Noteworthy changes to Malaysia’s immigration processes will impact both companies and expats in the near future. These new changes are intended to streamline applications and tighten compliance. Here’s what you need to know about the new developments, including how they affect Malaysia visa online application as well as Malaysia visa fees.
Automatic Cancellation of Applications that are no Longer Active
Effective from 01 October 2024, Malaysia’s MYXpats Centre will suspend any immigration application that has no status updates for a period of six (6) months or more. This is especially helpful for businesses and people who have to keep up with immigration paperwork.
Now, under the new policy, if an application has been unused, or unattended, for more than 90 days, it will be automatically canceled. Likewise, this rule also applies for applications that fall under the “Returned” tab in Expatriate Services Division (ESD) portal. The system sends reminders to applicants and agencies for the first three months, then one month and finally two weeks and one day before cancellation. They serve as reminders to keep an eye out for activity on applications.
The Malaysia visa fee is not refundable for canceled applications, so make sure to note it. This means that businesses and individuals will have to spend even more time managing their applications to ensure that they do not go wrong (and cost them time and money, not to mention the opportunity to submit again).
The Interim Endorsement Slip (IES)
The other new measure is the Interim Endorsement Slip (IES), introduced by the Immigration Dept. This slip replaces long-term pass stickers for a limited period with a more convenient and transportable option for tourists and workers.
The IES, which is issued in English and Bahasa Malaysia is eligible for all categories of long-term passes (that are employment passes and dependent passes). While this new change simplifies the endorsement process, it does come with several new key requirements.
IES and Passport Always
The foreign workers and expatriates need to carry IES with their passport during interstate and international travels. This is an important aspect of identification and compliance with immigration law.
This approval letter from immigration does not include the new passport information so you’ll want both documents when making the switch.
What Does This Mean for Businesses and Foreign Workers?
Greater Responsibility in the hands of the companies
The automatic cancellation policy has made companies more strategic in managing their immigration applications. If the applications are not resubmitted on time, the form may just be cancelled, incurring extra costs and processing times. This is especially crucial for applications that are sent back with a request for additional information or corrections.
Malaysia non-refundable visa fee on cancelation
So organisations should keep making progress to ensure they complete all the requests within a month. Failing to do so could lead to waste of money and ruin workforce planning.
Tips for a Seamless Compliance Process
There are few differences in Apps between Planned and Unplanned App Discovery
It is very important to monitor all immigration applications through the ESD portal. Applicants must make corrections quickly to those applications that show “Returned” status to avoid auto-cancellation. In fact, entities should have internal monitor systems in order to meet the time bars.
Educating Employees
It would be beneficial for businesses that hire expatriate employees to adopt an awareness campaign with regard to what preservation of the IES and new passport transition rules mean. You can provide easy-to-follow instructions and explanations so that you don’t have to deal with avoidable complexities.
Budgeting for Potential Costs
Providing support with immigration and resettling costs as needed. It can also provide some cushion from the financial loss of canceled applications or unexpected delays.
A Step Forward on Streamlined Immigration
While these updates do ask for more from the applicant’s side, in the end, they are a clear signal of Malaysia’s work towards making their immigration systems more efficient. The government is minimizing inefficiency in functioning and processing in a systematic way using measures such as the launch of IES as well as automatic rejection of in-operant applications.