geedee

I just phoned the Malaysian Embassy for advice about what visas are needed if we plan to reside in Johor, send the kids to school in Johor, and I work in Singapore.
They told me that I could get a 3 month temporary stay visa, but that was it. They also said that with an MM2H visa (which we won't be able to get anyway!) you cannot leave Malaysia! That sounds like bull biscuits to me....

Those of you who are working in Singapore, and living in Johor.... how do you do it?? Any and all help sincerely appreciated!

bakedbean

The bit about MM2H is complete cobblers. If interested (but you probably won't be just yet), there's a whole thread on the subject of MM2H here:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=757238
Of course you can leave Malaysia whenever you like. In fact, you don't even need to be living in Malaysia at all.

I'm not in Johor, but I gather that the way to do it is to get a MACS pass. You can get one of those if you have a Singapore work visa. Have a read through this thread below and check out posts # 11 and 13.
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...highlight=macs

Also have a good read through this thread below in the Singapore section entitled Living in Nusajaya - Working in Singapore
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...highlight=macs

kennyboy33

yep bakedbean is right, that bit about not being able to leave M'sia on MM2h is total horsethingy.

geedee,at the risk of being seen to advertise, if you think you might be perhaps a borderline case for MM2H, I'd say give Yvonne at Joystay a try..very good indeed. www.joy-stay.com

geedee

BB, Kenny, thanks very much for replying, it's appreciated.

I've read right through the threads and it seems that a lot of people are staying in Johor on Tourist Visas (90 days for UK PP), but able to get MACS cards on the basis of having a Singapore Employment Pass and a rental agreement in Malaysia. Then, crossing fingers as technically there is no legal basis for residency.

As for MM2H, I'm not borderline, I just don't have that money and won't until we sell our house in Canada. There do seem to be some very well off people on this board, but unfortunately I'm not one of them!

I'll have to decide whether to live in a hovel in S'pore and make the kids commute, or risk being an illegal immigrant in Malaysia.

This move's starting to not look so attractive... a bit late now as the deposits have been paid for the school!

And it does like the person at the Malaysian Embassy who I spoke with was talking rubbish....

Oh, and I forgot to mention, we'll be bringing our pets.... I doubt we can do that on a Tourist Visa.

Bocat

Hi Geedee

There are LOADS of us living here exactly the way you've described above.

The Malaysian and Singaporean governments are actively encouraging people to move to Johor. Singapore's bursting at the seams.

You certainly wouldn't be living in a hovel in Singapore but it is a hell of a commute for the kids each day in my honest opinon.

I know it must all seem a bit crazy - coming in and out of a country on a tourist visa all the time - but once you're here and see the amount of people who cross the border for work every day - you won't feel so bad.

Re your pets - you will indeed be able to bring them over - I know several people who have. However, I'm not sure if they will have to stay in Singapore for a certain length of time before they can come here. The paperwork to bring them here is apparently relatively straightforward and inexpensive.

geedee

Hey, Bocat, thanks for chipping in!

If we do decide on the "live in Malaysia" option we would not come in through Singapore when we all fly over... we'd bring the pets in via Kuala Lumpur as they will get away with 7 days quarantine.... S'pore is 4 weeks! Just hope it doesn't cause an issue bringing pets in on a 90 day visa....

I can get an EP in S'pore using the office address, so that's OK.

I wish I'd never spoken to the Malaysian Embassy! I'm nervous about pitching up there now.

Bocat

Hmm - whoever's organising your pets' transfer should be able to check it out.

Honestly - even since we moved over we know of at least 20 other families who've done the same thing - and many more who were already living here so please don't panic about the visa issue.

If you've been reading the news or checking out any of the Facebook pages on Johor/Iskandar - you'll have seen that Singapore has invested heavily in this region and Johor needs the Singaporean investment. Therefore its in both countries' best interests to make things easier for people to live here.

geedee

Thanks Bocat. We really would rather live there... the school day is long enough without another 3 hours driving on top (I'll have to put up with that!). Plus there's some pretty nice places at Leisure Farm!!

Nemodot

You asked the British Embassy?

Poor you have a drink and get back to reality!

(If I asked them if it was daytime and they said yes I would still check to see if the sun was up!)

bakedbean

Nemodot, you may wish to read post #1 and also take an eyeball of where Geedee is located. British Embassy doesn't come into the equation.

Well done Bocat.... great info as usual

parker-waterman

Gratuitously running down the British Embassy is crass.

And Malaysia doesn't have a British Embassy. It's a High Commission.

Thicko.

geedee

Don't hold back there, PW!

parker-waterman

I don't know if this site allows links to other sites but you could try : http://www.my2home.info/index.php/to....html#msg29221

. . . as it's about Johor. And at the bottom of the topic page are related Johor subjects. Maybe of interest.

<snip>

parker-waterman

Double standards, Sue.

Nermodot uses a bit of unsupported sarky about the British Foreign Service and you leave it. I do the same, without names, and you remove it.

I have friends in the Foreign Service, and what isn't acceptable are cheap shots from someone who posts about working as a teacher at an international school but can't even spell :

Pour school.

By deleting my comment (more or less the one above) you do a disservice to putting Nermodot's comment on the British Foreign Service into the perspective it deserves, i.e. posted by an idiot.

And on another thread this wally rubbishes ESL teachers.

ex reg

Can't see the spelling mistake myself.

Punctuation, maybe.

Now I've proof read my post loads of times checking spelling and punctuation but I bet I've made an error somewhere so don't pick me up on it.