Get The Visibility Your Company Needs
Reduce compliance risks and mobility costs while managing individual and project-related travel with ImmiSMART: the solution that unifies your travel and mobility programs.
UKBA ANNOUNCES TUBERCULOSIS TESTING IN MALAYSIA
December 28, 2012
What has Changed?
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has announced a new pre-entry tuberculosis (TB) screening programme in Malaysia. All Malaysian nationals who wish to enter the UK for more than six months from 31 December 2012 will need to be tested before they can be granted a visa.
As we reported previously, in May 2012 the UK Government announced that pre-entry TB screening would be extended to 67 countries which had recorded high figures of TB incidence according to the World Health Organisation.
The Home Office has said that tuberculosis is currently at its highest level in the UK for thirty years and that recent research showed non-UK nationals accounted for three quarters of all new TB cases diagnosed.
How will this affect you?
There will be pre-entry TB screening requirements in Malaysia from the 31st December 2012. Malaysian nationals who wish to travel to the UK for longer than 6 months must be screened and are required to obtain a TB certificate with the initial visa application. You must be tested at an approved clinic (see below) and be free from tuberculosis before you apply for a visa.
Those who complete an online visa application form to visit the United Kingdom before the 31st December will not be required to take a TB test. Those who plan to stay for less than six months are also exempt.
Testing Children
- All children over 11 years old must be tested for tuberculosis.
- All children under 16 years who are attending a clinic must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and bring the items listed in the ‘Attending the clinic’ section below.
Approved test clinics
You must be tested at one of the clinics listed below which have been approved by the UK Border Agency:
|
City |
Address |
Contact details |
|
Kuala Lumpur |
Dr OngKee Liang – Life Care Diagnostic Medical Centre 1st Floor, Wisma Life Care, No. 5, JalanKerinchi, Bangsar South, 59200 Kuala Lumpur. |
Tel: 1300 222 369 |
|
Sabah |
Natalie Kwan – Sabah Medical Centre LorongBersatu, Off JalanDamai, Luyang, 88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia |
Tel: 088-322192 or 088-322196, fax: 088-270939 |
|
Kuala Lumpur |
Janice Lim- Health Screening Centre, Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur |
Tel: 603-4141 3282, fax:603-41413280, [email protected] www.gleneagleskl.com.my |
Attending the clinic
- You should contact one of the approved clinics to book an appointment, making it clear you need the test for a UK visa application.
- Appointments are usually granted for within a few days of your request. At busy times you may have to wait 10 days for an appointment especially during the UK student visa peak season between June-October.
- You will need to take various documents with you to the clinic, such as proof of identification and the tuberculosis test fee.
- The whole process will take around 30-60 minutes to complete, which includes administration, taking the x-ray and analysis of the test results.
- If the x-ray is inconclusive, you may be asked to give a sputum sample. There may be an additional fee for a sputum test and results can take up to 2 months to process.
Further guidance can be found on the UKBA”s website here.
We advise HR personnel to factor in additional time before anticipated UK assignment start dates for Malaysian assignees, during which the assignees can complete the necessary TB screening. This should avoid any delays to projects caused by assignees who need to first complete the screening process.
