FAQ

Iskandar Malaysia's generous land area, strategic location and abundant ready infrastructure and resources boosted for its region which covered under city council and local authorities in Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru (MBJB), Majlis Bandaraya Iskandar Puteri (MBIP), Majlis Bandaraya Pasir Gudang (MBPG), Majlis Perbandaran Kulai (MPK) and dedicated localities in Majlis Perbandaran Pontian (MPPn).

Company must be registered with:

Minimum paid-up capital

Application can only be submitted through online Cick Here Only approved companies able to login expatriate online application for submitting applications for hiring expatriate.

Please Click here to review the checklist.

Successfully registered employers will receive the following e-mail notifications

Expatriate relevant passes and its application can only be done by the company that intends to hire the expatriate. The company must be approved company via application being made through Click Here.

As of now, all citizens are allowed to apply for the Employment Pass (EP) & Professional Visit Pass (PVP). However, approval from Ministry of Home Affairs, Malaysia is required for Israel citizen to enter Malaysia.

As of now, there is no minimum age requirement for EP & PVP application.

To qualify for a Malaysia Employment Pass, you must meet the following requirements:

The review, validation and recommended decision are under the purview of Iskandar Malaysia Expatriate Committee (IMEC).

Application status is available in IRDA XPATNOVA and can be accessed by the Company Authorized Person. Kindly login to Click Here.
The Company Authorized Person will also be notified via the system. If the application is approved, the approval letter will be issued and can be printed directly from the system.

The Employment Pass approval letter has a validity period of 6 months from the date of issuance.

Dependent(s) applications can be submitted with expatriate application or may also add the dependent(s) later once the principal’s application is approved. The dependent(s) has an option either to enter Malaysia together with principal’s employment pass holder or to enter individually after main principal employment pass holder is in Malaysia.

Yes, you must register in XPATNOVA with minimum information and activate your account to apply for an Employment Pass. Please ensure your company’s address falls within the Iskandar Malaysia Region postcodes, which you can verify here

Visit the XPATNOVA website and create an account. Complete all required company information and submit the form. IRDA will process your registration and notify you through the system. Only approved applications can apply for passes related to expatriates through the XPATNOVA system.

If your company is already approved in ESD Online, you may proceed to submit the application. If not, your company must be assessed and approved by the committee before you can submit the EP application.

The registration status will be available within 3-5 working days, provided all required information is complete and no further details are requested by IRDA officers.

You will need to request the Supporting Letter through XPAT GATEWAY from the Supporting Agency listed in the system. If it is not available, contact [email protected] to request for the Support Agency to be listed in your system.

You will be notified through email and the application will be automatically routed to XPATNOVA system together with the Support Letter. You may proceed to apply EP by login in XPATNOVA and submit the application here.

The application status will be available within 3-5 working days if all required information is complete and no further details are requested by IRDA officers.

For other application, transactions and services (Professional Visit Pass (PVP) and Dependant Pass (DP), please access the relevant features at https://app.xpatnova.com.my

For more information, visit the IRDA site or contact them via phone at +6017 233 3018 / +607 233 3019 (Direct) or email at [email protected].

e-Invoice in XPATNOVA is a system enhancement that enables electronic invoicing in line with LHDN requirements. It allows invoicing information to be captured digitally and reused across transactions for better accuracy, efficiency, and compliance.

The e-Invoice feature will be implemented effective 1 January 2026.

As of now, there is no minimum age requirement for EP & PVP application.

All companies using XPATNOVA to submit applications and make payments are required to provide e-Invoice information.

If your organization does not have a TIN or SST number, you may select the checkbox “TIN is not available” or “SST is not available” in the system and proceed without entering a TIN or SST number.

No. The e-Invoice information only needs to be provided once and will be reused for future transactions unless changes are required.

Yes. Invoice notifications will continue to be sent via email. The e-Invoice record will be available within the XPATNOVA system.

If required information is incomplete, the system will prompt you to complete or update the information before payment can proceed.

Yes. Once saved, the information will be automatically applied to future transactions.

The e-Invoice will be issued by iTOOLS Sdn. Bhd., an authorised agent appointed by IRDA to collect processing fees through the XPATNOVA system.

This arrangement is consistent with the current invoicing practice, where invoices issued via XPATNOVA already reflect iTOOLS Sdn. Bhd. as the issuing entity.

Detailed guidance is available in the XPATNOVA e-Invoice User Manual.

The Revised Expatriate Salary Policy applies to all applications received on or after 1 June 2026.

Complete application submitted before 1 June 2026 will be assessed under the previous policy.

If an application is submitted and returned for incomplete documentation before 1 June 2026, it must be resubmitted within ninety (90) days from the returned date. Failure to do so will result in automatic cancellation of the application.

Revised Expatriate Salary Policy applies to all applications submitted on or after 1 June 2026.

For applications rejected at the expatriate committee meeting before 1 June 2026, a complete appeal application must be submitted within fourteen (14) days from the date of rejection.

A complete appeal application must be submitted before 15 June 2026 for it to be evaluated under the previous policy.

A succession plan is a structured plan by the employer to prepare local employees to replace expatriate roles within the stipulated employment period.

This plan may include the following:

• Identifying roles and responsibilities that will be taken over by local employees.
• Training and mentoring, including knowledge transfer from expatriates to local employees.
• An appropriate timeline to ensure local employees are ready with the required skills and capabilities; and
• Planning to ensure smooth operations, so the transition does not affect productivity or organisational performance.

The succession plan serves as a guide for employers in managing human resources sustainably while ensuring expatriates contribute tangible value to local talent development.

No changes. The employment of expatriates in Government Agencies and Public Universities remains subject to the Public Service Department (JPA) circulars.

Note: Applies to expatriates working in Government Agencies and Public Universities only.

No changes to the existing requirements.

No changes to the existing requirements.

There is no change regarding the duration of support letters issued by the Approving/Regulatory Agency (AP/AKS) via Xpats Gateway. Note: Support Letters are subject to the sectors under the purview of Approving/Regulatory Agency.

The salary requirement is based on basic salary only. Allowances or other payments are not included in the calculation.

Companies under the Manufacturing Sector and Manufacturing- Related Services (MRS) under the purview of MITI and MIDA are based on the following details:

Manufacturing Sector: All sub-sectors of companies under the Manufacturing Sector must possess one of the following documents:

• Manufacturing Licence (ML); or
• Manufacturing Exemption Confirmation Letter.

Manufacturing-Related Services (MRS): Refers to selected service sectors under MIDA that have obtained approval for Incentives, Status, or Grants.

The calculation of the expatriate’s employment period is tied to the employing company, effective from 1 June 2026.

Situation i (Change of Employment Category): Duration starts from the date of employment with the new company. Situation ii (Change of Pass Category): Duration starts from the issuance date of the new pass category.

Companies are allowed to apply for employment periods of up to 60 months following implementation of the Revised Expatriate Salary Policy.

No changes to the existing requirements.

Applications for positions requiring a Temporary Practising Certificate (TPC) or relevant permit are subject to the endorsement by the respective Approving/ Regulatory Agency.

Note: Applications are subject to the sectors under the purview of Healthcare and Education only.

No. Pass holders whose passes are still valid are not required to submit a new application.

However, renewal applications may be submitted as early as three (3) months before the pass expiry date, and such applications will be subject to the Revised Expatriate Salary Policy if they fall after 1 June 2026.

There will be no changes to the pass category. The pass category for such applications will follow the applicant’s existing pass category.

No. Minimum salary exemption applications for EP Category III will no longer apply starting 1 June 2026.

Any renewal application submitted after 1 June 2026 must comply with the revised salary requirements.

Applications submitted before 1 June 2026 will follow the previous policy.

Note: Employers are required to ensure that the Employment Pass remains valid at the time of submitting the extension application.

Applications for Category III Employment Pass submitted from 1 June 2026 onwards are subject to the Revised Expatriate Salary Policy.

EP Category III pass holders whose passes were issued before 1 June 2026 are subject to the existing policy, which does not allow to bring dependants.

No. The cooling-off period will no longer apply following implementation of the revised policy.