Lead time to get Employment Pass and subsequent entry visa

2 months is the average time to complete formalities that allow you to depart from India. Please search on the forum as this is under discussion in various other threads. EP Category III can take the longest as it requires a medical as well as a VDR (single entry)

It is not permitted to arrive on a Tourist Visa to take up employment in Malaysia.

https://esd.imi.gov.my/portal/pdf/TC-ES … r-2017.pdf

The quickest reported on this forum has been 6 weeks.

The reason is the multi-level approvals needed:

1. Staffing Plan
2. Quota
3. Regulatory Bodies
4. Approving Agencies
5. Immigration (Malaysia)*
6. Security check
7. Health check
8. Immigration (e.g. VDR from Malaysian consulate in India)

If you are bringing spouse and children make sure all required documents mentioned in the link above are authenticated according to requirements. (Entering on tourist visas is not advisable and best they arrive on VDRs. This is because TV only give 30 days per entry.) There is also a RM500 "Journey Performed" charge per application if arriving without VDR.

Also check on what is needed for Indian Driving Licence. The Indian High Commission in KL website has lots of information as well as BSL

*Proof no local Malaysian candidates were available is also necessary at this phase.

Thanks Gravitas for the detailed information. Mine is EP category I and the agent handling the EP process has advised a lead time of 7-10 working days to get the EP approved.

OK Let us know how long it takes. The 6 week one was also a Category I

It's unusual for an Agent to do the hiring process for a Category I and the company would usually do it themselves because it costs them only RM300 to apply through ESD. The VDR approval to be taken to the Malaysian consulate is issued quickest with an online ESD account.

VDR info: http://visaapplicationmalaysia.com/indi … uired.html

The agent is an MNC vendor for the hiring company and looks after all the immigration requirement for the hiring company. They have applied my EP online through ED.

I have also asked the concerned team to confirm if they already have applied for VDR or not. I shall keep posted on progress of my application.
Thanks heaps for all the information.

Hi Ranjeet,

You might also want to check if the company has a MSC status. In that case, the idea time taken is 9 days.

Best,
Ash

Hi Ash, yes the company has MSC Status. So 9 days including EP and visa or just the EP?
Thanks.

Ash - did you get your approval now?

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=747068

(MSC company application on c. 7th January)

An update from the agency handling my EP -
They have advised that my EP application would be reviewed by next week. Expected lead time is 5 working days. Once EP is approved they would share the VDR approval letter and after that I would need to apply for entry visa. This could take another 5 working days.

My EP application was submitted on 29th Jan and it was approved on 6th Feb.

Does it include the VDR approval or is it just the EP approval?

Yes, VDR is included. So effectively it took 5 days to get my EP and VDR letter (31st Jan and 1st Feb were public holidays in Kuala Lumpur)

Fragomen or whoever where your immigration agent did a good job.

Hi @Gravitas, what are the requirements for the Journey Performed Visa? Do you have a link to any official source? I'm trying to convince my company to issue it to me instead because I don't want to spend too much on tickets going back to home country.