Malaysia requires companies to submit projection applications to sponsor Professional Visit Pass (PVP) and Employment Pass (EP) applications. The projection delineates the need of the company to hire foreign workers.
The projection application is assessed and approved at the discretion of ESD and/or MDEC, based on the projection number and relevant justification submitted. The projection application can be submitted throughout the year, if necessary.
What Should You Do?
Companies in Malaysia registered with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation Sdn. Bhd. should submit their EP projections as soon as the submission period opens, which is expected to happen soon.
Although there is no deadline for submission, affected employers who do not have approved projections for 2020 cannot submit initial or renewal work pass applications until they obtain the required approval.
Foreign nationals already in Malaysia may need to exit if their new work passes cannot be obtained prior to the expiry of the current one.
- 2019 numbers will be no longer be valid. Approved PVP and EP projection numbers granted in 2019 will not be valid in 2020, even if there are unutilized numbers left.
- Processing timeline. The projection application by ESD can take up to 10 business days to process from the date of submission of the application. However, this timeline may be longer due to upcoming holiday closures and the expected high volume of projection applications during this month.
Companies that do not have approved projections for 2020 will not be able to submit initial and renewal PVP and EP applications until they obtain the required projection approval. Foreign nationals already in Malaysia under a PVP or EP may need to leave Malaysia if they cannot obtain a new work pass before their current one expires.
Our Advice
Should you have any questions or for case specific information, please contact a Wolfsdorf Rosenthal immigration attorney or email the WR Global Immigration team Global@Wolfsdorf.com
