Current Policies on Recruitment of Foreign Workers
Employers are required to inform the vacancies to the Department of Labour, Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR) in advance to enable local job seekers registered with JobsMalaysia to be given priority to fill the vacancies.
Currently, only 6 employment sectors are allowed to hire foreign workers in the formal sectors which include construction, manufacturing, services, plantation, agriculture as well as mining and quarrying.
There are 15 source countries allowed to supply foreign workers to Malaysia. The countries are Indonesia, Nepal, Myanmar, India, Viet Nam, Philippines (men), Pakistan, Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Lao PDR, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
The age limit for employment of foreign workers is 18 years (minimum) and 45 years (maximum). This age limit refers to the age at the first entry of foreign workers into Malaysia.
The period of employment allowed is 10 years +3 years for the 6 formal sectors
A complete application for the recruitment of foreign workers can be submitted to the Ministry of Human Resources for consideration based on the conditions and criteria set by the Regulatory Agencies. However, the priority of employment is still given to the locals as the current policy of hiring foreign workers should only be a temporary measure to meet the needs of the industry.