Beginning October 1, Malaysia will require e-filing for its Professional Visit Pass (PVP) applications. PVP holders may work in Malaysia for up to 12 months while remaining on foreign payroll, but they must be sponsored by a registered Malaysian company.

This filing change also applies to companies under Malaysia’s Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) that have MSC Malaysia status. These companies had previously been able to file PVP applications with the e-Xpats Service Center and must now register with the Expatriate Services Division (ESD).

As of last week, the Immigration Department stopped accepting manual PVP filings, but has not provided guidance on how to file PVP applications online via its ESD website. All companies – including MDec companies – seeking to file PVP applications should register through the ESD portal as soon as possible. The current wait time for ESD registration is six to eight weeks, but will likely become longer. Given the change in filing process and lack of guidance, employers should expect PVP application processing delays.