Malaysia Temporary Employment Pass

Complete guide to obtaining a temporary employment pass in Malaysia

A Temporary Employment Pass for Malaysia is issued to semi-skilled or unskilled workers in certain approved sectors.  There are two categories of Temporary Employment Passes which the Malaysian government issues:

  • To foreign workers in the sectors of manufacturing, construction, plantation, agriculture and services.
  • To Foreign Domestic Helpers (FDH).

Additionally, Malaysia Temporary Employment Pass holders must adhere to the age, nationality, and sex requirements based on the specific profession.

Who is Eligible for a Malaysia Temporary Employment Pass for Foreign Workers?

You are eligible for a Temporary Employment Pass for Malaysia if you meet the following requirements:

  • You will work in one of the following sectors
    • Construction
    • Plantation
    • Agriculture
    • Services
    • Manufacturing
  • You are from one of the following countries:
    • Bangladesh (only allowed to work in the Plantation sector)
    • Cambodia
    • India (not allowed to work in the Manufacturing sector)
    • Indonesia (male workers are not allowed to work in the Manufacturing sector)
    • Kazakhstan
    • Laos
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Philippines (female workers are not allowed to apply for any sector)
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • Turkmenistan
    • Uzbekistan
    • Vietnam
  • You are between 18 and 45 years of age.
  • You have undergone a medical examination by an approved medical centre and are cleared as healthy and fit to work.
  • Your employer has obtained a foreign worker quota from Ministry of Home Affairs, One Stop Centre (OSC).
  • You have undergone Immigration Security Clearance (ISC) verification in an ISC Centre in your country.

How to apply for a Malaysia Temporary Employment Pass for Foreign Workers

It is your employer who applies for your Temporary Employment Pass at the Immigration Department of Malaysia before your arrival. The process for obtaining a Temporary Employment Pass is as follows:

Getting the Visa Approval Letter

Before you can travel to Malaysia, your employer has to get a Visa Approval Letter for you from the Immigration Department of Malaysia. The type of visa you must apply for in your home country is a Visa With Reference, which means you need the approval (reference) letter from the Immigration Department. To apply for the Visa Approval Letter, your employer must:

  • Get your Immigration Security Clearance (ISC) verification results from an ISC centre in your home country.
  • Get the foreign worker quota approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • Submit the application along with the required documents (see below) at the Immigration Department of Malaysia, in person or through the e-Service.

Once the Immigration Department issues the Visa Approval Letter, you must apply for the Malaysia Visa With Reference.

Applying for the Malaysia Visa With Reference

You need the Malaysia Visa With Reference to be allowed to enter the country. You can apply for it at the nearest Malaysian Representative Office (an embassy or consulate).

Check the website of the embassy/consulate to learn about the Malaysia visa requirements and the office’s opening hours.

After you receive the Malaysia Visa With Reference, only then, you can travel to Malaysia.

Applying for the Temporary Employment Pass

After you arrive in Malaysia, you must undergo FOMEMA medical examination within 30 days. You can apply for a Malaysia Temporary Employment Pass only after you get your FOMEMA medical examination results.

You apply for the Pass at the Immigration Department of Malaysia and you and your employer must pay for the Temporary Employment Pass fee and a security bond.

If your Temporary Employment Pass is approved, you will receive a sticker on your passport as well as a foreign workers identification card (i-Kad), which allow you to work and live in Malaysia.

Documents Required for a Malaysia Temporary Employment Pass for Foreign Workers

When your employer applies for the Temporary Employment Pass Visa Approval Letter from the Immigration Department, they must submit the following documents:

  • The Visa With Reference application form (forms IM.12 and IM.38).
  • The quota approval letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs
  • Copy of your passport.
  • Passport-size picture of you, in line with Malaysia photo requirements.
  • Your medical results from a medical center in your country. The results must be valid for three months from the date they are issued.
  • Your ISC verification results.
  • Receipt they have paid the foreign worker levy.
  • The security bond.
  • Foreign Worker Compensation Insurance Scheme.
  • Health insurance (Health Insurance Protection Scheme Foreign Workers (SPIKPA)).

Conditions, duration and extension of the Temporary Employment Pass

If you receive a Temporary Employment Pass for Malaysia as a foreign worker, you must adhere to the following conditions:

  • You cannot change employers or the employment sector
  • You cannot get married in Malaysia, with a Malaysian citizen or foreigner
  • You cannot work as a front liner
  • You cannot bring your family members with you

The duration of the Malaysia Temporary Employment Pass is 12 months initially, and it can be renewed/extended yearly for a maximum of 10 years.

Your employer must apply to renew your TEP three months before it expires. If they apply after expiry, the application will be denied.

Who is eligible for a Malaysia Temporary Employment Pass for Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH)

You are eligible for the Malaysia Temporary Employment Pass for Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH) if you meet the following requirements:

  • You are a woman, aged between 21 and 45.
  • You are a national of and living in one of the following countries:
    • Cambodia
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Laos
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • The Philippines
    • Vietnam
  • You are cleared as medically fit to work from an approved medical center.
  • You receive Immigration Security Clearance (ISC) verification from an ISC center in your country.

Additionally, you may only work for an employer who:

  • Meets the income requirements (at least RM3,000 to RM5,000)
  • Has children under 15 or
  • Has sick elderly parents

Your employer cannot hire more than one Foreign Domestic Helper, unless they have a valid reason.

How to apply for a Malaysia Temporary Employment Pass for Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH)

Your employer has to apply for approval from the Immigration Department before they can hire you and you arrive in Malaysia. Or, your employer could appoint an employment agency to apply on their behalf. The process of getting a Temporary Employment Pass for Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH) is as follows:

Applying for the Visa Approval Letter

Your employer must get approval from a State Immigration Office in Malaysia before you can apply for a visa in your home country.

They must submit the application and required documents (see below) in person at an Immigration Department Office.

If the Temporary Employment Pass for a Foreign Domestic Helper is approved, you will receive the Visa Approval Letter, clearing you to apply for the Visa With Reference.

Applying for the Malaysia Visa With Reference

You have to apply for the Visa With Reference in your home country at a Malaysian Representative Office (an embassy or consulate). The Visa With Reference entails you need a reference from the Immigration Office to apply (ie. the approval letter).

Once you receive your Visa With Reference, you can travel to Malaysia.

Applying for the Temporary Employment Pass for Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH)

After you enter Malaysia, you and your employer must go to an Immigration Office (such as a State Immigration Office or Immigration Headquarters) within one month and declare your presence. Within that month, you also have to undergo the FOMEMA medical examination.

Once you have completed these two steps, you can apply for the Temporary Employment Pass for Foreign Domestic Helper at the Immigration Department. You will receive a sticker on your passport, stating that you are allowed to work and the duration of the Pass.

Documents required for a Malaysia Temporary Employment Pass for Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH)

When your employer applies to get your visa for a Malaysia Temporary Employment Pass approved, they must have the following documents:

  • Foreign Domestic Worker application form (PRA1)
  • Visa application form (Form IM.12 and IM.38)
  • A personal bond form with a RM10.00 revenue stamp
  • 2 originals and 2 copies of the Contract of Employment form for a Foreign Domestic Helper signed by both parties and stamped with a RM10.00 revenue stamp.
  • Copy of your passport
  • Passport-size picture of you, in line with Malaysia photo requirements
  • Your medical health report, issued from a clinic in your home country and certified by a clinic approved by the Ministry of Health Malaysia
  • Copy of the employers’ identification cards (both spouses)
  • Marriage certificate for employers
  • Supporting documents for the employment of the foreign domestic helper, such as birth certificates of children, medical certificate for ill parents, etc.
  • Proof of income of the employers, such as EPF statements and pay slips for the past three months.
  • If the employer is non-Muslim: Include the two following forms available on the Immigration Department Malaysia website:
    • Declaration form for employing Muslim Foreign Domestic Helpers
    • Declaration form for Muslim Foreign Domestic Helpers
  • If the employer submits the application him/herself and not through an employment agency, they must include a Declaration Form which states they did not use registered agencies.

Conditions and duration of the Temporary Employment Pass for Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH)

The conditions of working in Malaysia as a Foreign Domestic Helper include:

  • You must only do household chores.
  • You must receive accommodation which includes the basic amenities.
  • Your employer must respect your religious beliefs and allow you to practice your religion, including fasting the Ramadan, praying 5 times a day, and not be forced to do chores which oppose your religious beliefs.
  • You cannot get married in Malaysia.
  • You cannot change employers or the employment sector unless the Immigration Department of Malaysia approved it.
  • You cannot apply for an Entry Permit.

The duration of a Malaysia Temporary Employment Pass for Foreign Domestic Helper is 12 months. Your employer can apply to extend the Pass three months before it expires.