How to Get Permanent Residency (PR) in Malaysia: Part 1

Few days ago, my husband and I submitted the required documents to get my Permanent Residency (PR) in Malaysia. By right, I was eligible to apply or submit the documents to get my PR here last June (the beginning of my 6th year in Malaysia). However, since I just delivered Brennan in late May and was busy with baby and other stuff, my husband and I only managed to complete the required documents few weeks ago and submitted them to the Immigration Office here earlier this week.

The list of the required documents to prepare for PR application in Malaysia is long; hence, it does take time to complete all the documents needed.

FORMS AND DOCUMENTS TO SUBMIT AND SUBMISSION STEPS:

I. Go to the nearby Immigration Office to get the application form and list of the required documents from the Counter that handles Visa and Permit.

When you go to the Immigration Office to apply PR, make sure you:

• Bring your valid passport and Malaysian spouse's IC for verification as the officer in charge would likely check whether you are eligible to apply for PR or not before handing you the forms and list below

• Go to the Immigration Office with your Malaysian spouse

• Apply for PR only after you stay in Malaysia under your long-term/spouse visa for at least 5 years (you can apply PR on your 6th year here)

Sample document of the form and list of required documents.

II. Fill and furnish all the required documents (stated above), elaborated as follows:

1. Borang Permit Masuk (Entry Permit Form) IM.4 - Pindaan 1/93

2. Applicant's passport photos
Specific requirement of the photos: Blue background
Number of photos: Three (3)

3. Malaysian spouse's passport photo 
Specific requirement of the photos: Blue background
Number of photos: One (1)


4. Wedding or family picture (i.e. husband, wife and children) 
Number of pictures: One (1)

I submitted both (4R) wedding and family pictures, just in case.

5. Surat Akuan Perkahwinan Form

To complete the Surat Akuan form, other than filling in the information in the paper, we need to get a stamp and signature of a local Commissioner of Oaths (Peguam Bela dan Peguam Cara). Also, we are required to have a name and contact details of one Malaysian who is willing to act as the applicant's guarantor (he/she can be our Malaysian spouse's direct family member). 

Required documents for Commissioner of Oath's verification: The filled Surat Akuan form, applicant's passport and Malaysian spouse' IC, applicant and spouse's passport photos.
Required working days: Almost immediate
Fee: RM 12 cash 
Result: Authorization stamp and signature from Commissioner of Oaths in the Surat Akuan form

6. Marriage certificate in Malaysia 
Required documents: Both original (for verification purpose) and photocopy

7. Surat Pengesahan Perkahwinan dari Jabatan Agama Islam di Malaysia
Required documents: Both original (for verification purpose) and photocopy
**Applicable for Muslim applicants only

8. Overseas marriage certificate (for couples who got married overseas)
Required documents: Both original (for verification purpose) and photocopy

I submitted our Singapore's ROM certificate and its photocopy since my husband and I registered our marriage in Singapore.

9. Death or divorce certificate of previous marriage, if any

10.  Applicant's Passport and Travel Documents 
Required documents: Current and old passport books, original books and the photocopy of each page that has immigration stamps (post marriage)

11. Malaysian spouse's passport book (for marriage registration that was done overseas)
Required documents: Both original (for verification purpose) and photocopy of each page with stamps

My husband thought that he was only required to photocopy the first page of his passport but boy, he was wrong. The officer demanded us to submit the photocopy of my husband's whole passport book as well so he had to scramble finding a shop near the Immigration office that has photocopy machine to get this part done.

12. Malaysian spouse's IC/MyKad
Required documents: Both original (for verification purpose) and photocopy

13. Malaysian spouse's birth certificate 
Required documents: Both original (for verification purpose) and photocopy

14. Malaysian sponsors/guarantors' IC/MyKad 
Required documents: Photocopy of IC and contact details of two Malaysians who are willing to act as the applicant's guarantors (they can be our Malaysian spouse's direct family members).

15. Applicant's children's birth certificates
Required documents: Both original (for verification purpose) and photocopy

16. Applicant's children's MyKad/MyKid
Required documents: Both original (for verification purpose) and photocopy

17. Applicant's children's Passport Books
Required documents: Both original (for verification purpose) and photocopy 

18. Proof of residence address
Required documents: Recent electricity or water bills, etc (original bill or photocopy is welcomed)

19. Receipt of the paid Security Bond
If the original receipt is missing, applicant is required to show the Surat Akuan Sumpah, which I am not sure which one or how to get one.

20. List of dates of applicant's and Malaysian spouse's overseas travels

This part is probably the most painful, arduous and tedious task to do in completing the documents for PR application. Both applicant and his or her Malaysian spouse are supposed to write down all the dates of their overseas trips (post marriage), dates of returning to Malaysia and the reason of each overseas trip in the provided forms. 

Our challenge in doing this was that not all airports' immigration officers stamped the 'in and out' dates on the same page of our passport books so we had quite a bit of headaches and frustration matching our outgoing and incoming dates stamped on our passport books. Also, since we are only given one page to jot down all these dates, make sure you make few copies the empty form before you write anything on the paper because chances are one page is not enough to list your overseas travel dates (especially if you an avid traveler or busy businessman who travels overseas frequently) and you might make many mistakes in writing down the details. In case of the latter, it's better to have extra copies of the empty form so you can re-write the list of dates on a new form if necessary

III. Submit the completed forms and required documents to the local Immigration Office

Once you've fulfilled all the requirements mentioned above, go to the Immigration Office as soon as you can. Don't forget to get a queuing number first before submitting the PR documents at the Visa and Permit Counter. 

After the officer checked our PR documents and declared my PR documents submission was successful, she mentioned that the next step is just to wait for the interview invitation letter from the Police Station in the coming 1-5 years. If I pass this first round of interview, the next round of interview will be with the Immigration officers. Meanwhile, I ought to renew my spouse visa as usual until I get the interview invitation letter. Also, if there are updates on my Passport number or home address, I am required to make the Immigration Office aware of these changes too.

That's all for now - and like I said, all I have to do now is just wait. I hope I don't have to wait until Naomi enters her Primary School and Brennan goes to Kindergarten before I get my PR here.

** Please note that this information is based on my personal experience and subject to change in accordance with any amendments to the rules and regulations from the Malaysian Immigration Department.