KUALA LUMPUR — The Home Ministry has announced a special 72-day period, from 19 January to 31 March 2026, to accept applications for 2025 foreign worker employment quotas.
Applications will also continue to be accepted until the previously announced deadline of 31 December 2025.
According to the ministry, all applications submitted between 19 January and 31 March 2026 will be reviewed in consultation with the relevant supervising ministries and are subject to prevailing regulations on foreign worker employment. The application window applies to all approved sectors and subsectors endorsed by the government on 1 October 2025, subject to eligibility requirements.
This includes the services sector, which remains conditional under the supervision of the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, following its earlier closure.
Employers are reminded to submit applications directly, without using agents or third parties, through the Foreign Worker Management One-Stop Centre under the Home Ministry.
To manage applications efficiently, employers must book appointments in advance via the ministry’s official website, starting 16 January 2026.
The ministry said this initiative supports the government’s commitment to orderly foreign labour management. As of 15 October, Abdul Rahman Mohamad, Deputy Human Resources Minister, reported over 2.13 million legally employed foreign workers in Malaysia, primarily in manufacturing, construction, services, and plantation sectors.
Malaysia
