Friday 10 April 2015

Guide to applying for a Long Term Social Visit Pass in Malaysia (Spouse Visa)




Step by step guide to apply for a Long Term Social Visit Pass in Malaysia 
(otherwise known as a Spouse Visa or Spouse Pass)

*** The information in this post may have been superceded. See my latest blog entries for most recent updates on applying for LTSVP/Spouse Pass***

A foreign national living in Malaysia and married to a Malaysian can apply for a long term social visit pass (LTSVP) which is a multiple entry pass for up to 5 years.

There are varying reports on how long you will be granted on initial application; the immigration officer told us that the initial pass runs for a period of one year and that the renewal pass will be for a period of five years. However it seems that some people only receive 6 months on the initial application followed by a 1 year pass upon first renewal. I don't know if the differences are based upon nationality of the applicant or other factors.

The LTSVP also allows the foreign national to work in Malaysia without having to convert their visa to a working visa. To do this first apply for the LTSVP itself then apply for a LTSVP work endorsement. 

LTSVP Application Process 

In theory the process is straightforward, but with lots of conflicting information online (including different versions of the forms on the Immigration website to those that the Immigration office hand out) it can be confusing, so I decided to write this guide to help other people going through the process!

When attending the immigration department clothing rules may be enforced e.g. no shorts/t-shirts/slippers/short skirts. You may be turned away if you are not dressed appropriately.

Step by Step guide: 

1) Go to Immigration to collect the checklist and forms. If you live in KL the Immigration Office is located near Publika / Solaris Dutamas on Jalan Duta at 69 Jalan Sri Hartamas 1. The building sign says "Kementerian Dalam Negeri" and there is free (but busy) parking. Opening hours are 730am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Some people report that at busy times applications have not been accepted in the afternoon, so you are best to go in the morning. Lunchtime is from 1pm to 2pm (Friday 1215pm to 245pm).  To find the office that deals with LTSVP applications enter though the main entrance, take the escalator up to Level 1 and go to the office at the rear of the building. Go to counter 24 (“Nombor Giliran”) to obtain the forms that you need to complete. 

2) Both the applicant and the Malaysian spouse should complete the Statutory Declaration and the Bond Form and then sign them in front of a Commissioner for Oaths (there is one on the ground floor at the Jalan Duta centre). The amount of the bond varies depending on the country of applicant. Details of the current bond amounts can be found on the Immigration website.

3) Both the applicant and the Malaysian spouse go to LHDN (a short drive from Publika at Blok 9, Kompleks Bangunan Kerajaan, Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur. We parked on the road). Find the Stamp Duty office on the ground floor and go to the counter on your right and ask for form PDS1. There are examples on their wall to show you how to fill out the form. Once completed take a ticket from the counter. When your number is called you pay RM10 stamp duty and have the Bond Form stamped. Opening hours are 745am to 345pm Monday to Friday. (They are closed for lunch. Friday lunch is 1215pm to 245pm). There is also a branch at UTC Pudu Sentral (above Puduraya bus station) which will stamp documents up until 5pm.

4) Complete all of the other forms (including Form Imm.55 which although is an extension request is also required for a first application). Gather together the remaining documents and supporting information requested on the checklist. Although the checklist only asks for 1 copy of Form Imm.12 we were asked to fill out 2 copies!

5) Both the applicant and the Malaysian spouse go to Immigration with all of the requested documents. Take a ticket (from counter 24 again) and await your turn. When your number is called the officer will check your forms and ask you to wait. After about 1 hour we were called back to the desk by the officer and given a confirmation print out and asked to return after a certain date (2 weeks later in our case).

6) The applicant returns to Immigration (the Malaysian spouse doesn’t need to go) to pay the bond.  Don’t forget to bring your passport, the confirmation print out plus funds in cash. Funds required in my case were RM1,500 for the bond (UK national) plus RM90 for 1 year pass – total RM1,590. The bond amounts for other nationalities can be found on the Immigration website. *I have had feedback in the comments section below that as from 2016 the yearly charges have been increased and that there is also an additional RM510 processing fee - please check with immigration when you first visit to find out the current charges* Go to counter 24 to collect a ticket. Your number will be called and you will hand your confirmation form and passport to the officer. You will then wait again for your number to be called to go to the payment counter (be aware that tickets for the payment counter are not called in order). Pay the bond and fee (cash only - there is a Bank Islam ATM on the ground floor if you need it). You will be given a receipt for the bond and a receipt for the fee. You then have to go to the ground floor to have a photocopy taken of the bond receipt (no copy of the fee receipt is needed). Go back upstairs and once your number is called again you will hand over the photocopy of the bond receipt and be given your passport with the pass entered in it.  Check the correct pass and period has been given.

The bond is apparently refundable when you leave Malaysia for good; make sure you keep the original receipt safely. 

If you have found this information useful, please say thanks by buying me a coffee by clicking on this link:

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Thanks!

Thursday 9 April 2015

Guide to Renewal of Long Term Social Visit Pass in Malaysia (Spouse Visa)


Step by step guide to renewing Long Term Social Visit Pass in Malaysia 
(otherwise known as a Spouse Visa or Spouse Pass)

*** The information in this post may have been superceded. See my latest blog entries for most recent updates on renewal of LTSVP/Spouse Pass***

You can renew your LTSVP for up to 5 years, depending on your passport expiry date. Some have reported that if you were only granted a 6 month initial pass that you will only be given a 1 year pass upon first renewal. I decided to write this guide to help other people seeking information on the process!

I renewed my pass a little over one month before the expiry of my current pass. The unexpired month was added to my new pass.

One person has reported that immigration would only deal with their renewal within the last 2 weeks of their initial pass - that person had a 6 month initial pass, so whether that has a bearing on it (as opposed to my 1 year initial pass) I do not know. To be on the safe side (and to avoid a wasted trip) you are probably best to time your renewal so that you visit Immigration in the last 2 weeks of your initial pass.

I went through the renewal process at the Jalan Duta Centre in KL - the process may be slightly different if you are using another state office.

When attending the immigration department clothing rules may be enforced e.g. no shorts/t-shirts/slippers/short skirts. You may be turned away if you are not dressed appropriately.

For the renewal the following forms need to be completed:

1) Statutory Declaration that the marriage is still subsisting (to be signed in front of a Commissioner for Oaths) (1 copy) with 1 photo each of the applicant & Malaysian spouse affixed to it

2) Form Imm.38 (1 copy)

3) Form Imm.55 (1 copy) 

You can get the forms from Immigration

Also bring the following:
Photocopy of applicant’s Passport
Photocopy of current pass
Photocopy of Malaysian spouse’s Identification Card (both sides)
Photocopy of Marriage Certificate
Also bring the originals in case Immigration wants to see them. 

If you are requesting a renewal of the work endorsement, bring a copy of your employment contract in case it is asked for. Ensure your employment contract has the "Stamp Duty" stamp on it.

Step by Step guide: 

1) Complete all the forms. Both the applicant and the Malaysian spouse should complete the Statutory Declaration and then sign it in front of a Commissioner for Oaths (we used the one downstairs at the Jalan Duta centre which costs RM4)

2) Both the applicant and the Malaysian spouse go to Immigration with all of the requested documents. Go to the counter called “Nombor Gilirang” (counter 24) and obtain a number. Await your turn (we waited around an hour). When your number is called the officer will check your forms and supporting documents. We were then given a confirmation print out and asked to return after 3 working days. We found that a good time to arrive at Immigration is 11am as we avoided the morning rush and then the officers hurry to get through the other numbers before lunch. From arriving to leaving took us around 1 and a half hours. Some people report that at busy times applications have not been accepted in the afternoon, so you are best to go in the morning.

3) The applicant returns to Immigration (the Malaysian spouse doesn’t need to go) to pay the fee.  Bring your passport, the confirmation print out plus funds in cash. Funds required are RM90 per year of the pass granted, but you should check what the current charges are with the Immigration office, in case the amount has changed. Go to counter 24 to collect a ticket. Your number will be called and you will hand your confirmation form and passport to the officer. You will then wait again for your number to be called to go to the payment counter (be aware that tickets for the payment counter are not called in order). Pay the fee (cash only - there is a Bank Islam ATM on the ground floor if you need it). You will be given a receipt for the fee; wait for your number to be called again at which point you will be given your passport with the pass entered in it. Check the correct pass and period has been given. I went to Immigration around 1130 am and the entire process took around 1 and a half hours.

If you have found this information useful, please say thanks by buying me a coffee by clicking on this link:

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Thanks!

Wednesday 1 April 2015

Guide to Malaysian Wedding Process for a foreigner - getting married in Malaysia




Step by step guide to Malaysian Wedding Process for a foreigner

For a foreign national to get married in Malaysia to a Malaysian national it is necessary to follow the procedures laid out by the National Registration Department (JPN).

This is reasonably straightforward but is time consuming and there does appear to be much conflicting information online, so I decided to write this guide to help other people going through the process!

I (husband) am a British citizen and my wife is Malaysian. We live in KL and wanted to get married in KL but as my wife’s IC card still shows her as a resident of Selangor we had to follow certain procedures which may not apply to you if your circumstances are not the same as ours. 

The following information only applies to non-Muslim weddings – if either of you are Muslim then you should refer to the JPN website.

When attending JPN or Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) there are strict clothing rules e.g. no shorts/t-shirts/slippers/short skirts. You may be turned away if you are not dressed appropriately.

Step by Step guide:

1) Have a Statutory Declaration drawn up (an example I used can be downloaded from here) which the foreign national should complete before signing it in front of a Commissioner for Oaths (there is one at the Jalan Duta Centre which is located near Publika at 69 Jalan Sri Hartamas 1. The building sign says "Kementerian Dalam Negeri". There is free car parking). RM6

2) Make an appointment with the British High Commission (BHC) for a marriage letter. Bring both passports and the Statutory Declaration with you. Only the British citizen needs to attend. The letter cost a rather eye-watering RM357.50! Note that this fee has now increased; see this link for current rates. If you are not a British citizen then you should refer to your own Embassy/High Commission

3) Bring the BHC letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Putrajaya to get it endorsed (there is no need for the Malaysian citizen to attend). I suggest you get there for 7am so you are first in line. RM20

4) Both go to JPN in Putrajaya for a letter addressed to JPN in KL for permission to marry in KL (this was only necessary for us as my wife’s home state is shown as Selangor on her IC and we wanted to get married in KL and not Selangor) RM30

5) Both go to JPN at the Jalan Duta centre to fill out form KC02 and put in your notice of marriage and set a date for your wedding for between 6 months and 21 days (If you are going to JPN HQ in Putrajaya to request No. 4 above then this can also be done at the same time there). You should bring with you the following:

- Statutory Declaration
- Letter from BHC (including endorsement from MFA)
- Letter from JPN HQ (not needed in all cases, see point 4) above)
- Birth Certificate of foreign national (& photocopy)
- Passport Photo of each person
- Passports (& photocopies)
- Photocopy of entry stamp to Malaysia for foreign national (You must have entered Malaysia at least 7 days beforehand – your application will be rejected if you don’t comply with this!)
- IC of Malaysian national (plus photocopy of both sides)

You may need to pay for a translator to translate part of the forms from English into Malay. In Putrajaya we were sent to the Palace of Justice (Kompleks Kehakiman) to do this – it is not expensive and is just a short walk from JPN but it took quite a long time. There is probably a similar service at the Jalan Duta centre but the JPN staff should be able to guide you on this. 

6) If you are getting married other than at JPN you will need to complete form KC01E. The wedding appointment will be confirmed 2 weeks beforehand. At that point one of you should go to JPN and pay the registrar fees of RM530, plus a further fee of RM180 if you are getting married other than at JPN. You will need to provide copies of passports/IC of your 2 witnesses (who must be over 21 & Malaysian residents). You can also ask for additional copies of your wedding certificate to be issued (RM10 per copy)

7) On your wedding day bring your passports/IC. The witnesses should also bring their passports/IC. Make sure you get some photos which also show the registrar in them – this will help when you are making your application for a Long Term Social Visit Pass (spouse visa)

This process may change, so I recommend that you check for current information on the
JPN website


If you have found this information useful, please say thanks by buying me a coffee by clicking on this link:

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Thanks!