Strictly speaking there’s no such thing as a residence visa in Malaysia. A work permit (sometimes called an employment pass) allows you to remain in Malaysia for a stated period of time (at least one year, usually two) to work for a particular company. If you change jobs, you can’t take this work permit with you and your new employer will have to make a fresh application. Your work permit and family members’ dependent passes will be issued at the same time. The passes will be valid for the same period as your work permit, which allow them to stay in Malaysia but not to work.

It’s up to the company that wishes to employ you to satisfy the government’s conditions for employing an expatriate in a given post. Immigration department guidelines state that expatriates should be at least 27 years old (for IT posts this is set at 21 years) in line with Malaysia’s policy that expatriates should be qualified and experienced in their field. These guidelines are not hard and fast rules and it is possible for younger expatriates to be issued work permits if the company can demonstrate their suitability for the position. For a new application, the minimum contract is two years and the minimum salary is RM3,000 per month. When your employer applies for your work permit, you will need to provide a full copy (every page) of your passport, your CV and academic/professional certificates alongside a passport photo.

Work permits are usually renewed for a total of 10 years, after which your employer will have to make a special application to have the permit renewed and this will be done on a year by year basis. Fees for issuing and renewing a work permit will usually be paid by your employer, but the cost is RM200 or RM300 depending on how your post is categorised. Once your work permit is issued, you can employ a foreign maid. See domestic help for more information on how to do this.