I’m on fire today! Two very productive calls to Malaysian government departments — both conducted completely in Malay (yay for fluency!) — and look at this, two blog posts. After my conversation with a surprisingly friendly and helpful officer at the National Registration Department, I called the Immigration Department to see if I could get some more information about the government’s recently-unveiled plans to give PR status to foreign spouses of Malaysian citizens. The extension listed on an Immigration document I have at home was wrong, so I got some lady in the Student Visa section who had obviously been sleeping when the phone rang. She drowsily sent me back to the main switchboard, and I was finally connected to someone in the Entry Permit Section.
Now, I’m pleased with my fluency in Malay — at least it’s better than a few years ago, when the prospect of speaking Malay on the phone scared the hell out of me — but I have to admit I didn’t understand this guy as well as the guy at the National Registration Department. I think maybe my fluency diminishes as my morning coffee wears off. But I did manage to ask him all the questions I had, and I did get fairly comprehensible answers to those questions. Just for the record, if I didn’t understand something he said, I asked him to repeat and/or clarify. So here’s what he told me:
The good news is, eligible foreign spouses can apply for PR immediately. The Immigration officer said I could go and get the forms tomorrow morning if I want. However, here’s the catch: even under the new initiative recently unveiled as part of next year’s budget, foreign spouses will have to wait six years before they’re eligible for PR. That is, if you’re married to a Malaysian and you want PR status, you’ll need to have lived here for at least six consecutive years, during which you were either under the now-defunct Spouse Programme or an equivalent.
Is anyone really surprised that there’s a catch? I’m certainly not. That’s Malaysia. There is a bit of hope though, as the officer said time already spent in Malaysia before this new initiative does count, even the years I spent under the old Spouse Programme. That contradicts what I was told on my last visit to Immigration, which was basically that I still have to wait six years because the Spouse Programme’s replacement is new and I’m starting from scratch. I really, really hope the new initiative means my previous visas count, because that would mean I really could apply for PR right away. But again, I have to look at this with a skeptic’s eye and assume there’s a big chance they’ll tell me I can only apply in 2015, six years from the time I got my current pass. I’m sure they’ll find a way to make me start from zero, because they’ve done it several times already.
For foreign spouses who just got here, or are about to move here: you’ll definitely be waiting a while for your PR.
So that’s it, straight from the source. If I get any more information, I’ll be sure to share it here in my blog.
Tagged: immigration, Malaysia, migration
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7 Comments
Ok, here’s a question. It used to be that PR applications were a state prerogative, meaning they were approved at the state level, whereas citizenship applications were federal. Thus PR in Sarawak could take 30 years (true story) while Kelantan was known to be very quick. Is this still the case or has it been centralized? Even if it has, I’m sure federal PR will not grant Sarawakian PR status, but at least I could apply to the Fed now for my eventual repatriation to West Malaysia.
Ok, that bit about state perogative is only rumor, so I retract that. Perhaps the fed has been approving all West Malaysian PR apps. But it definitely is true that *Sarawakian* PR is conferred by the state. So my best bet would appear to be applying for Malaysian PR and forgoing Sarawakian PR.
You should be able to submit your papers immediately and the previous permits will count. But now - she says cynically ‘cos this is what happened to me - wait another 6 years for your forms to be processed.
My hubby just got a letter to go for an interview with the police, along with me! Not sure what it’s for cos the letter said something about a permit masuk. But he’s already here. Is that the same as PR, you think?
Anyway we have to bring all sorts of documents so we’ll see. Guess they want to make sure I’m not harbouring a criminal in my house??
Bin Gregory: Yeah, the whole state/federal thing is a bit vague (I know each state does have slightly different procedures for immigration), but you’re probably right about PR being solely a federal thing. And, like you said, even if there is such a thing as Sarawakian PR, you’re better off going for plain old PR.
Sharon: Haha, no doubt! Even if I can apply now, and even if my years here will count, it might take ages for the application to go through anyway. I’ll be optimistic about this though, since the government recently announced they’d just cleared the entire backlog of PR applications.
Marina: Yes, the Entry Permit is basically the same as PR. Honestly, I’m not sure why they call it an Entry Permit, but if they decide to give me one and it means I have PR (or have passed a major hurdle in getting PR), then it’s all good. Good luck to you and your hubby in the interview! Let me know how it goes. That could make my own experience a little smoother! :)
Just a little update: An American friend of mine visited the Immigration Department the other day to do some visa stuff and asked about the new PR initiative. The officer basically told him it won’t be any easier to get PR than it was before. That certainly doesn’t sound promising!
Why is giving PR status for foreign spouses is such a difficult issue to resolve for malaysian goverment?
Nevertheless thanks Jordan for keeping the rest of us updated. I certainly do not have the patience and stamina :) to keep track of changes and no apparent changes in this age long issue.