Malaysia extends visa application deadline to April 21
Staff Reporter :
The Malaysian government has announced an extension for the Visa with Reference (VDR) application deadline, also known as the calling visa, for foreign workers to April 21, addressing the country’s worker shortage.
This extension grants source countries, including Bangladesh, additional time to process VDRs for individuals seeking employment in Malaysia. The original deadline was set for March 31.
The High Commission of Malaysia in Dhaka relayed via its website that the VDR is issued by Malaysian missions abroad.
This visa allows non-citizens to enter Malaysia upon approval from the Immigration Department of Malaysia and is necessary for students, migrant workers, dependents, and professionals visiting on a pass.
During a press briefing on Thursday, Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail attributed the deadline extension to the substantial number of active quotas, totaling 132,000, that have yet to be filled.
He also mentioned technical issues within the Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS) on March 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, and 29 as a reason for the extension.
Minister Saifuddin Ismail further noted that of the 132,000 quotas yet to be applied for, it is anticipated that 105,600 workers will receive VDR Approval Letters.
The request for the extension initially came from Malaysian industry associations, who proposed pushing the VDR application deadline to September from March 31 to fulfill their quota requirements, citing the intricate and lengthy process of recruiting foreign workers.
Malaysia ranks as the second-largest overseas employment market for the Bangladeshi diaspora, following Saudi Arabia, with 3.5 lakh workers having migrated to the Southeast Asian nation.
Addressing rumors about the potential closure of the Malaysian labor market, Md. Shamim Ahsan, Bangladeshi High Commissioner to Malaysia, clarified that such claims were unfounded.
“There is no risk of closing this largest labor market. Some have spread rumors that the Malaysian job market is being closed, which is totally baseless,” he stated during an Iftar gathering in Kuala Lumpur organized by Bangladeshi journalists.
High Commissioner Ahsan urged journalists to exercise caution regarding rumors and to focus on publishing constructive news that positively impacts the nation.
