Employers in Malaysia can apply for foreign workers' visa extension from 15 Feb to 30 Sep 2022

Once approved, the visa extension is valid for four months from the approval date, and employers are not required to apply for a MyTravel Pass (MTP) for the foreign worker.

From 15 February 2022 (Tuesday) to 30 September 2022 (Friday), eligible employers in Malaysia can apply for an extension of visa for foreign workers (visa dengan rujukan, or VDR) in various sectors at the Immigration Department (Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia, or JIM). This information was released by JIM on 26 January 2022 (Wednesday).

According to Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia, to be considered 'eligible', employers must be those:

• Who have an issued VDR letter dated from 1 November 2019 until 31 December 2020 and/or,
• Who have made VDR payments for the period of 1 November 2019 to 31 December 2020, but have not had the VDR letter printed.

Therefore, to apply for a VDR extension from 15 February to 30 September 2022, eligible employers must:

• Obtain an extension of the letter of conditional approval (surat kelulusan bersyarat, or SKB) for the employment of foreign workers at Malaysia's One-Stop Centre (OSC);
• Submit a valid biomedical examination report, insurance package (including COVID-19 coverage), and a new foreign workers' health insurance scheme (skim perlindungan insurans kesihatan pekerja asing, or SPIKPA), which those in the plantation sector are not required to do, and
• Be present at the immigration department either at the headquarters in Putrajaya, or at the state immigration office to submit the required documents.

The department further noted that the extension period of the VDR letter is valid for four months from the date the letter is issued. Additionally, employers are not required to apply for a MyTravel Pass (MTP) for foreign workers who have been issued a new VDR letter or extension.

[ALSO READ: A guide to applying for Malaysia's spousal, long-term social visit, and professional tour passes]

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