Malaysian government has extended the deadline for Visa With Reference (VDR) applications for foreign workers, including Bangladeshis, to 21 April.
The visa extension comes as a result of a large number of active quotas totaling 132,000 that have yet to be applied for, stated Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail during a press conference on Thursday (4 April), reports New Straits Times.
Visa With Reference (VDR) refers to a visa issued by the Malaysian Representative Office abroad to a non-citizen to enable entry into Malaysia after the visa is approved by the Immigration Department Headquarters, according to the website of the Immigration Department of Malaysia.
"The extension was also prompted by technical glitches that occurred in the Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS) on March 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, and 29, 2024,” the home minister said.
The previous deadline was set for 31 March, after which unused quotas would be cancelled, and payments refunded.
Saifuddin also mentioned that an estimated 105,600 workers would be granted VDR Approval Letters out of the 132,000 quotas that had not yet been applied for. "This follows the trend of approved quota entries for the past five years, which has not exceeded 80 per cent of the total approved quota."
Therefore, he emphasized that the extension would allow genuine employers to expedite the process of obtaining VDR Approval Letters promptly, particularly benefiting employers in critical sectors such as agriculture.
However, Saifuddin noted that the deadline for the entry of foreign workers in the formal sector would remain on 31 May.
