Key Points
- Malaysia enhanced the Xpats Gateway platform on July 1, 2025
- New functionality includes Employment Pass and PVP pre-application steps
- Employers can now complete labor approvals and PERKESO ad acknowledgments online
Overview
Malaysia launched significant updates to its Xpats Gateway system on July 1, 2025, transforming the platform into a single-window solution for processing key steps in expatriate hiring. These enhancements aim to reduce administrative delays and streamline the path to Employment Pass (EP) and Professional Visit Pass (PVP) approvals.
With this upgrade, employers can now complete critical pre-application requirements directly through the Xpats Gateway, eliminating the need for parallel manual or paper-based processes. This includes:
- Submission of prior approvals to the Department of Labour, Peninsular Malaysia, also known as Jabatan Tenaga Kerja Semenanjung Malaysia (JTKSM), under Section 60K of the Employment Act 1955, which mandates employer approval before hiring foreign employees.
- Entry and acknowledgment of MYFutureJobs advertisements under the Malaysia social security organisation, Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial (PERKESO), ensuring that job vacancies are first offered to local candidates in line with labor market testing requirements.
Previously, these components required interaction with separate government systems. Now, by consolidating them within a unified platform, the Malaysian government seeks to improve transparency, efficiency, and compliance monitoring in the expatriate hiring process.
The enhancement supports Malaysia’s broader policy objectives of attracting global talent while protecting domestic labor interests. It also strengthens digital governance and reduces procedural fragmentation for employers sponsoring foreign nationals.
Looking Ahead
Employers hiring expatriate talent in Malaysia should immediately begin using the updated Xpats Gateway for all EP and PVP applications initiated after July 1, 2025. HR teams and immigration service providers should ensure internal processes are aligned with the system’s new functionality and confirm that labor market testing and prior approval requirements are fully met before submitting applications. This transition is expected to improve processing times and facilitate more predictable hiring outcomes.
