The Malaysia My Second Home program (commonly abbreviated "MM2H") is an international residency scheme enacted by the Government of Malaysia to allow foreigners to live in the country on a long-stay visa of up to 10 years. To qualify for the program, applicants must meet certain financial and medical criteria. Successful applicants are then entitled to enter and leave the country on a largely unrestricted basis, and also benefit from other incentives aimed at making their stay in Malaysia more convenient. Certain restrictions may apply.
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Malaysian Government support
Currently the Ministry of Tourism (MOT) is responsible for promoting MM2H, with approval of applicants and issuance of visas made directly by the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs. A "MM2H One-Stop Centre" has been setup under the MOT and it is anticipated that all visa procedures will be transferred from the Immigration Department to the One-Stop Centre by the end of 2006.
Eligibility
The program is open to all citizens of countries recognized by Malaysia[1] regardless of race, religion, gender or age (except citizens of Israel, Serbia and Montenegro).[2][dead link] Applicants are allowed to bring along their spouse and unmarried children below 21 years old. So far over 8,000 people have been approved for the MM2H visa.
Approval criteria
Financial requirement
Applicants below 50 years old are required to open a fixed deposit account in Malaysia of RM300,000.00 at any international bank with a local branch.
After a period of one year, the participant can withdraw up to RM150,000.00 for approved expenses relating to house purchase, education for children in Malaysia and medical purposes. However, a minimum balance of RM150,000.00 must be maintained from the second year onwards and throughout stay in Malaysia under this program.
Applicants 50 years old and above can either choose to:
- Open a fixed deposit account in Malaysia of RM150,000.00 with a local branch; OR
- Show proof of monthly off-shore government pension of at least RM10,000.00.
Note : In addition to the above, all applicants are required to show that they have sufficient funds to maintain themselves for the duration of the 10-year visa. In practice this means showing at least RM500,000 in the bank, and a monthly income of RM10,000.
After a period of one year, the participant who fulfills the fixed deposit criteria can withdraw up to RM50,000.00 for approved expenses relating to house purchase, education for children in Malaysia and medical purposes. However, a minimum balance of RM100,000.00 must be maintained from the second year onwards and throughout stay in Malaysia under this program.
Medical report
All applicants and their dependents (spouse and children) are required to submit a medical report from any private hospital in Malaysia. For those who are unable to get medical insurance because of age, or a pre-existing medical condition, this requirement can be waived.
Medical insurance
Approved participants and dependents (spouse and children) must possess a valid medical insurance policy covering their stay in Malaysia.
Program incentives
Participants of the program may enjoy the following incentives:
Property purchases
Each participant is permitted to purchase residential houses at a minimum price above RM350,000 each in certain areas of Sarawak and RM250,000 each in all other states that are pre-approved by the Foreign Investment Committee of Malaysia.
Vehicle purchase
Each participant is allowed to bring in a personal car OR to purchase a locally-assembled car without the need to pay import duty, excise duty and sales tax.
Domestic helper
Each participant is allowed to apply for one maid subject to the prevailing guidelines of the Immigration Department of Malaysia.
Identification card
Participants may apply for state ID cards from the Immigration Department headquarters allowing them to pass immigration checkpoints into Malaysia as residents rather than foreign nationals.
Education
MM2H participants are allowed to bring their children who are below 18 years old and not married as their dependents. Dependents who intend to continue their schooling in Malaysia are required to apply for a student pass
Tax
Tax Exemption is given to remittance of offshore pension fund into Malaysia
Business & Investment
You can own and actively run your own business. Terms apply
Working Part Time
Over 50 year olds can work part time. Terms apply
Other
* Import personal / household items, tax exempted * Invest in local companies, share market & unit trusts * Interest gained from bank fixed deposit is tax exempted * Your parents can join you also under a long term visa
Restrictions
- Participants are not allowed to work or be employed while staying in Malaysia. Persons wishing to obtain employment visas should apply directly to Immigration Department of Malaysia.
- Participants should not participate in activities that can be considered sensitive to the local people and/or a threat to the security of the country.
- Citizens of countries that are not recognized[1] by Malaysia including Israel, Serbia and Montenegro are not allowed to participate.[2][dead link]
Application procedure
Application can be made via any of the following channels.
Authorized sponsor companies
Application can be made through a number of private Malaysian companies, known as "sponsors", which offer application and follow-up services to foreigners. While the fees charged and services rendered can vary drastically from one sponsor to another, only authorized companies licensed by the Ministry of Tourism can provide such services to MM2H participants. (All sponsor licenses previously issued by the Immigration Department of Malaysia are no longer valid.)
Personal Application
As from January 2009 the Malaysian government will allow individual applications. Applicants no longer need to use Agents, or any 3rd parties.
Applications for those wishing to reside in Peninsula Malaysia are accepted at the MM2H One-Stop centre in Kuala Lumpur. Where the applicant wishes to reside in the states of Sabah or Sarawak, applications need to be sent to the respective Immigration offices or MM2H One-Stop centres in either of these states. Details are available on the www.mm2h.gov.my site.
Criticisms
It was reported that certain applicants were requested by the Malaysian Immigration Officers to produce documentations in Malay language. This is obviously challenging to most applicant unfamiliar with the language and questionable in view of the spirit of the program.
References
- ^ a b Immigration Department of Malaysia - Malaysia My Second Home Programme
- ^ a b "Malaysia My Second Home", Immigration Department of Malaysia. Retrieved 28 Aug 2007.
External links
- Ministry of Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia My Second Home - Official Website by Malaysian Government
- MyExpatMM2H, Malaysia My Second Home - Official Licensed agent of Malaysian Government
- [1] - Licence Agent and Sponsor for the programme.
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