the date of the PVP application. Neither an original EPF nor a certified copy is required. The MID will not accept any other document as proof of employment with the sponsoring company, such as business cards, office-access cards or company badges. 

The MID is tightening the PVP application process in response to allegations that fraudulent PVP submissions have been made without the consent or knowledge of the purported sponsoring companies. 

What This Means for Clients 

The in-person filing requirement will make the PVP application more burdensome for employers. 

Employers that utilize the PVP program should immediately designate a representative who will be prepared to attend PVP submissions at the MID headquarters. 

How Fragomen Can Assist 

Fragomen is working with clients to file PVP applications before the in-person requirement takes effect on June 15, 2014. After June 15, Fragomen will continue to assist clients with PVP filings at the MID headquarters, but clients should always have a representative available for the filing to avoid potential delays. 

Fragomen worked closely with the law firm of Shearn Delamore & Co. in Kuala Lumpur to prepare this alert. It is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected]. 

© 2009 - 2015 © Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, Fragomen Global LLP and affiliates. All Rights Reserved.