Applying for a visa for your spouse

This is a straight forward process provided you know what you're doing and you have all of the relevant documents.

1. Get the forms from your local imigration department. You do not need to go to PutraJaya. If you live in Selangor, you can go to Shah Alam or Damansara if you live in KL. There maybe other places but you need to find out.

2. Fill in the forms which is quite A LOT!!! You need to get Signature from PesuruhJaya Tinggi for 2 Surat Akuan (usually will be within same building as the imigration department) and Stamp Duty Chop from Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri for your security bond (LHDN is usually in another building but close by)

3. Hand in all the stuff including all required photocopy of documents.

4. For those who get married overseas please make sure you get a marriage certificate from the mosque or equivalent with the marriage date.

5. You MUST register your marriage at Jabatan Agama Islam Negeri when you return to Malaysia preferably within the first year of your marriage. They will keep your overseas marriage certificate, so make sure you get a few certified copies because Imigration wants to see your overseas certificate as well.

6. If your husband is a convert, make sure he gets a conversion certificate from your local mosque or relevant mosque (in UK it would be Regent's Park Mosque). Of course you DON'T NEED a piece of paper to become a Muslim rather, all you need is to affirm that There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of God; (Shahadah) but for the purpose of imigration, just get a certificate. We are after all dealing with a non-Khilafah country.

7 After handing in all of the forms and documents, they will give you a reference number inside your passport, you ring them in one weeks time and if your application is successful, you bring your passport and get the visa (and of course pay your fees and BOND - I won't tell you how much cause it may change with time but safe to say keep a couple of thousands in your bank)

8. Relevant documents includes husband birth certificate, passport; your ID card, birth certificate and the PASSPORT you had when you got married (not recent), your children's birth certificate and visa or citizenship certificates, marriage certificate etc...

8. MAKE SURE YOU BRING ALL ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS TO BE VERIFIED BY THE OFFICER.

Regarding work/sponsorship:

If your husband has a job, you can apply for permission to work at the same time as the visa application. You must bring the offer letter plus company profile that has been endorsed by the company secretary.

If your husband has not got a job yet, he will need a sponsor. The sponsor could either be yourself (if you are working and earn more than RM2000 a month) or someone else. If it is someone else, they need to fill in one of the forms.

Once your husband gets a job, then you can apply for work permission.

You and your husband MUST be present at the time of application and renewal. The first visa is for 6 months then, potentially annually.

Questions.
Will I get my security bond back?
Only if your husband dies or if the two of you get a divorce (with proper divorce papers)

Is this process the same for wife?
Don't know...

I hope this has been helpful to the relevant people; please note that this is only based on my personal experience and the rules are constantly changing. To find out about the latest guidelines and further information please contact your local imigration office.