IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Beginning June 1, MYXPats Centre will introduce application fees for Employment Pass, Dependant Pass and Social Visit Pass applications submitted online.

What does the change mean? The new government fees are in addition to existing filing fees charged by Malaysia’s Immigration Department.

  • Implementation time frame: June 1.
  • Visas/permits affected: Employment Passes, Dependant Passes, Social Visit Passes.
  • Who is affected: Foreign nationals applying for new and renewal passes through the Expatriate Services Division portal.
  • Business impact: Employers and applicants should factor the additional government fees into their budgets.

Background: MYXpats Centre announced the following application charges:

Application Type MyXpats charge, including tax
Employment Pass 318 ringgit (about US$77)
Dependant Pass 74.2 ringgit (about US$18)
Social Visit Pass 74.2 ringgit (about US$18)

The Centre indicated that the application fees are being introduced to improve services and to maintain processing times. According to the Centre, since it took over processing of pass applications in 2015, it has approved 74 percent of Employment Pass applications within five days.

BAL Analysis: Employers and foreign nationals should budget for the new government fees.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Malaysia. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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