PETALING JAYA: Foreign spouses of Malaysian nationals now need to be married for a minimum of three years—reduced from five years—to apply for permanent residency (PR).
The Home Ministry announced on Wednesday (Jan 29) that these spouses must also hold the Long Term Social Visit Pass (LTSVP) for at least a year for their PR application.
This change aims to make the application process more orderly and relevant to family needs, the ministry added.
New applications will have a processing period of six months to ensure efficiency and expedited procedures.
The ministry is also eliminating the Points System for the foreign spouse category.
"Instead, factors such as the duration of marriage and number of children will be considered to preserve the welfare of genuine families.
"The implementation of these initiatives will begin no later than Sept 30 (third quarter of 2025).
"These improvements reflect the ministry’s commitment to supporting family institutions, aligned with the government’s focus on compassion and human empowerment," it stated.
The ministry is confident these measures will boost trust in the Entry Permit application system, benefiting all stakeholders.
