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New students applying through the University

All international students who are renewing their Student Pass (Visa) for the second year (subject to renewal) MUST meet below criteria;

• Attendance not less than 80% – if attendance is less than 80% Dean's supporting letter is required.
  
• Pass in all modules (subjects)  – If poor or fail (any subject) Dean’s supporting letter is required.

Student can appeal their visa renewal if not supported but Immigration reserves the right to extend or deny student visa for any period.

i-Kad Renewals are done on yearly basis;

• Attendance not less than 80% – if attendance is less than 80% Dean's supporting letter is required.
  
• Pass in all modules (subjects)  – If poor or fail (any subject) Dean’s supporting letter is required.
• Insurance must be renewed before an i-Kad renewal is submitted to Visa Office

Immigration Department reserves the right to extend or deny any i-Kad renewals. Failure to renew will lead the student to cancel their student pass and be sent home as part of the guidelines.

Getting started with your VAL application

All new international students must be issued with a Visa Approval Letter/ VAL before arriving in Malaysia. The application process can take up to four to six weeks (4 to 6 weeks) so you are advised to submit your applications as early as possible, and before the below deadlines are highly encouraged.

*Students residing in Bangladesh, India, Nigeria and Pakistan are advised to submit their visa documents two (2) months ahead of the deadline mentioned above for any specific intake as the SEV application can take longer in the Malaysian Embassy/Mission in those countries.

**Recently, Immigration Department of Malaysia has introduced e-VISA for some countries. This means you can apply visa via online however, please refer to nearest Malaysian Embassy/High Commissions/Consulate office to get more infomation. 

VAL application checklist

Below is the VAL application checklist. Failure to submit any of these documents may result in an incomplete application that cannot be processed.

All documents should be sent via email to apply.visa@nottingham.edu.my

New students who have current valid passes for Malaysia (transferring students/ dependant visa holders) may have to submit additional documents. Please refer to Special Circumstances for further information.

VAL application processing  

Once you have submitted your documents, the Visa Office will send them to EMGS for processing. When EMGS has vetted your documents, your application will be sent to the Immigration department for approval and issuance of the eVAL. The entire process can take up to 4 to 6 weeks and sometime may be slightly longer. You can track the status of your application by using the EMGS Track My Application website.

EMGS and the University may request additional documents from you during this period if deem necessary, and delays in submitting the requested documents may affect your VAL issuance timeline.

It is important to take note that due to the length of the application processing period at both EMGS and Immigrtaion Dept, you are not advised to book your flight to Malaysia until your VAL has been approved.

eVAL receipt and SEV application

EMGS and Immigration Department have agreed to issue eVAL (electronic Visa Approval letter) via EMGS portal.

It is advised not to book your flight to Malaysia prior to receiving your eVAL and Travel Authourization (TA)

Once your VAL is approved by Immigration, EMGS will upload eVAL in EMGS portal. You will be required to do the following:

• Proceed to EMGS portal once your VAL is approved.
• After logging in, you should be able to locate a button labelled 'eVAL Download' through which you will be able to download your VAL for printing (IN COLOUR). Please note that from 1 January 2018 onwards, we will not be sending out physical copies of the VAL to you.
• Refer to the Immigration department's lists of countries that require and do not require a Single Entry Visa (SEV).
• Students who require an SEV will be required to visit their nearest Malaysian Embassy/ Mission to apply for the SEV.
• Ensure you read carefully KLIA SOP which is send from Visa Office.
• Once your SEV is issued, you will be able to enter Malaysia legally as a student. The SEV has a validity period of 30 days to 3 months depending on the country you are coming from.
• Upon arrival at KLIA please provide original passport and colour print copy of your eVAL, Travel Authorization letter to the Immigration officer at the counter.
• Refer to email sent by International Student Support on the quarantine process - SOP

Arriving in Malaysia and post-arrival procedures

International students working 'part-time' while studying

International students are NOT allowed to work part-time all around the year. However, they are only allowed to work part-time for 20 hours per week during semester break only. This is in line with the directive set by Immigration Department of Malaysia. These are the 4 sectors the Ministry has given approval for international students to work part-time as of now:

1.       Petrol kiosks

2.       Restaurant

3.       Mini-markets

4.       Waiters

This process will go thru by applying at Immigration Department and an endorsement (rubber stamp) will be placed on your passport. It can be applied from Visa Office that requires you to submit;

a)      Offer letter from your employer stating your position, payment and working hours, place of work,

b)      Academic calendar,

c)      Attendance,

d)      Letter from Head of School/Faculty,

Visa Office will submit this application to Immigration Department and you are requested to be present during submission. The approval is at the discretion of Immigration Department and you can only start to work once approval is endorsed in your passport.

*For assistance and enquiries, please contact Visa Office at Abdul.Rahim@nottingham.edu.my +6 03 8725 3704