Effective Date & Summary
Effective 1 November 2026, the Expatriate Services Division (ESD) online portal will accept two further application types that are currently submitted manually at ESD Putrajaya. These are Permission to Study (PTS) applications for Employment Pass (EP) holders and for spouses of EP holders on a Dependent Pass (DP), and Permission to Work (PTW) applications for a second work location.
Once the change takes effect, physical submissions for these applications will no longer be accepted at the Immigration Department or MYXpats Centre counters.
Key Information to Note
Permission to Study (PTS) available online for EP holders and spouses from 1 November
PTS applications for EP holders and for spouses of EP holders on a DP currently have to be filed manually at ESD Putrajaya. From 1 November 2026, both categories can be submitted through ESD Online. PTS applications for children of EP holders on a DP can already be submitted online, and there is no change to that process.
The announcement does not state a processing time for the new online applications. PTS applications currently take about one to two weeks, and the online process may follow a similar timeframe, although this has not been confirmed.
Permission to Work (PTW) at a second location available online from 1 November
PTW applications for a second location can be submitted through ESD Online from 1 November 2026. Until then, they must be filed manually at ESD Putrajaya. As with PTS, no processing time has been announced, and the current manual timeframe of about one to two weeks may continue to apply.
This permission is for EP holders who will be based at a branch office of the same sponsoring company, rather than at the location where the EP was originally issued. For example, if an EP is sponsored by ABC Sdn Bhd, whose place of business is in State A, but the expatriate will instead work at ABC Sdn Bhd in State B, PTW for a second location would be required.
Newland Chase Insights
Moving these applications online should give employers a more consistent way to track and manage applications alongside other EP and DP transactions.
It is worth identifying any current or upcoming PTS or second-location cases that may fall around the effective date. The announcement does not address how applications already submitted manually, or filed shortly before 1 November, will be handled, so we recommend confirming the transitional position before submitting. Until actual processing times are known, we suggest planning on the basis of the current one-to-two-week timeframe and allowing an additional buffer where start dates are fixed.
We will provide an update if further guidance is issued on the online process or on transitional arrangements.
As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to your dedicated Newland Chase contact or submit an inquiry here should you have any specific questions regarding this announcement.
This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case- or company-specific assessments.
