Wednesday, June 20, 2018

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

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)

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 dont 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 or Selangor, 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. Alternatively, I have scanned the forms we were given by Immigration, so you can download the forms here. Note that some of these differ from versions that you may find on the Immigration website, but these are the ones we were asked to use.

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 (I have scanned the form so you can download it from here). 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. 

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