Changing visa status, from visit to employment pass

If you have been offered employment i.e. the company has got 1st Level permission, some will ask you to get a visa with reference from the nearest Malaysian High Commission in your current country.

Some companies find this process takes too much time and want to hire someone quickly, so they ask them to arrive in Malaysia on a Tourist Visa. Sometimes this can cause issues with immigration on arrival, so its important to have your Letter of Offer of Employment with you.

The company would then process the 2nd Level issuance of visa while the employee is working for them in the first couple of weeks. The employee does not have to leave the country as they actually cant because their passport is sent to immigration.

This process is for employment pass applications.  The minimum salary is also RM k per month

If you are coming to Malaysia on a foreign worker permit, you have to get the entry visa in your passport (visa with reference) and cannot arrive without it - otherwise you will be sent back to your country.

Thanks Gravitas for your reply. I think I got the answer to my question, I have already accepted the employment offer and company wants me to travel on visit visa to enter and then will get the employment pass.

Hi!
Actually the problem is, when we apply for a job to any foreign country, they ask for work permit, on the contrary, when we ask the immigration sector of our country for work permit, they ask for the offer letter, in this situation we can't get either .....
What we can actually do to make the procedure successful? I'm residing in Bangladesh, but want to settle in Malaysia, how can I get easily a job offer so that I can apply for work permit?
Thanking,
Tasmina

Tasmina, you can never apply for a work permit. Only the company who employs you can do that. Work Permits (called Employment Passes) are not a personal possession and they are only associated to one particular job and so a new one needs to be applied for, when a person might change their job. 

So getting a job offer from an employer in Malaysia who needs your particular skill set is the ONLY way legally to obtain an EP.

The minimum salary to qualify for an EP is RM5k per month. There are lower paid jobs, but then you would not be entitled to bring your family with you to Malaysia. Its called the Foreign Worker Scheme. Do remember that children of foreigners have to attend private or international schools (or be home schooled). The cost of the schools is a minumum per child of RM2k per month.

tsamina! You should come on visit to Malaysia and search for employment pass. you might find some employment there.

Hi , Gud morning All. My question is while on student pass in Malaysia, am I eligible to go to Singapore by bus for 24 hrs visit without proper visa.
    I saw on internet. Pls tell me?
Thanks

To go to Singapore you need a visa, as Singapore is a different country to Malaysia. There is a 24 hr transit visa, but thats different as its for people who are catching an ongoing flight or exit to Singapore. I am not sure they actually go through immigration, I think they stay in the airport in the transit lounge. But not sure about that.

Ok thanx gravitas.
How is it Kulalampur city its like dubai because I was in dubai for employment.
Thanks again

Nothing like Dubai at all. Its old mostly although lots of building going on. Its a bit run down, dirty often, but improving all the time. It is heavily regulated and flooded with foreign workers and people who arrive and try their luck at getting work, then leave empty handed. You usually need to know someone and develop a network to get foreign worker work, which pays about RM1200 per month. There are lots of crack downs by immigration, new one just about to start, and they regularly raid restuarants, hotels and pubs and put foreign workers in detention, sometimes for several weeks. But working illegally in Malaysia is a serious business and now DBLK (KL City area council) are employing a company to find all the businesses that are illegal and employing workers illegally. So its getting tougher all the time. I think immigration are deporting several thousand workers every month. They are also into people trafficking, i.e. organisations that bring people in illegally to work and perhaps take their passport away and control them illegally.

Actually my agent is  malesiyan & also I gone through skill malesiya website there mentioned about My course & same college name , which is I enrolled for course.
   Now will see wht will happened? But I am very positive but still confused.

Thanks...

The Malaysia Immigration has stopped giving dependent passes against PVP's (professional visit pass) now.
Dependent pass for spouse/kids/parents are allowed only against Employment pass

Anyone can tell me, how is the job market for foreigners in kulalampur for Hotel industry (Hospitality).
    Because I am coming KL nxt month on student pass.

9999 - well if you get the student visa in your passport you cant change it directly to an foreign worker pass without getting it cancelled by immigration (only one type of visa can be valid at any one time), leaving the country, and the employer making an application through the Foreign Worker online system. You would get a Visa with Reference and arrive back in KL for medical etc. and issuance of FW pass. You would have to pay for all the immigration processes (approximately RM6k)

Thanks Gravitas very much.
  But I am coming overthere on student pass with skillmalesiya invite programme of Malesiya government for international students.
   So I will get paid internship in local hotel industry by College.
Thanks again

9999 Yes you have told us all that about 10 times already in different threads. But you dont seem to get it.

I am telling you the process if you find work (which you asked about) while you are on a student visa (working illegally in Malaysia).

So now you know that even if you find work, what process will have to take place. There is a little bit of job movement, but not while you have a student visa. No-one else will accept it and employ you. The college is breaking the law. I hope for your sake that after you have paid all your money and got here, there is actually a hotel job for you and its not just one huge scam.

But Gravitas, I already send my documents to skill malesiya invite Authorities on their email addresses. Which Documents I received from college.
      After 1 week  government said all the documents its genuine. This  student visa from Dipartment of skilled. Also approved by Humans resource Dipartment of Malesiya. All the information mention on skill malesiya website.
   So how u r telling its illegal?

What I am telling you - for the 10th time - is that although the college is enrolling you on a "course" they are actually farming you out after 3 months to work for 2 years in a local hotel. That part is illegal. The college is breaking the rules. You cannot work on a student visa but you can be on an internship but it cannot be longer than 6 months maximum - that is the rules. So regardless of the documents you have, the college is breaking the law and will get found out eventually and everyone on the "internship" illegal course, will be rounded up and deported.

By the way, how can you tell the documents you are being shown are not fakes? I sincerely hope its a proper email address and not a gmail or yahoo, or hotmail address. If you are paying money for any of this, it is obviously illegal because no college requires large fees from students for visas/passes. Passes actually only cost less than RM100 processing fee paid to immigration. First you get a visa with reference from the Malayian High Commission in India and that allows you to travel to Malaysia. The visa is applied after you arrive in Malaysia into your passport - so proof of what's been going on.

hi tasmina....how r u?hope all is well....im also planning to get settled in kl with my wife and son very soon...hopefully insallah by 30th march...so if u need any help u can send me msg...

Hello everyone,

I hope this message finds you all well. I do apologize in advance if I am posting in the wrong thread. I am Gary from Mauritius and I did 7 years of study in Malaysia (my bachelor's degree and my masters' degree). Having graduated in December 2014, I secured a job in the private sector around the same time. By securing a job, I mean here: interviews and work contract already done, but no working permit yet.

Therefore, I went back to my country to wait for the calling visa for my new employment. A few days ago, my new employer contacted me, telling me that the employment pass process has been put on hold due to my student visa still being active. I was asked to contact my university to get them to cancel it immediately. However, as I spoke to the manager of the university's visa department, I was told to come to the university in Malaysia, to do a physical cancellation. Also I was asked to bring a "work permit approval from MDEC." Well, honestly, my new employer just gave me the contract.

As you can see, the first part requires me to cancel my visa to get the work permit to be processed, the second requires me to get an MDEC work permit approval to be able to cancel my student visa. Which version is correct? I don't want to purposely go to Malaysia, to cancel my student visa, just for them to tell me I don't have the necessary docs. Any advice?

Thanks for your kind help 
cheers
Gary

Gary. Pan86 - the student pass is actually cancelled in the passport, so the passport is needed. If you want the help of the University (please question how they can help without your passport?) then you will have to ask if the MDEC approval letter has been issued.  That depends on how far your Employment Pass application has progressed?  Have MDEC issued the letter i.e. you are approved as the candidate for a particular job and then found a problem existed. When you know this you will be able to see which way to go. Another possible solution is to take your passport to the High Commission in Mauritius so they may be able to cancel the student visa (ring them to equire). I think not, but definiitely worth enquiring.

LESSON OF THE DAY - Always get your passes cancelled if you leave early.

Dear Gravitas,

Thank you very much for your answer. I understand your point, regarding the student pass being in the passport. I have asked the new employer about the approval of work permit by MDEC, and waiting for their answer which should come by tomorrow. And regarding the High Commission of Malaysia in Mauritius, I'll give a call tomorrow. Like you said, it's worth inquiring while waiting. 

Let me gather my answers from different parties, and I'll let you know of the updates. Thanks for your help and advice. Cheers

Dear Sir,
Thanks for your suggestion. Yes, finally I'm coming on 10th April with a tourist visa and hope that, I'll be able to manage a job to get a valid permit and start a career over there. would you please link me if you do know about any available job?

Thanking,
Tasmina

Tasmina - you must do some web searches on the various international schools in KL and then send in your CV and application letter before you leave for Malaysia. You can tell them you are available for interview during the validity of your tourist visa. You must act now because there are closing dates for the vacancies. Just Google "International Schools Malaysia" or use this list: http://schooladvisor.my/schools/

You must be very very proactive to make this work.

this news is really helpful and hopeful too, Thanks.

I'm already in KL. Whenever I face any interview, the employer becomes impressed. But when they know that, I'm in tourist status, they start ignoring me the way, as if I were a ghost! What to do? How to get a good job or pass?

Dear Tasmina,

Please send me, in a private message your email address

Regards

.

hello

this s shruthi frm india.

m looking for job in malaysia n my close fren s in kl along wid her family n i hav plans of residing at her place.

my confusion s wat to be done now...

can i go der on a visiting visa n search for a job n if i get a job wat s d next process to b done..

shud i return back to my country or get my wrkin visa done in malaysia.

plz help me out wid dis...

if u no any agents who can help me getting job over der plz do suggest me.

.

nemodat i am sry this is the short forms used while texting,to save time and text length,my english is far better i believe but anyways thanks for your info given it was helpfull.

gravitas really ur info was helpfull to me and gav me postive answer by not lettinh me down thank you so much.

can you help me out if you know any consultancy who does interview online and appoint for the job,or agents who can help us getting job in malaysia while i go there on a visiting visa.

Ashavi - you don't say what kind of job you are qualified to do?  So I will suggest you look at Emerio Malaysia as they have lots of different types of work, although a lot of it is related to IT companies.

http://job-search.jobstreet.com.my/mala … -bhd-jobs/

You can make a search on the left hand side.

I didn't believe earlier when I got to know from this blog that, getting a job is so tough in Malaysia. I went there, stayed for 4 months, got few after school teaching jobs as well. But could not arrange work permit. So returned . It's really frustrating. Just because of not having work permit, the employers of International schools just avoided me though they admitted my teaching skill  and evaluated my 15 yrs of teaching experiences. Why they will bring for me work permit, which also costs a lot when there are many more native English speakers roaming around with permit for the same job? !

Hi

I am from India and recently received an offer of employment in Malaysia (Prnang).

Initially they said they would take some time to process visa but now due to client requirements they are asking me to first travel on business visa. Is business visa same as PVP?

I heard that we cannot bring dependents to Malaysia on PVP and also we are not allowed to draw Malaysian salary on PVP.

Is it possible to start and secure DP10 visa while I am working on PVP?

How much time does this DP10 Visa take?

Regards
Misbah

Hi what thet are doing is illegal and will cause you issues in the future. Especially as an indian citizen. They should dollow procedure.

Let me guess they are underpaying you and getting hassles getting employment passes. Low pay and dodgy employment practices are the usual reasons for a delay. Legit companies get employment pass in a week.

Thanks a lot for quick reply.

I will make sure that they follow procedure and if not, at least give complete information on what type of visa
they are planning to take and how they intend to upgrade to DP10.

Will ask if anything is needed. Thanks again.

Hi

Also is there any way to know if their company is registered as Sdn Bhd (Malaysian version of Inc.,  I guess?

In their offer letter they had mentioned it as Sdn Bhd though.

Regards
Misbah

(Special attention to Gravitas, but others are most welcome to comment and help out )
Hi,

I'm currently in my last semester of college in Malaysia and I've applied for a management trainee internship at St Regis Langkawi. They accepted me and will send me an offer letter soon. The problem I'm facing is that my student visa expires in June 2017 whereas the management trainee program requires me to stay with the hotel for a minimum of 12 -14 months. I really want this job and don't want to lose this wonderful opportunity. During the interview, I remember they brought up this matter and advised me to use my university as means to extending my visa so that I can work for upto 12-14 months. They said even they have problems (as foreigners) in applying for the work permit. In doing so, I found out that this is not possible since my university has registered the hospitality program with EMGS for 3.5 years. Therefore, even if I apply for an extension in visa, EMGS would deny it since my studies have completed already.

So this brings me to the topic of applying for a work permit. From what I understand from the previous comments, you can only have one permit (Student or Work) in your passport at a time. What happens in June 2017 when my visa expires? What can be done so that I can continue with this program? Could you please lay out all the options I have at the moment?

Also, I heard that one has to return to his country of origin in order to apply for work permit. I'll be returning back to India for 4.5 weeks for sem break, can I utilize my time in India to apply for a work permit that can allow me to work as a trainee at the St Regis? What do you think?

If all else fails, then I still have the option of switching to the 6 month internship (as backup) and being absorbed and then working my way up to managerial position. However, I am giving strong preference towards them management trainee program and would like you to keep this in mind while you help me with my situation.

Try to reply as soon as possible.
Thanks so much