Study visa valid for entire course duration

Foreign students in Malaysia no longer need to renew their study visa annually as their visas are now valid for the entire course duration.

Effective starting from 15 March 2016, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said applications for the visa can be done directly to Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS).

According to Datuk Seri Idris, students will be instructed to apply for a new visa if they decide to change courses.

"Universities are still required to submit each student’s annual report even with the online visa system in place.

"It is a must for the institutions to inform EMGS if any students are skipping classes or quitting their studies. This is done in order for the authorities to identify students who no longer qualify for the visa as the system is connected to the Immigration Department’s system," he said at a press conference in Cyberjaya.