I remember, when I first step into Malaysia as a a foreign spouse here, I was quite worried on how to get a job and at the same time on how to process it for a so called "work permit" since I am holding a different visa at that point in time.
I was so worried with the stated mark in my passport that says “any form of employment is strictly prohibited”. But this worry was lossen up when i managed to get a job and i was able to process my visa for a "work endorsement".
I think, this article should be good enough to allow our fellow foreign spouses out there to not be worried and just be well informed on how we can obtain legal documents form the Immigration Office to be legally working individual in this country to support our family needs.
I have documented this so that other hiring companies will not be burdened on how to settle these issues to a potential candidate that can give added value to their company. I hope that this is a proof that any Malaysian Spouses who are qualified for a job in Malaysia shall not be restricted with what has been stated into our multiple visa entry pass.
This transaction of mine was conducted at the immigration office in Setia Tropika in Johor Bahru. It may be different from other estates, but I guess the bottom-line procedures are still the same.
I have listed here the documents that I've submitted which I think should be good enough for everyone to have an understanding about the process. But for other foreign spouses out there, I would suggest you to visit your immigration office to find out the requirement they need to process your documents.
Here are the documents that I have submitted to them:
Form 1M12 which you need to get at the Immigration Office
Offer letter from your hiring company
Photocopy of your first page passport including visas
Photo copy of our marriage cert in my home country and the re-registration of our marriage in Malaysia. Please take note that these document must be authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia in Putrajaya. But if you have your previous copy from your first application, you should use that.
Letter from your Malaysian spouse that he/she allows you to work.
Photocopy of your Malaysians spouse IC.
2 pcs. passport size collared photos with blue or white background of me and my Malaysian Spouse.
Company Form 24, 49 and SSM. These documents shall be provided by your company either in Photocopy or with a remark of a True Copy which was authenticated by your company lawyer, or by a Commissioner on Oath.
How did I go through the proceed?
Step 1. Get the Registration Forms
Before we proceed with the processing, we went to the immigration office three weeks before our application to get all the requirements which I have listed above. We just presented our passport and the officer had given us the forms to fill-up.
The immigration officer (Indian Lady) was also very helpful at that point in time. I had asked her some questions about the application process and she was very helpful. I guess, for us who are applying for this, our tone should be at least in a "requesting tone" and not a "demanding tone". Learn to be polite at all times.
Step 2. Proceed for the Commissioner on Oath about Your Documents
We went to a nearby Commissioner on Oath in Setia Tropika. It nearby the Immigration office building. The cost per transaction is RM4. If the queue is long, you don’t have to worry as the transaction is very fast. It will only take less than 5 minutes.
Step 3. Get to the Immigration office to submit your documents
Proceed to Level 10 inside the Immigration building. Queue up to get your number. It is advisable for you go there early in the morning since immigration is quite packed every day. If you are early, you also have the advantage of getting a good parking space.
The immigration will ask your purpose before he/she will give you your number. Then the officer will check your documents. If it’s not complete, they will ask you to complete it before proceeding to the next step.
Step 4. Submission of your documents
Once your number is called, you will be asked to sit down together with your spouse to submit to the immigration officer on that day all the documents that you have.
You need to have the original documents to prove that everything is genuine. Once everything is okay, you need to wait for your number again to be called for the next step.
The immigration officer will take also your passport including the IC of your Malaysian Spouse, so don't worry about it.
Step 5. Payment I am not sure for this since, during my work endorsement transaction way back in 2017, I didn’t pay anything. And when I did again this year (2019), I saw in the receipt that there is no payment since I did it together with the renewal of my spouse visa. But just to be safe, you should prepare yourself with sufficient cash on hand (maybe just less than RM100) just in case.
The Immigration officer at the counter shall give back to you the IC of your Malaysian spouse once you’ve done paying your bills for that particular transaction.
Step 6. Releasing of Passport
Wait for your number to be called. Be mindful that this will take time. You just need to wait for your number. It may take about 2-3 hours depending on the number of applicants on that day.
By the way, your position in your company will be reflected into your work endorsement passport chop and usually it expired based on the expiration of your multiple visa entry/ spouse visa in Malaysia.
Make sure that you don’t leave the immigration office without your passport. If it required to be picked up the following day, you should get any proof that your passport is with them and that you will be collecting on the following day (depending on the number of days it requires). They will provide you a document.
What’s new in this office?
Compared to 2017, there are a lot of applicants. If I’m not mistaken, it would have been doubled the size of the applicants. It’s very packed and the aircon is not enough to provide good ventilation inside the immigration office (hope this can be improved).
Wearing shorts and inappropriate attires like slippers, shorts, miniskirts and the like are not allowed during the process.
You can buy candy packs of RM1.00 in front of the immigration tables (Counter 2 and 3). I guess this was anticipated so that it will help parents to buy snacks for their kids who cannot wait for the long waiting hours.
They also have sliced fruits inside the office. All you have to do it pay it by your own self. This requires honesty. So bear in mind to have a small amount of money in your wallet to pay the sliced of fruits. It’s about RM1-2 per plastic.
They have a nursing room for breastfeeding mothers and the toilet is still at the ground level.
You are allowed to eat inside as the queue is really long. The immigration officers are also friendly despite the long hours for both the applicants and the immigration officers.
I hope that this article could help you to make your transaction smooth and to avoid any unnecessary delays when you apply for your own work endorsements once you got a job to sustain your family needs.
So that’s for now, folks, Stay tuned again on my next update.