PLIK vs PVP vs Employment Pass: Choosing the Right Sarawak Professional Pass

Three Sarawak professional passes get mixed up constantly — even by HR teams that have hired foreign workers before. The confusion is understandable: two of them translate to “Professional Visit Pass” in English, and the eligibility frameworks overlap. But the wrong pass means a rejected application, lost weeks, and sometimes a worker who has already flown in.

This guide explains when to use PLIK, PVP, and Employment Pass (EP) — what they are, what they cost in time and documentation, and how to tell which one fits your situation in under a minute.

All three are issued by Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia Negeri Sarawak, which is administratively separate from Peninsular Malaysia's federal immigration. Any pass issued from Putrajaya does not authorise work in Sarawak — see our note on Sarawak immigration autonomy.

The Three Passes at a Glance

A 30-Second Decision Rule

• One-off specialist visit? (Engineer flying in to commission a machine; a surveyor on a 3-week assignment; a seafarer rotating onto an offshore vessel) → PLIK
• Short-term project-based hire? (A foreign consultant or engineer engaged for a defined Sarawak project of up to 12 months) → PVP
• Ongoing employment? (Permanent professional, managerial, or executive role with a Sarawak Sdn Bhd) → Employment Pass (EP1 or EP2)

If you genuinely cannot tell, the strongest filter is duration: anything under 12 months on a project basis is PVP or PLIK, and anything permanent or open-ended is EP.

PLIK — Specialist Visits and Oil & Gas Seafarers

PLIK (Pas Lawatan Ikhtisas) is Sarawak's pass for short-term specialist assignments where a worker enters Sarawak to perform a specific, defined task. It is the current standard for the oil and gas sector — foreign seafarers on offshore vessels are filed under PLIK.

Common PLIK use cases:

• Foreign seafarers on Sarawak-based offshore oil and gas vessels
• Equipment specialists flying in for one-time installation, commissioning, or repair
• Mining experts on a defined survey or technical assessment
• Flight simulator instructors (requires a support letter from CAAM)
• Practical or industrial training assignments
• Knowledge-transfer specialists

Validity: Short-term, tied to the specific assignment.

Key documents (from the official Sarawak Immigration 18-item PLIK checklist):

• Cover letter and authority letter from the sponsor
• Borang Rujukan Imigresen (three copies) with sponsor's MyKad
• Personal / Security Bond stamped at LHDN (RM 10 per person)
• Borang IMM 12
• Passport copies (all pages) + two passport-size photos
• Invitation Letter and Letter of Award or Purchase Order
• Latest SSM company profile
• Work schedule with justification for the assignment period
• Sponsor's Document Verification Letter

Sub-category extras: machine installation requires the equipment invoice + Customs Form K1; mining specialists need a supporting letter from the Mineral & Geo-science Department plus a copy of the mining licence; flight simulator instructors need a CAAM support letter; practical training assignments include the training task schedule.

PVP — Short-Term Project-Based Professional Work

PVP (Sarawak Professional Visit Pass) is for foreign professionals brought in for defined, time-bound project work for a Sarawak client. It shares most of the Employment Pass eligibility framework, but is built for engagements where a permanent EP hire would not fit.

Validity: 6 months, renewable once for an additional 6 months (12 months maximum). Beyond 12 months, the worker either leaves or converts to a different pass.

Eligibility framework — essentially the same as EP, except for the project-track exemptions:

• Sponsor must be a Sdn Bhd
• Paid-up capital: RM 250,000 (100% Malaysian-owned), RM 350,000 (joint venture), or RM 1,000,000 (100% foreign-owned)
• Applicant 27 years or older
• Minimum salary RM 3,000/month
• No newspaper / JobSarawak advertising required (unlike EP’s former requirement)
• No Local Understudy Candidate requirement (unlike EP)

Required documents: SSM company profile, Section 14 / 17 / 58 / 236(2) forms (formerly Borang 9, 24, 49), trade licence and tenancy agreement (if the sponsor is in Sarawak) or a Letter of Award / Purchase Order from a Sarawak client (if the sponsor is outside Sarawak), organisational chart, employment contract / appointment letter, job description, work schedule, applicant passport, resume, and academic or professional qualifications.

No dependants. This is often the practical line that pushes a hire from PVP into EP — if the worker needs to bring family, EP1 is the only option.

Employment Pass (EP / Pegawai Dagang) — Long-Term Hires

The Sarawak Employment Pass (also called Pegawai Dagang in Sarawak Immigration's documentation) is for ongoing professional employment with a Sarawak Sdn Bhd. There are two tiers:

• EP1 — minimum salary RM 5,000/month; renewable up to 5 times (6 years total); dependant passes allowed; eligible to hire a domestic helper
• EP2 — minimum salary RM 3,000/month; renewable once (2 years total); no dependant passes; no domestic helper

What EP requires that PVP does not:

• A Local Understudy Candidate must be appointed within 6 months of EP approval — mandatory under the Sarawak Labour Ordinance (Amendment) Act 2025
• Detailed organisational chart with Sarawakian staff named (assesses Sarawakian staffing commitment)

For the full EP1 vs EP2 breakdown, see our Sarawak Employment Pass service page and EP guide.

Common Confusion Points

“PLIK and PVP both translate to Professional Visit Pass in English — are they the same?”

No. They are two separate Sarawak passes with different document frameworks and different use cases. PLIK is for specialist visits and is the current standard for oil and gas seafarers. PVP is for project-based professional engagements and shares the Employment Pass eligibility framework. The English translation overlap is exactly why this confusion is so widespread.

“Is PVP just a shorter, easier version of EP?”

The eligibility framework is largely shared — same paid-up capital tiers, same age 27 minimum, same RM 3,000 salary floor. But PVP is purpose-built for short-term project work, not for HR teams that want a quicker EP. The trade-offs: PVP caps at 12 months total, allows no dependants, and requires a Letter of Award from a Sarawak client. PVP cannot replace an EP for a permanent role.

“My company is not registered in Sarawak — can we still sponsor a PVP?”

Yes. The Letter of Award or Purchase Order from a Sarawak-based client acts as the sponsorship link. This is one of PVP's most useful properties for out-of-state companies sending workers to support a Sarawak project.

“My specialist is coming for two weeks to install equipment — PVP or PLIK?”

PLIK. PVP is for project-based hires with defined durations of weeks to months; PLIK is for specialist visits. If the engagement looks more like “fly in, do the job, fly out,” it is PLIK every time.

“Can a federal Peninsular Malaysia Professional Visit Pass be used to work in Sarawak?”

No. Sarawak's immigration is autonomous under MA63. Any pass issued from Putrajaya is invalid for work in Sarawak — a separate Sarawak-issued pass must be applied for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. Senarai Semak Permohonan Pas Lawatan (Ikhtisas) Kategori Pakar — Bahagian Khidmat Ekspatriat Negeri Sarawak, updated 01.01.2021
2. Senarai Semak Pas Penggajian (Pegawai Dagang) — Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia Negeri Sarawak, updated September 2018
3. Sarawak Labour Ordinance (Amendment) Act 2025 — Act A1754
4. GENESIS EXPRT module overview — genesis.sarawak.gov.my/EXPRT