Planning to Hire Foreign Staff in Malaysia? Register First.
Before your staff can apply for a work visa, your Malaysian entity must first be a recognized sponsor. That means incorporating your Sdn Bhd and getting expatriate post approval.
4/11/20251 min read
Your Company Must Be a Registered Sponsor
Only a registered entity in Malaysia can sponsor a work visa. That means:
Your Malaysian subsidiary or Sdn Bhd must already be incorporated
Your company must apply for an Expatriate Post approval through agencies like:
MDEC for tech/digital companies
TalentCorp for strategic sectors
Malaysia Investment Development Authority (MIDA) for manufacturing
Approval of the post comes before the individual applies for the visa
🧩 Case Insight: One Hong Kong SME set up a Sdn Bhd in Penang but faced delays because their industry required MIDA’s post approval — which took 4 weeks longer than expected.