The Malaysian government has stated that Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation registered employers should now file employment pass applications through the Xpats Gateway system.

Key Points:

• Effective April 24, all new and renewal applications for employment passes are required to be made through the Xpats Gateway system for MDEC registered companies.
• Companies are advised to use their existing MDEC Expats system login information.
• The Xpats Gateway system is now open to IT sectors; previously, it was open only to non-IT sectors.

Background: The government implemented the new Employment (Amendment) Act 2022 in order to protect local labor in Malaysia. MDEC is a government agency under the Ministry of Digital and was established in 1996 to lead Malaysia’s digital economy. The government launched a digital initiative to encourage and attract global talent and grow Malaysian businesses and the economy.

BAL Analysis: The Malaysian government intends for this updated procedure to be similar to the existing procedure for expatriate services division registered companies and to improve processing times for applicants.