My Employment Pass

Malaysian Category 3 Employment Passes are designed for junior-level foreign professionals and technical staff necessary to support a company’s immediate operational needs.

Guess which one they are.

Although it carries the lowest requirements among all EP categories, revisions scheduled for June 2026 will introduce dependent privileges and longer validity periods, making it viable for a much broader population of expatriates that would previously need to apply under Category 2.

That said, Immigration review applications just as strictly, and for employers with a genuine need for a Category 3 EP application, this guide covers all you need to know to maximise approval chances.

Here’s how we’ve broken it down:

• Category 3 EP overview (including June 2026 revisions)
• application journey and timeline
• fees and required documents
• key evaluation factors
• common reasons for rejection

Of course, you’re welcome to get in touch directly with our resident EP expert Ariff.

Otherwise, let’s begin.

Category 3 EP overview

Category 3 EP holders will be eligible for Dependant Passes after June 2026.

As of publishing this guide in April 2026, Category 3 Employment Passes carry the following requirements and features.

June 2026 updates

From June 2026 onwards, all EP categories will carry significant changes, with the following updates to Category 3.

Additionally, Category 3 applications must include a clear succession plan to transition the role to a local hire over time.

Required documents

Sample MyFutureJobs support letter.

A typical Category 3 Employment Pass application requires the following:

• full colour copy of passport
• academic certificates Certified True Copy by either:
  • Embassy, High Commission, or Consulate General of the applicant’s country
  • Embassy, High Commission, or Consulate General in Malaysia, or
  • HR head of the hiring company
• updated resume or CV
• stamped employment contract
• job description on company letterhead
• supporting document from Approving Agency / Regulatory Body (if applicable)
• MyFutureJobs support letter

Documents not in English must be accompanied by Certified True Copy English translations.

Typical steps & timeline

In addition to the ePass, the holder will also receive a physical card called an iKad which looks like this.

Don’t lose it!

For future applications, there is no need to register another ESD account, and renewals are much faster and can usually be completed within one to two months if there are no changes to role or salary.

Key evaluation factors

Immigration assesses Category 3 applications more strictly due to their lower salary threshold, focusing on:

• genuine need for short-term foreign hire
• clear justification for role
• salary alignment with job scope
• MyFutureJobs compliance
• MOHA exemption approval (if applicable)

Common reasons for rejection include:

• weak justification for foreign hire
• missing MOHA exemption approval
• salary and role mismatch
• failure to demonstrate temporary nature of role
• missing or incorrect CTC documents

Rejections don’t just delay the current hiring but can cause future requests to receive added scrutiny, it’s worth taking the time to understand Immigration requirements and ensuring everything is in order before submitting the application.

General Employment Pass eligibility requirements

For readers unfamiliar with Employment Passes in general, only employers that meet Immigration eligibility criteria may apply to hire expatriates, and both the role and applicant must meet minimum thresholds for the application to even be consisdered.

Registering an ESD account is every employer’s first step.

This is a condensed version of our full guide to EP application requirements which readers can refer to for full details.

Employer eligibility

• legally registered Malaysian entity (Sdn Bhd/ LLP / registered society)
• meet paid-up capital requirements (RM250,000 – RM500,000 depending on foreign equity)
• valid WRT / USS licenses for foreign ventures
• active ESD account
• sufficient operational and financial capacity to support expatriate salary

Expatriate eligibility

• Degree + 3 years’ experience, or
• Diploma + 5 years’ experience, or
• Technical certificate + 7 years’ experience
• relevant qualifications
• clean immigration history

Role requirements

For Category 3, the role must be technical or junior-level in nature for an employment contract no more than 12 months that cannot be readily filled by local candidates (proven via MyFutureJobs).

Why entrust MISHU for your EP application

Although employers are allowed to handle their own EP applications, Category 3 EPs are more heavily scrutinised and inexpereinced applicants are more likely to overlook small errors that cause delays or rejection.

When a misplaced comma sets you back six months.

An experienced visa service provider reduces risk by:

• pre-evaluating eligibility
• handling MOHA exemption applications
• ensuring correct EP category selection
• managing ESD and MyFutureJobs compliance
• verifying documentation before submission

Furthermore, they are also experienced in handling follow up queries from Immigration officers and can help direct expatriates with where to go and how to speak to officers when arriving in Malaysia. This obviously doesn’t just apply to us but to any of the highly capable visa application service providers in Malaysia – but we’d obviously prefer you to hire MISHU over them!

Let MISHU handle your Category 3 EP application