Sabah MM2H
Jan 11th 2019, 12:56 am
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Sabah MM2H
DCM Glad that MM2H Not Suspended Here (Sabah)
DCM glad MM2H is not suspended here | Daily Express Online, Sabah, Malaysia.
DCM glad MM2H is not suspended here | Daily Express Online, Sabah, Malaysia.
Jan 11th 2019, 1:52 am
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Re: Sabah MM2H
It's difficult to find information about Sabah MM2H because there's no official website.
They had only 300 applications from 2011-2015. 25 of those were Brits:
MM2H a Let Down in Sabah
So, the scheme is massively under-utilised. I phoned up the Sabah Government MM2H contact (+60 88 488 813) and he told me that the requirements are exactly the same as for Peninsular MM2H.
I guess the Sabah application process is faster than in West Malaysia (if the latter was even open) because of the low volume.
They had only 300 applications from 2011-2015. 25 of those were Brits:
MM2H a Let Down in Sabah
So, the scheme is massively under-utilised. I phoned up the Sabah Government MM2H contact (+60 88 488 813) and he told me that the requirements are exactly the same as for Peninsular MM2H.
I guess the Sabah application process is faster than in West Malaysia (if the latter was even open) because of the low volume.
Jan 11th 2019, 12:44 pm
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Re: Sabah MM2H
Interesting!
For me 300 is not so low, because Sabah is really far away. I thought their applications mainly would come from Indos und Pinoys - wrong!
For me 300 is not so low, because Sabah is really far away. I thought their applications mainly would come from Indos und Pinoys - wrong!
Jan 13th 2019, 2:48 am
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Re: Sabah MM2H
Kota Kinabalu airport now has regular flights to and from Beijing (PEK), Chongqing (CKG), Shenzhen (SZX), Guangzhou (CAN), Hangzhou, Xian, Chengdu (CTU), Hong Kong, and Macau, as well as Taipei, Singapore, Manila, and Seoul. In fact for many of these cities the flight time is actually less than to KL. Turkish Airlines, Emirates and Qatar Airways fly to KK via KL.
Jan 13th 2019, 4:38 am
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Re: Sabah MM2H
Kota Kinabalu airport now has regular flights to and from Beijing (PEK), Chongqing (CKG), Shenzhen (SZX), Guangzhou (CAN), Hangzhou, Xian, Chengdu (CTU), Hong Kong, and Macau, as well as Taipei, Singapore, Manila, and Seoul. In fact for many of these cities the flight time is actually less than to KL. Turkish Airlines, Emirates and Qatar Airways fly to KK via KL.
Jan 13th 2019, 5:46 am
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Re: Sabah MM2H
I think that it has all happened within the last year or so. It seems to be a focus for Chinese tourism, but local travel agents are upset that Chinese travel agents are essentially acting as tourist guides in lieu of using local "licensed" agencies. There are even claims that they are taking their groups to tourism sites where there are no entry fees to cut costs. The one MM2H agent cited in the article seemed to believe that Chinese agents were somehow working aro
Not sure why Sabah is so attractive to Chinese tourists and MM2H applications...but there are even rumors that Jackie Chan has bought a property at the "Tip of Borneo".
Not sure why Sabah is so attractive to Chinese tourists and MM2H applications...but there are even rumors that Jackie Chan has bought a property at the "Tip of Borneo".
Jan 22nd 2019, 9:26 pm
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Re: Sabah MM2H
Has anyone on the Peninsular MM2H been allowed to
a) visit Sabah on anything more than a 90-Day Tourist Pass i.e. was your passport stamped with a 90-Day Pass that states "Permitted to Enter West Malaysia and Sabah and remain until______."
When entering Sabah did they cancel/revise the longer stay that allowed one to stay for the duration of your MM2H visa?
b) Has anyone with a Peninsular MM2H or Sarawak MM2H taken Residence in Sabah?
a) visit Sabah on anything more than a 90-Day Tourist Pass i.e. was your passport stamped with a 90-Day Pass that states "Permitted to Enter West Malaysia and Sabah and remain until______."
When entering Sabah did they cancel/revise the longer stay that allowed one to stay for the duration of your MM2H visa?
b) Has anyone with a Peninsular MM2H or Sarawak MM2H taken Residence in Sabah?
Feb 1st 2019, 6:45 am
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Re: Sabah MM2H
Has anyone on the Peninsular MM2H been allowed to
a) visit Sabah on anything more than a 90-Day Tourist Pass i.e. was your passport stamped with a 90-Day Pass that states "Permitted to Enter West Malaysia and Sabah and remain until______."
When entering Sabah did they cancel/revise the longer stay that allowed one to stay for the duration of your MM2H visa?
b) Has anyone with a Peninsular MM2H or Sarawak MM2H taken Residence in Sabah?
a) visit Sabah on anything more than a 90-Day Tourist Pass i.e. was your passport stamped with a 90-Day Pass that states "Permitted to Enter West Malaysia and Sabah and remain until______."
When entering Sabah did they cancel/revise the longer stay that allowed one to stay for the duration of your MM2H visa?
b) Has anyone with a Peninsular MM2H or Sarawak MM2H taken Residence in Sabah?
b) An agent in Sabah told me that in order to get MM2H in Sabah you need to cancel your a Peninsular MM2H. Is it possible that immigration in Sabah communicates with MOTAC in KL? But the last I've heard from an agent is that MM2H in Sabah wants you to live most of the time in Sabah. However, there is no mechanism to enforce it yet except that they will not extend your MM2H in 10 years if you can't prove that you lived significant time in Sabah.
Feb 1st 2019, 12:47 pm
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Re: Sabah MM2H
Once you leave Malaysia and return on the MM2H Visa you should get a "Permitted to Enter West Malaysia and Sabah and remain until______." The officer will then write in the expiration date of you MM2H Visa. Technically that stamp should allow you to stay in West Malaysia until your MM2H expires but also allow you to stay in Sabah until then as well. So you could stay there in Sabah for 10 years on the Peninsular MM2H. Or vice versa.
If you have a 90 Day Visa stamp for West Malaysia that was supposedly superseded by the by the MM2H visa. But without the "Open" stamp that might not be obvious to a Sabah Immigration officer quickly flipping through the passport. Did they actually give you 90-Days afresh in Sabah? Or did they write something on the stamp that gave you less than that (90 days - minus the days you had stayed in West Malaysia)?
Now can you have a Sabah MM2H and a Peninsular MM2H in your passport at the same time? Probably not. They would cancel one and issue the other. They do that with work visas converted to spousal visas, or student visas switching to work visas, etc. But that is a different issue than whether you can live in the Peninsula on a Sabah MM2H or in Sabah on a Peninsular MM2H. That relates to the stated privileges of the Visa.
There is virtually no difference in the financial requirements or obligations between the two Visas. Both have the same income and FD requirements. On the surface there would be no reason that someone PLANNING on living on the Peninsula would apply in Sabah, or vice-versa. But recently there has developed a rationale. That's because of the slowdown and then suspension of acceptances on the Peninsula. Even before the Suspension it was taking 6-7 months for MOTAC to process the MM2H. I suspect in Sabah it took less than half that time. They only had about 300 applications from 2011-2016 (about 50 a year). But in 2018 that number was 3000...for one year! What happened?
Two things....1) the crack-down on Visa Hopping on the peninsula forcing people to either leave of shift to the MM2H program. Those who had been "theatened" and didn't want to risk a red stamp might go to Sabah to get a visa that they could have processed quickly. But then there is 2) the Suspension of Processing applications (mainly as a consequence of the Forest City situation). Many agents likely sold units with the promise of the MM2H and Chinese can't live in their units until they have a proper long-term visa (they can't visa-hop either). So how to get a quickie MM2H visa? Go to Sabah or Sarawak (a bit more complicated there as they require a Sarawakian Sponsor).
That may be why there is now a "verbal" policy that to get a Sabah MM2H you have to live in Sabah. But how they would enforce that is a problem. Do they require applicants to show a 2 year lease agreement (would a landlord actually agree to this without the applicant having a visa already)? An unscrupulous realtor could simply allow the applicant to withdraw...for a fee. Would Sabah immigration require a "check-in" every year (a la Thailand)? Checking the entry/exit visa stamps into Sabah to assure that the applicant lived a certain period of time in Sabah? Would that be 4 months, or 183 days (the time that most countries use for tax residency)? Lots of bureacracy and paperwork.
If you have a 90 Day Visa stamp for West Malaysia that was supposedly superseded by the by the MM2H visa. But without the "Open" stamp that might not be obvious to a Sabah Immigration officer quickly flipping through the passport. Did they actually give you 90-Days afresh in Sabah? Or did they write something on the stamp that gave you less than that (90 days - minus the days you had stayed in West Malaysia)?
Now can you have a Sabah MM2H and a Peninsular MM2H in your passport at the same time? Probably not. They would cancel one and issue the other. They do that with work visas converted to spousal visas, or student visas switching to work visas, etc. But that is a different issue than whether you can live in the Peninsula on a Sabah MM2H or in Sabah on a Peninsular MM2H. That relates to the stated privileges of the Visa.
There is virtually no difference in the financial requirements or obligations between the two Visas. Both have the same income and FD requirements. On the surface there would be no reason that someone PLANNING on living on the Peninsula would apply in Sabah, or vice-versa. But recently there has developed a rationale. That's because of the slowdown and then suspension of acceptances on the Peninsula. Even before the Suspension it was taking 6-7 months for MOTAC to process the MM2H. I suspect in Sabah it took less than half that time. They only had about 300 applications from 2011-2016 (about 50 a year). But in 2018 that number was 3000...for one year! What happened?
Two things....1) the crack-down on Visa Hopping on the peninsula forcing people to either leave of shift to the MM2H program. Those who had been "theatened" and didn't want to risk a red stamp might go to Sabah to get a visa that they could have processed quickly. But then there is 2) the Suspension of Processing applications (mainly as a consequence of the Forest City situation). Many agents likely sold units with the promise of the MM2H and Chinese can't live in their units until they have a proper long-term visa (they can't visa-hop either). So how to get a quickie MM2H visa? Go to Sabah or Sarawak (a bit more complicated there as they require a Sarawakian Sponsor).
That may be why there is now a "verbal" policy that to get a Sabah MM2H you have to live in Sabah. But how they would enforce that is a problem. Do they require applicants to show a 2 year lease agreement (would a landlord actually agree to this without the applicant having a visa already)? An unscrupulous realtor could simply allow the applicant to withdraw...for a fee. Would Sabah immigration require a "check-in" every year (a la Thailand)? Checking the entry/exit visa stamps into Sabah to assure that the applicant lived a certain period of time in Sabah? Would that be 4 months, or 183 days (the time that most countries use for tax residency)? Lots of bureacracy and paperwork.
Feb 2nd 2019, 1:23 am
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Re: Sabah MM2H
If you have a 90 Day Visa stamp for West Malaysia that was supposedly superseded by the by the MM2H visa. But without the "Open" stamp that might not be obvious to a Sabah Immigration officer quickly flipping through the passport. Did they actually give you 90-Days afresh in Sabah? Or did they write something on the stamp that gave you less than that (90 days - minus the days you had stayed in West Malaysia)?year! What happened?
I don't have MM2H yet and this is why I only have 90-days visa from the Peninsula. I got only one stamp in Sabah "Entered Sabah on ____". There is nothing there about how long I can stay in Sabah. So I am assuming that this would allow me to stay in Sabah until 90 days in the stamp from the Peninsula are off.
With the MM2H stamp from the Peninsula, this would work probably differently as you described, but I have no knowledge how.
Last edited by StillSearching; Feb 2nd 2019 at 1:27 am.
Feb 2nd 2019, 2:30 am
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Re: Sabah MM2H
I asked
"I don't have MM2H yet and this is why I only have 90-days visa from the Peninsula."
Yes you were a Tourist and received a Tourist Pass. That has nothing to do with MM2H. With a Tourist Pass you can only stay in Sabah THROUGH the length of time that the first entry visa allowed. That's why they write in the final date. Thus if you stayed in Peninsula Malaysia 1 month (30 days) and went to Sabah...you would only have an additional 60 days remaining. You COULD use that time completely in Sabah, or partially in Sabah and the rest in the Peninsula. Going to Malaysia or Sarawak does not constitute leaving the country and thus one would not get additional time added on to the initial 90 days by going to these States.
One could pass through Brunei, or go to the Philippines or into Indonesia, however. Those are the popular "visa hopping" destinations for East Malaysia (just as Singapore, Thailand, and Sumatra/Riau Islands are for West Malaysia).
I was looking for specific information from MM2H recipients, not tourists.
An "open stamp" is one that states "Permitted to Enter West Malaysia and Sabah and remain until______." That date will be the expiration date of your MM2H visa. There is no mention of "90 Days" or other specific time frame on the stamp (some people get "30 days" others even fewer).
Has anyone on the Peninsular MM2H been allowed to
a) visit Sabah on anything more than a 90-Day Tourist Pass i.e. was your passport stamped with a 90-Day Pass that states "Permitted to Enter West Malaysia and Sabah and remain until______."
When entering Sabah did they cancel/revise the longer stay that allowed one to stay for the duration of your MM2H visa?
b) Has anyone with a Peninsular MM2H or Sarawak MM2H taken Residence in Sabah?
a) visit Sabah on anything more than a 90-Day Tourist Pass i.e. was your passport stamped with a 90-Day Pass that states "Permitted to Enter West Malaysia and Sabah and remain until______."
When entering Sabah did they cancel/revise the longer stay that allowed one to stay for the duration of your MM2H visa?
b) Has anyone with a Peninsular MM2H or Sarawak MM2H taken Residence in Sabah?
Yes you were a Tourist and received a Tourist Pass. That has nothing to do with MM2H. With a Tourist Pass you can only stay in Sabah THROUGH the length of time that the first entry visa allowed. That's why they write in the final date. Thus if you stayed in Peninsula Malaysia 1 month (30 days) and went to Sabah...you would only have an additional 60 days remaining. You COULD use that time completely in Sabah, or partially in Sabah and the rest in the Peninsula. Going to Malaysia or Sarawak does not constitute leaving the country and thus one would not get additional time added on to the initial 90 days by going to these States.
One could pass through Brunei, or go to the Philippines or into Indonesia, however. Those are the popular "visa hopping" destinations for East Malaysia (just as Singapore, Thailand, and Sumatra/Riau Islands are for West Malaysia).
I was looking for specific information from MM2H recipients, not tourists.
An "open stamp" is one that states "Permitted to Enter West Malaysia and Sabah and remain until______." That date will be the expiration date of your MM2H visa. There is no mention of "90 Days" or other specific time frame on the stamp (some people get "30 days" others even fewer).
Mar 29th 2019, 8:43 am
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Re: Sabah MM2H
It's difficult to find information about Sabah MM2H because there's no official website.
So, the scheme is massively under-utilised. I phoned up the Sabah Government MM2H contact (+60 88 488 813) and he told me that the requirements are exactly the same as for Peninsular MM2H.
I guess the Sabah application process is faster than in West Malaysia.
So, the scheme is massively under-utilised. I phoned up the Sabah Government MM2H contact (+60 88 488 813) and he told me that the requirements are exactly the same as for Peninsular MM2H.
I guess the Sabah application process is faster than in West Malaysia.
The rules are not written yet, but they are working on making them in print. They say that after the rules are finalized this summer, the process will be longer because your police report will be sent to KL.
Currently, they don't want to consider applicants whose passports are stamped in KL. However, if you can convince their immigration why you can't stand living in the peninsula and you wish to live in KK, they will take your application. But they will not proceed without your rental agreement and a proof that you are relocating there.
KK is a nice place to live. Clean air compare to KL or Penang; sea view, beaches, great connectivity, good hospitals, great shopping, more relaxed compare to KL or Penang. Not without problems as everywhere else.
Mar 29th 2019, 9:38 am
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Re: Sabah MM2H
Currently, they don't want to consider applicants whose passports are stamped in KL. However, if you can convince their immigration why you can't stand living in the peninsula and you wish to live in KK, they will take your application. But they will not proceed without your rental agreement and a proof that you are relocating there.
Interesting that they are requiring rental agreement...what other proof of relocation are they requiring? I'm also wondering if there will develop a cottage industry in "time shares" or if people will lease a place, and then just eat the deposit if they want to move back to the Peninsula. One of the great benefits of the MM2H was that you didn't have to actually live there for any length of time. One could defer the visa until you actually retired, or use it as a travel base for a couple of months and take off again.
What amount of time are they allowing MM2H and Sarawak M2H recipients for visits? I get three months as a tourist...but my understanding is that Peninsular Malaysians only get one month. Maybe I should not show them my Sarawak M2H Visa?
Mar 30th 2019, 1:21 pm
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Re: Sabah MM2H
RedApe: Doesn't almost everyone transit through KL?
---- There are many options not to stamp your passport in KL. Kota Kinabalu has very good connectivity. E.g, you can fly from Singapore, or from Bangkok, or Manila... I have no idea why they don't like a stamp from KL. But this is what I was told by an agent in Sabah.
RedApe: Or are they going to start reviewing the stamps to see if you are ONLY spending time in Peninsular Malaysia and not in Sabah. Are they going to do this review the first year after you get your visa? Seems a bit belated to wait ten years at renewal?
---- Currently, there is no check on this by MM2H. They will not renew your MM2H in 10 years if you didn't spend significant time in Sabah. However, they may introduce something more concrete on this in the rules they are currently composing.
RedApe: Interesting that they are requiring rental agreement...what other proof of relocation are they requiring?
---- They asked us for a confirmation on our move from our relocation company, an original copy of our stamped rental agreement; pictures of the rental property, proof of a payment for security deposit and 1st month of rental. Keep in mind that if you rent something very cheap, they may suspect that you are not serious. So, you need to rent something which is comfortable for you to live there. We also told them why we prefer to live there and not on the peninsula. This should be your personal story.
RedApe: One of the great benefits of the MM2H was that you didn't have to actually live there for any length of time. One could defer the visa until you actually retired, or use it as a travel base for a couple of months and take off again.
---- Yes, therefore Sabah is not for such applicants. Their politicians want you to spend money there and benefit their economy.
RedApe: What amount of time are they allowing MM2H and Sarawak M2H recipients for visits? I get three months as a tourist...but my understanding is that Peninsular Malaysians only get one month. Maybe I should not show them my Sarawak M2H Visa?
---- Since you have Sarawak M2H Visa, you can stay in Sabah only one month. Is Sarawak M2H Visa not in your passport? Is it a card? You may try not showing it, I guess... Why do you want not to show it? Do you want to apply in Sabah? You don't want to live in Sarawak?
---- There are many options not to stamp your passport in KL. Kota Kinabalu has very good connectivity. E.g, you can fly from Singapore, or from Bangkok, or Manila... I have no idea why they don't like a stamp from KL. But this is what I was told by an agent in Sabah.
RedApe: Or are they going to start reviewing the stamps to see if you are ONLY spending time in Peninsular Malaysia and not in Sabah. Are they going to do this review the first year after you get your visa? Seems a bit belated to wait ten years at renewal?
---- Currently, there is no check on this by MM2H. They will not renew your MM2H in 10 years if you didn't spend significant time in Sabah. However, they may introduce something more concrete on this in the rules they are currently composing.
RedApe: Interesting that they are requiring rental agreement...what other proof of relocation are they requiring?
---- They asked us for a confirmation on our move from our relocation company, an original copy of our stamped rental agreement; pictures of the rental property, proof of a payment for security deposit and 1st month of rental. Keep in mind that if you rent something very cheap, they may suspect that you are not serious. So, you need to rent something which is comfortable for you to live there. We also told them why we prefer to live there and not on the peninsula. This should be your personal story.
RedApe: One of the great benefits of the MM2H was that you didn't have to actually live there for any length of time. One could defer the visa until you actually retired, or use it as a travel base for a couple of months and take off again.
---- Yes, therefore Sabah is not for such applicants. Their politicians want you to spend money there and benefit their economy.
RedApe: What amount of time are they allowing MM2H and Sarawak M2H recipients for visits? I get three months as a tourist...but my understanding is that Peninsular Malaysians only get one month. Maybe I should not show them my Sarawak M2H Visa?
---- Since you have Sarawak M2H Visa, you can stay in Sabah only one month. Is Sarawak M2H Visa not in your passport? Is it a card? You may try not showing it, I guess... Why do you want not to show it? Do you want to apply in Sabah? You don't want to live in Sarawak?
Last edited by StillSearching; Mar 30th 2019 at 1:24 pm.
Mar 30th 2019, 5:13 pm
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Re: Sabah MM2H
Maybe the desire to not have short term MM2H residents had something to do with this issue.
Apparently some MM2H applicants were using an agent to set up some sort of rental with their property when the visa recipient was not present. It led to aproperties becoming derelict when the agent didn't properly maintain the units...and not paying the owners.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malay...tration/570551
No, I'm not thinking of applying for the Sabah program, though I was considering renting a unit there which my landlord owns and maybe staying a year. Why Sabah, which appears to like our tourism money, would ban this seems contrarian. The reason I asked about allowable period is that I usually like to stay in Sabah for more than a month- doing a couple weeks of snorkeling and doing some trekking in Danum, around the Kinabatangan, and on Mt. Kinabalu. Odd that they'd allow three months for any other tourist, but an MM2H visa-holder they restrict to a month.
As to using Sabah for the MM2H...it's too restrictive on extended outside travel, and I don't think they are realistic on having to show that you have actually shipped household goods. It's taken me over a year to find a reasonable shipper. I'm doing fine living out of three suitcases and in a fully furnished apartment here in Sarawak. I'm not sure if the way they are setting it up will actually appeal to High Income Investors - which appears to whom they are targeting.
Apparently some MM2H applicants were using an agent to set up some sort of rental with their property when the visa recipient was not present. It led to aproperties becoming derelict when the agent didn't properly maintain the units...and not paying the owners.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malay...tration/570551
No, I'm not thinking of applying for the Sabah program, though I was considering renting a unit there which my landlord owns and maybe staying a year. Why Sabah, which appears to like our tourism money, would ban this seems contrarian. The reason I asked about allowable period is that I usually like to stay in Sabah for more than a month- doing a couple weeks of snorkeling and doing some trekking in Danum, around the Kinabatangan, and on Mt. Kinabalu. Odd that they'd allow three months for any other tourist, but an MM2H visa-holder they restrict to a month.
As to using Sabah for the MM2H...it's too restrictive on extended outside travel, and I don't think they are realistic on having to show that you have actually shipped household goods. It's taken me over a year to find a reasonable shipper. I'm doing fine living out of three suitcases and in a fully furnished apartment here in Sarawak. I'm not sure if the way they are setting it up will actually appeal to High Income Investors - which appears to whom they are targeting.