PURPOSE:
The purpose of this bulletin is to provide detailed clarification on the various scenarios that may be experienced by International Students and Institutes during and after Movement Control Order and the global border closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The bulletin is designed based on the different scenarios /processes / stages of an international student application in a FAQ format for easy understanding:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
New Students
1. Question: Since the EMGS One Stop Centre is closed during the Movement Control Order (MCO)period, are Education Institutions able to create and submit New and Renewal applications to EMGS during this period?
Answer: Yes, Education Institution can create and submit all New and Renewal applications to EMGS. The facility to upload documents was only available for New applications however EMGS has enhanced its system to also allow Education Institutions to create an upload the required documents for Renewal applications. This will eliminate the need for Education Institutions to send in the hardcopy of documents to EMGS One Stop Centre during this Movement Control Order period. Kindly note that the Malaysian Immigration Department will remain closed during the MCO period however, all the teams under EMGS have activated the Work From Home option and are currently processing New and Renewal applications. EMGS will only be able to process applications until the following stages:
• New Applications – Application pending for submission to the Immigration Department eVAL approval. EMGS can only submit the application to the Immigration Department once the
MCO has been lifted.
• Self-Endorsement Renewal Applications – Issuance of e-support letter for self-endorsement. The Education Institution will only be able to submit this supporting letter to their respective state Immigration Department once the MCO has been lifted
• EMGS Endorsement Renewal Applications – Request Institutions to submit the passport to EMGS. The Education institution will only be able to submit the passport to EMGS once the
MCO has been lifted.
Certain Education institutions may not be able to provide the payment to EMGS once they have
created and uploaded the relevant documents to EMGS during the MCO period due to the various
challenges they may face to obtain the payment. To ensure, we facilitate this and due to the longstanding relationship with the institutes, EMGS has also introduced a process for Education
Institutions to submit applications without payment by submitting a declaration that the payment
will be done within 7 days of the MCO being lifted. EMGS will begin to process the applications upon receiving the Declaration from the Education Institution.
2. Question: Can students submit applications directly to EMGS?
Answer: Yes, all international students that are outside Malaysia and have obtained offer letters from Educational Institutions are able to create New/Mobility eVAL applications directly with EMGS (https://visa.educationmalaysia.gov.my/customer/account/login/). Once an account is created on the EMGS website; you may proceed to create an application and upload the necessary supporting documents required for your application. You will also have an option to directly make payment to EMGS via credit card or through your Education Institution. EMGS will begin processing your application once your Education Institution approves it. Please refer to the user guide available on the website or you may contact EMGS through enquiry@emgs.com.my if you encounter any difficulties or require further clarification on how to create an application on your own. Kindly note that Renewal applications can only be created and submitted by your respective Education Institution.
3. Question: The application I created directly to EMGS is pending for additional documents. Can I submit the additional document required on my own to EMGS?
Answer: Yes, you are to submit the additional documents. EMGS allows students to directly submit additional documents for applications that are created. Kindly ensure that you send the additional documents to additionaldoc@emgs.com.my using the same registered email address used to create your application. Your Education Institution may also submit the additional documents required for applications that they created similarly by sending the additional documents to additionaldoc@emgs.com.my. You may check the status of your current application anytime by entering your passport number and nationality at visa.educationmalaysia.gov.my/
4. Question: My institution applied for a New student pass application for me. I have been checking through the EMGS Application Tracker however my application is pending at 32% (immigration system updated) and not moving. Why?
Answer: Please note that there is no further action required from your end at this point in time. The percentage indicates that your application is ready to be submitted to the Immigration Department for their approval. In continuing with our commitment to international students and the Education Institutions, EMGS is processing all new and renewal applications that are submitted to us. Kindly note that the Malaysian Immigration Department will remain closed during the MCO period and EMGS can only submit the application for their approval once the MCO is lifted.
5. Question: My eVAL was rejected by the Malaysian Immigration Department and my institution informed me that is was due to the Covid-19 outbreak in my country (this was specifically for certain provinces from China during the Covid-19 outbreak). What can I do?
Answer: The eVAL was rejected due to the Covid-19 outbreak during the time. Your Education
Institution will be required to submit a request to appeal this decision. EMGS will facilitate by
submitting the request to the Malaysian Immigration Department. Kindly note that the decision to approve the appeal is solely at the discretion of the Malaysian Immigration Department.
6. Question: I received my eVAL however I have obtained a new passport. My eVAL was issued under my old passport details. What should I do?
Answer: Your Education Institution will be required to submit an amendment request to EMGS.
Please speak to a representative from your Education Institution to understand the documents
required for the amendment request. EMGS will then facilitate the request by submitting it to the
Malaysian Immigration Department. The Malaysian Immigration Department is closed during the
MCO period and will only begin processing the amendment request after the MCO has been lifted.
Kindly note that the decision to approve the amendment request is solely at the discretion of the
Malaysian Immigration Department.
7. Question: My institution offered me a place to join their March 2020 intake but have now deferred the intake to August 2020 due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia and international travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The eVAL issued to me is going to expire before I can travel to Malaysia. What can I do?
Answer: EMGS will provide all the assistance required to international students whose eVAL have expired during the MCO / travel ban period. Your Education Institution will be required to submit a request to EMGS to extend the validity of the eVAL issued to you. They are also required to provide EMGS with a new offer letter stating the deferment date together with all the relevant supporting documents. EMGS will facilitate by submitting the request to the Malaysian Immigration Department. Kindly note that the decision to extend the eVAL is solely at the discretion of the Malaysian Immigration Department.
8. Question: I have accepted my institutions offer and I am now enrolled for the semester. Am I allowed to attend Online Classes?
Answer: It is a mandatory requirement for all International Students to obtain a student pass before enrolling in Education Institutions in Malaysia. Based on the current circumstances which limits International Students from travelling to Malaysia, your Education Institution must ensure that your application has been submitted and processed up to the point that is ready for submission to the Malaysian Immigration Department for eVAL approval. This is to ensure that you have obtained the relevant entry requirements to pursue the intended course.
Renewal Students
9. Question: My student pass/special pass expired during the Movement Control Order (MCO). I am currently here in Malaysia, but my student pass/special pass has expired. What should I do?
Answer: EMGS will facilitate the processing of passports for all students with a valid pass expiring anytime during the Movement Control Order period. This is only applicable for institutions that submit their passport to EMGS One Stop Centre (OSC) for endorsement. Education Institutions that submit their students’ passports to state immigration offices for endorsements (i.e. self-endorsement) should refer to their respective state immigration offices for further clarification. Kindly note that EMGS will initiate a discussion with the Malaysian Immigration Department to standardise the approach taken by all state Immigration Departments when dealing with similar situations. We will provide further updates to international students / institutes after discussions with respective stakeholders.
10. Question: I was supposed to return to Malaysia to continue my studies however I was not able to travel as the Malaysian Government stopped all foreigners from entering the country during the
Movement Control Order. My student pass has now expired however I am not certain as to when
I will be able to return to Malaysia. Can I still renew my student pass?
Answer: Based on the current process, the Malaysian Immigration Department will only allow you to renew your student pass if your current student pass expiry has not lapsed for more than 3 months. Students will be required to enter Malaysia on a social visit pass and subsequently obtain the renewed student pass. However, we understand that these are exceptional circumstances, hence we will continue to monitor the situation closely regarding the travel ban that is currently in place and update the international students / institutes on any changes after discussions with the Malaysian Immigration Department.
11. Question: I want to go back to my home country, but my passport is pending with EMGS. Can I collect my passport back from EMGS?
Answer: If you have made travel plans to leave the country, please contact your respective Education Institution and they will liaise with EMGS to facilitate the collection of your passport before your travel date. You will not be able to collect back your passport directly from EMGS due to the stringent biometric verification process that EMGS adopts by only returning passports to authorised representative from the Education Institutions. Please contact us through enquiry@emgs.com.my if you encounter any difficulties in contacting your Education Institution and EMGS will attempt to speak to a representative from your Education Institution to facilitate the collection of your passport from us.
12. Question: My Education Institution collected my passport from EMGS and returned it to me. I am planning to return to my home country, but my current student pass/special pass is no longer valid. Will I be allowed to leave to return to my home country?
Answer: Yes, you will be able to travel out of Malaysia if the current pass expired during the
Movement Control Order period. EMGS has notified your Education Institution that all foreigners in Malaysia whose pass has expired during this Movement Control Order period may leave Malaysia without any Special Pass provided they possess a valid passport. This notice was issued by the Director General of the Malaysian Immigration Department and is effective from 19th March 2020 until further notice from the Malaysian Immigration Department. Kindly note that Standard Operating Procedures of Immigration screening would still take place as usual during departure at the airports and you will also be subjected to the existing rules and regulations imposed by the Immigration Authorities in your home country.
Medical Screening
13. Question: My eVAL was approved and I travelled to Malaysia upon obtaining a Single-Entry Visa (SEV). The entry pass issued to me at the point of entry has now expired but and I haven’t attended the Post Arrival Medical Screening due to the Movement Control Order in Malaysia. Will I be able to attend the medical screening and obtain a student pass?
Answer: Yes, EMGS will facilitate the processing of passports for all students with a valid pass expiring anytime during the Movement Control Order period. You will first be required to attend the Post Arrival Medical Screening at the nearest EMGS panel clinic once the MCO has been lifted. The list of clinics is available at https://visa.educationmalaysia.gov.my/guidelines/registered-malaysianclinic.html. Kindly note that Students enrolling into Malaysia Public Universities can attend the medical screening at clinics located in their universities. Please ensure that you speak to an authorised representative from your Education Institutions prior to attending the Post Arrival Medical Screening.Once you have passed the Post Arrival Medical Screening, we will request your Education Institution to submit your passport to EMGS or prepare a supporting letter for your institution to obtain the student pass at their respective state Immigration Department.
14. Question: I’ve attended the Post Arrival Medical Screening but failed the screening. The clinic contacted me and requested that I submit my appeal no later than 1 month from the time I first attended the medical screening. I am currently not able to travel to the clinic due to the MCO. Does this mean I won’t be allowed to appeal the results of the Post Arrival Medical Screening?
Answer: Under normal circumstances, you are required to submit an appeal at the same panel clinic you visited previously for medical screening. This should be done within 7 days of receipt of the notification that you have failed your medical screening. In lieu of the current Movement Control Order (MCO) implemented, EMGS has decided to ease this condition however you must submit your appeal at the same clinic within 7 days of the MCO being lifted.
EMGS Insurance
15. Question: When does the insurance policy purchased through EMGS start?
Answer: EMGS is currently sending a notification to the respective insurance provider once the
application has reached a specific stage. The process of sending notifications for students that opted for EMGS insurance providers happens at the passport endorsement stage/e-support issuance stage. The insurance commencement date will depend on the type of application submitted to EMGS. The table (Table 1) below explains the commencement dates for the respective type of applications.
Application Type Commencement Date
Progression/Variation The eVAL issuance date
Renewal From the next day following the expiry of their current student pass
New Student’s date of entry to Malaysia which needs to be provided by the
institutions
EMGS is currently also looking at sending notifications for all Progression / Variation / Renewal
students who insurance / student pass has currently expired (even if the application has not reached the required stage as mentioned above). This is provided the institute/students have created an application with EMGS.
16. Question: Is Covid-19 included in the insurance policies available through EMGS?
Answer: Yes, all 3 EMGS insurance/takaful providers (AXA, AIA and Hong Leong MSIG Takaful) will extend coverage to cover treatments and/or hospital admissions related to confirmed 2019-nCoV cases within Malaysia. Kindly note that the Ministry of Health Malaysia has provided a list of designated Hospitals for handling COVID-19 cases. Please refer to the Ministry of Health Malaysia’s website to view the list of designated Hospitals as the insurance providers may only allow claims originating from these designated hospitals.
Please continue to check our website www.educationmalaysia.gov.my , our application tracking page https://visa.educationmalaysia.gov.my/emgs/application/searchForm/, and EMGS Connect platform for regular updates.