This is the physical version known as an iKad.
- an overview of Category 1 EPs
- company requirements
- foreign director requirements, and
- details about the application process
Of course, all are welcome to get in touch directly with our resident EP expert Ariff.
Otherwise, let’s begin.
Category 1 EP overview
A Category 1 EP is used to hire expats for top leadership roles – including directors – with a minimum pay of RM20,000 / month.
The visa has a maximum validity of up to 10 years, typically issued in multi-year approvals and renewable if requirements are met.
A digital version of the director visa, known as an e-Pass.
Category 1 EP holders may employ a foreign maid and bring the following dependents:
- Spouse & children under 18 via Dependent Pass
- Children 18–25 and parents via Long-Term Social Visit Pass
Company eligibility
The hiring company in Malaysia must meet the following minimum paid-up capital based on foreign shareholding:
- RM250,000 for 100% locally owned companies
- RM350,000 for joint ventures with at least 30% foreign equity
- RM500,000 for 100% foreign owned companies
Companies with 51%+ foreign shareholding may also require a valid WRT / USS license.
Foreign director / shareholder eligibility
Technically, a foreigner would have to meet Immigration’s definition of ‘skilled foreign talent’ to be considered eligible as a foreign director, but functionally a foreign entrepreneur who owns a Malaysian company could bypass this by qualifying as a foreign company shareholder.
Foreign director
- Degree + 3 years experience
- Diploma + 5 years experience
- Technical certificate + 7 years experience
Foreign shareholder
- Minimum 30% equity ownership
- SSM-registered director or key position holder
Shareholding must comply with restricted sectors under KPDN regulations.
Supporting documents
Example of a JTKSM support letter to hire an expatriate.
- Sector approval documents (MIDA, CIDB, etc.)
- Passport copy (full colour)
- Certified academic certificates
- CV / resume
- Employment contract
- Job description letter
- JTK approval letter
Application fee
For self-managed applications, Immigration charges would amount to around:
- RM2,500 per principal EP
- RM700 per dependent
Engaging a third party would obviously incur a higher cost, and interested readers can see our Employment Pass application fee breakdown to understand how much our professional service fees would add to the total expense (but also the work that goes into it!).
Application process & timeline
Category 1 EP applications can typically skip Step 3.
First-time EP applications have one additional step, and for Category 1 expect it to take at least six months depending on document readiness and most crucially, Immigration workload.
There are five main stages as shown in the table below.
| Stage | Description | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. ESD registration | Company profile registration and activation on the Expatriates Services Division (ESD) portal | ~2 months |
| 2. JTK / XPats Gateway approval | Workforce approval and issuance of support letter (where applicable) | ~1 month |
| 3. Application submission | Full EP application submission, review, and Immigration assessment | ~2–3 months |
| 4. Approval & visa issuance | Approval letter and issuance of VDR or eVisa | ~2 weeks |
| 5. Endorsement & ePass | Entry into Malaysia and final endorsement (sticker or ePass issuance) | ~2 weeks |
The good news is that because Category 1 EPs come with the highest requirements, if the applicant can satisfy them, processing tends to go much more smoothly compared to the lower categories which are more prone to abuse.
Additionally, any further applications including for Category 2 and 3 won’t need another ESD account, so subsequent EPs can be obtained faster.
Finally, Employment Pass renewals are significantly faster and can often be done in one to two months.
Avoiding delays to visa application approval
Immigration assesses EP applications based on alignment of salary with seniority, business justification for hiring a foreign executive, and financial sustainability of the employer – but this mostly trips up applications under lower categories.
However, while an application under Category 1 is unlikely to be rejected outright, Immigration is equally strict about procedural missteps for all categories, and will return the application due to:
- passport photo not meeting specifications (too small, blurry, or incorrectly cropped)
- name mismatch with the passport Machine-Readable Zone (MRZ)
- missing company stamps or document endorsements
- unsigned or incomplete supporting agreements
- unexplained gaps in employment history in the CV
- low-quality scans or incorrect file formatting
- missing documents or documents not certified true copy (CTC)
