MM2H visa in new passport - beware of changes; Nightmare
 

I have just had the remainder of my 10 years MM2H visa transferred to my new passport. What a nightmare it has been!

If you can, avoid going to the MM2H Putrajaya Office this month (December and I assume every year as it school holidays period), there are only 2 MM2H people facing staff working, others are on holidays! One MM2H person is dealing with everything (extensions, renewals, termination etc); the other is dealing with MM2H agents only. They are only issuing 100 tickets per day and once these are gone, you have to go back and queue up again the next day. According to one agent they only issue 100 tickets per day irrespective any special periods i.e. december. You will also have a wasted trip if their systems are down. Apparently, this happened last week. They do not care if you have travelled from afar, In my case, I had travelled from Melaka - so I had to stay in Putrajaya overnight. Some of the agents are queing from 4AM! I got there are 7:30AM on the following day and there was already a queue of about 50 people in front of me, some of these were agents. You cannot book an appointment.

Also be aware that the instructions on the MM2H website for each process may not be accurate. For example, for an extension it states:

The Applicant should bring the following documents and payment:
1 Letter of Intent By The Principal / Sponsor
2 Copy of Approval Letter
3 Form IM. 12
4 Form IMM. 55 (on the form it states 2 copies)
5 Original & copy of Old & New Passport for Applicant & Principal
6 Dependents (children) will only be given extension up to 21 years old only.
Processing period is one (1) working day.

However, in my experience what they wanted was:
Photocopy of the original Approval Letter
For both the Applicant & Principal
1 Form IM. 12
2 Form IMM. 55 (1 copy only)
3 Photocopy of the page with the most current entry visa and the main photo page in the original passport/ photo page in the new passport
You will get the passport the same day, they do not hold passports - all in all about 5 hrs to get an visa extension.

When I told the MM2H officer that the MM2H website was incorrect, he said the website was developed by Malaysia Tourism, who are no more in control of the MM2H programme. It has been transferred to Home Affairs, so the requirements for each process may not be correctly reflected. The website is being updated - when? who knows

The MM2H process was so smooth when we came over here a few years ago. Everyone in the MM2H centre was so friendly and accomodating. My current experience was totally negative, they are making life as difficult as possible. You could see the frustration on peoples faces.

Even though the direct application process is simple. I would recommend to pay an agent and get them to do the running around on your behalf. It will save you a lot of headache

Good luck

Re: MM2H visa in new passport - beware of changes; Nightmare
 

The worst mistake most of us made, we did not start the MM2H "career" with a brand new passport, so all this annoying pain repeats every five years or so instead of 10. And then think about wife and kids have different expiry dates of the passports! Every year I have not to go to Putrajaya is pure happiness.

I don´t think an agent is a suitable solution. What you think they charge for the renewal for a family of 4? This is Malaysia, it will be a hell of money.

Re: MM2H visa in new passport - beware of changes; Nightmare
 

I mentioned on another thread (https://britishexpats.com/forum/reti...l-hope-919155/) that the programme was being transferred to Home Affairs but others disagreed. Looks like I was right.

Re: MM2H visa in new passport - beware of changes; Nightmare
 

I read your post you were right. I am thinking of applying for the MM2H and the requirements are asking for Certified True Copies? What is a certified true copy? They want everything to be certified true copies. Seems completely ridiculous what they want now. I have no idea how to start the check list is 4 pages with over 100 requirements. :((((

Re: MM2H visa in new passport - beware of changes; Nightmare
 

As far as I know everything is still in the Tourism Ministry, "transferred" leaves room for interpretation, as the Immigration department always had an important role, nowadays maybe just even more.

Re: MM2H visa in new passport - beware of changes; Nightmare
 

Yes, the head of MM2H at MoTaC, Datin Sharifah Ikhlass Aljaffree, disagreed in front of a roomful of people when asked that direct question at the British High Commission on 31st October. I shall repeat her answer: The MM2H selection committee remains exactly the same (i.e. from MoTaC), but new applications now face further scrutiny by Home Affairs, due to the Forest City controversy.

Maybe things have changed since then, I'll concede that possibility.

Re: MM2H visa in new passport - beware of changes; Nightmare
 

If you are in the UK, when we applied six years ago Sharon Ho Deputy Director at the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board, Malaysia House, 57 Trafalgar Sq, London WC2N 5DU certified all our the documents for free. They may still do this for you.

Re: MM2H visa in new passport - beware of changes; Nightmare
 

It was pretty bad in September also when I had to do the same thing. I travel a lot and change passports every 2-3 years when they get full, so this is very annoying. Hopefully the change to immigration department could improve this, as it might be possible to do renewals etc not only in the MM2H office.

Re: MM2H visa in new passport - beware of changes; Nightmare
 

I applied for MM2H at the Putrajaya office a couple of weeks ago. There were few people there; I arrived around midday and was out before the 1pm lunch break.

The only document I had certified was the photo page of my passport (a photocopy of the certified page is also required). I got the certification done by a solicitor in the UK - I checked online for solicitors offering this service, although I suspect most do, walked in without an appointment and paid (from memory) £10 for 10 seconds of his time. I'm sure lawyers in Malaysia can also certify. The other documents - police report, bank statements, etc. - were accepted without certification.

They said it would take 3-4 or 4-5 (can't remember) months for a decision. I received an email with my application number and a link to a website where I can check the status of my application.



(a copy of the certified page is also required; I was sent to a copy machine on .

Re: MM2H visa in new passport - beware of changes; Nightmare
 

Re: MM2H visa in new passport - beware of changes; Nightmare
 

Thanks for this! When I had to certify I found it very difficult to find a fair price, at the end I tried with the Comm of Oaths, anyway seems that their ban is finished.

But the Immigration Office near Publika is an absolute nightmare, usually Westerners and MM2Hers have nothing to do with them, thank god for it!

Re: MM2H visa in new passport - beware of changes; Nightmare
 

Original documents do not require certification. They are not copies. Thus any application you submit doesn't have to be chopped (You can keep a copy). My impression that of the required documents you have listed IM 55 and IM 12 would not need a photocopy. It's also a bit ridiculous to ask for the original Conditional Letter of Approval...would they not have this on file? And requiring them to chop it?

For MM2H self-application isn't the MoT the sponsor?

The only documents that would need chopping (certification) would be the identity pages of the old and new passport and last visa stamp (or none if the new passport is blank).

This should be able to be done at any Commissioner of Oaths.

I think that when you are applying for a NEW Visa they will require a new "evidence of income-(i.e. 3 mos. pension) plus new IM55/IM12. Probably a new document (certified by the bank) of placement of Fixed Deposit (if required), and new health check.

Re: MM2H visa in new passport - beware of changes; Nightmare
 

MM2H agent wrote to us in June that there is no backlog and the process will take 90 working days. Eight months later, our status is "Pending approval". After talking to someone at the Ministry of Home Affairs, we think that it will take many more months. The whole process is still handled by the Ministry of Tourism, not by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Re: MM2H visa in new passport - beware of changes; Nightmare
 

You are not the only one who is still waiting. I heard a story of another applicant that their application was approved by the Ministry of Tourism, but was now waiting for approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Apparently this second ministry is somehow creating a bottle neck.

Re: MM2H visa in new passport - beware of changes; Nightmare
 

Before you certify your documents, make sure that Malaysian Notary certification will be acceptable by the authorities. As I was told, Malaysian Notary is not trusted here. The correct way to certify the original documents is by the institutions which issued those documents. E.g. bank statements must be certified by a bank issuing them, a marriage certificate must be certified by a government office where it was issued. Your passport pictures can be certified by a Malaysian attorney or a Notary.