Sarawak Work Permit AP Quota: Requirements + Worked Examples (2026)

Hiring foreign workers in Sarawak requires a series of government approvals before a work permit can be issued. This guide walks you through each step — from the initial Hiring Outcome Report to the final PLKS issuance — with the actual document checklists and sector-specific requirements you need to prepare. For agency-managed lodgement of the AP, Labour Licence, and PLKS, see our general workers service.

What Is the PLKS Work Permit?

The Pas Lawatan Kerja Sementara (PLKS), or Visitor's Pass (Temporary Employment), is the work permit issued to foreign nationals employed in Sarawak. It is valid for 1 year and renewable, subject to compliance with all legal requirements. The overall permit validity for general and skilled workers spans 6 to 10 years.

The PLKS is collected from the Immigration Department of Malaysia, Sarawak (JIMS) after all prior approvals are in place. It is a separate permit from work passes issued in Peninsular Malaysia — a work permit from West Malaysia is not valid in Sarawak.

Eligible Sectors

Foreign workers in Sarawak are permitted in the following approved sectors:

• Manufacturing
• Plantation
• Construction
• Logging
• Mining / Quarrying
• Services — including restaurants, laundry, warehouses, recycling/waste management, and other service sectors approved from time to time

The source countries available to you depend on your sector and whether you are hiring general or skilled workers. For the full breakdown, see our guide on eligible source countries for foreign workers in Sarawak.

Step 1: Hiring Outcome Report

Before applying for an AP quota, employers must demonstrate that they have made genuine efforts to hire locally. This involves:

• Advertising the position on JobSarawak for a minimum of 14 days
• Advertising on RTM (Radio Television Malaysia)
• Arranging an open interview session with PERKESO (SOCSO) to confirm that no suitable local candidates were found

Once these steps are completed, a Hiring Outcome Report (HOR) is issued, which you will need for the AP application.

Exemptions: Key posts, shareholders, specialists, and cross-postings are exempt from the Hiring Outcome Report requirement.

Step 2: AP Quota Application

The Approval in Principle (AP) is submitted to the Sarawak Labour Department (JTKSWK). As of 15 January 2025, all AP applications must be submitted online. The AP authorises your company to hire a specified number of foreign workers for approved positions and source countries.

Documents required for AP application:

• Cover letter
• JTKSWK 27A Form
• Business licence
• Business registration certificate (SSM)
• Confirmation of interview results by PERKESO (SOCSO)
• Borang 49 and Borang 24 (for Sdn. Bhd. / Ltd. companies)
• Hiring Outcome Report

Certain sectors require additional documents — see sector-specific documents below.

Step 3: Labour Licence

Once the AP is approved, the next step is to apply for a Labour Licence with JTKSWK. This is a separate requirement under the Sarawak Labour Ordinance.

Documents required for Labour Licence:

• Cover letter
• JTKSWK 27A-1 Form
• JTKSWK 27B (General Worker) / JTKSWK 27C (Skilled Worker) / JTKSWK 27D (Non-Manual)
• Employee passport copy (information page and travelling visa)
• Copy of academic qualification certificate (as per the advertisement)
• Copy of testimonial (as per the advertisement)

Step 4: Work Permit (PLKS) Application

With the AP and Labour Licence approved, the work permit application is submitted to the Immigration Department of Malaysia, Sarawak (JIMS). This involves applying for a Visa with Reference (VDR) to authorise the worker's entry into Sarawak.

Prerequisites for PLKS issuance:

• Approved and valid AP
• Approved Labour Licence
• Fit status medical screening report from source country
• Fit status medical screening report from SAFHIS (after arrival)

Sector-Specific Documents

In addition to the standard AP documents, each sector requires specific supporting documents:

Step 5: Worker Arrival & Post-Arrival

Once the worker arrives in Sarawak, several post-arrival requirements must be completed:

• SAFHIS medical screening — must be completed within 30 days of arrival at a SAFHIS panel facility
• PLKS collection — the work permit is collected from JIMS after all requirements are met
• NSIC registration — the worker must visit the Immigration & Labour Integrated Centre (ILC) for fingerprint and photo registration to obtain their Non-Sarawakian Identity Card, issued on the same day
• PERKESO (SOCSO) registration — mandatory social security registration (see our PERKESO guide)
• KWSP (EPF) — provident fund registration
• Health insurance — as required by law

For a full list of documents required at each stage, see our document checklist for foreign worker recruitment. For a breakdown of all government fees involved, see how much it costs to hire a foreign worker in Sarawak.

Worked Examples: Three Scenarios

The same AP framework applies across sectors, but the practical numbers differ. Three illustrative scenarios — a small retail outlet, a mid-sized manufacturer, and a large plantation operator — to show how the review plays out:

Scenario 1: Retail / F&B Outlet (10 staff)

A Kuching restaurant with 10 staff (8 local, 0 foreign) wants to hire 2 foreign general workers for kitchen and service support.

• Justification: shift coverage and persistent local-recruitment failure during the post-COVID labour shortage
• HOR requirement: 14-day JobSarawak advertisement + RTM listing + PERKESO open interview confirmation
• Sector documents: SSM business profile, premise licence from local council (e.g. MBKS Kuching), outlet listing if part of a chain
• AP review focus: outlet size and seating capacity, headcount-to-premise ratio, evidence that local recruitment was attempted in good faith
• Local-to-foreign ratio: services / F&B has the tightest sector benchmark in Sarawak — quota allocations here are smaller and more scrutinised than other sectors
• Realistic AP quota: 1–2 workers approved on first application; expansion only after a clean compliance cycle
• Timeline: 4–8 weeks AP, 1–2 weeks Labour Licence, 2–3 months PLKS = approximately 4–6 months total to first worker arrival

For F&B specifically, accommodation is the single most-cited rejection reason — most outlets in shop-lot premises do not have inbuilt staff quarters and need a separately rented residential block compliant with the Workers' Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990.

Scenario 2: Manufacturer (50 staff)

A Bintulu-area light-manufacturing company with 50 staff (38 local, 4 foreign on existing PLKS, expanding) wants to add 8 more foreign general workers to support a new production line.

• Justification: production expansion with new contract; existing local workforce stable but unable to meet the new line's volume
• HOR requirement: 14-day JobSarawak advertisement + RTM listing + PERKESO open interview; HOR exemption may apply for highly skilled positions but general production roles still require it
• Sector documents: SSM, MITI manufacturing licence, Borang 49 / Borang 24, latest audited accounts, production capacity declaration
• AP review focus: local-to-foreign ratio (target ~70:30 in many manufacturing sub-sectors), production capacity vs proposed headcount, premise capacity, manufacturing-licence currency
• Local-to-foreign ratio: proposed total would be 38 local + 12 foreign (24% foreign) — within typical manufacturing benchmarks
• Realistic AP quota: 8 workers achievable if ratio and justification hold; first-time applicants face a more thorough review than established employers
• Timeline: 4–8 weeks AP, 1–2 weeks Labour Licence, 1–2 months PLKS = approximately 3–5 months total to first worker arrival

Established manufacturers with a clean track record and consistent compliance often see faster cycles on subsequent APs. The first AP is the high-friction one.

Scenario 3: Plantation Operator (200 staff)

A Miri-area oil palm plantation with 200 staff across multiple estates (60 local, 140 foreign on existing PLKS, replacing) wants to apply for 50 foreign worker quota to backfill end-of-contract departures.

• Justification: hectarage-to-worker ratio for the planted area; replacement headcount, not net expansion
• HOR requirement: JobSarawak advertisement; HOR sometimes streamlined for plantation roles given known local-supply gap, but the formal process still applies
• Sector documents: SSM, land titles from Department of Land & Survey for each estate, MPOB licence (if smallholder), planted hectarage declaration, sector body endorsement
• AP review focus: hectarage-to-worker ratio (each sub-sector has its own multiplier — oil palm differs from pepper or rubber), MPOB cross-reference, replacement-vs-expansion split
• Local-to-foreign ratio: plantation accepts higher foreign proportions than other sectors due to known local-supply constraints — 140 foreign out of 200 is within benchmark for established estates
• Realistic AP quota: 50 replacement positions achievable for an established operator with clean MPOB and Land & Survey records; new-estate APs face more scrutiny
• Timeline: 4–8 weeks AP, 1–2 weeks Labour Licence, 1–2 months PLKS = approximately 3–5 months total to first worker arrival; replacement APs sometimes compress faster

For plantation operators with multiple estates, the document pack scales with the number of estates — each one needs its own land title, hectarage declaration, and accommodation certification. Operators sometimes lodge consolidated APs covering several estates simultaneously.

Frequently Asked Questions

References

• GENESIS — SANSOLS Visitor's Pass (PLKS) — Eligible sectors, required documents, and validity
• GENESIS — General Worker Classification — Eligible industries and source countries
• GENESIS — Skilled Worker Classification — Eligible industries and source countries
• GENESIS — SANSOLS FAQ — AP application and Labour Licence requirements
• JTKSWK — Garis Panduan Permohonan AP dan Lesen — AP and licence application guidelines
• Labour Ordinance (Sarawak Cap. 76) — Section 119 (Employment Licence)
• JobSarawak — Official Sarawak job portal for Hiring Outcome Report