What challenges do foreign nuns face with Malaysian visa policies?

Question

Accepted Answer

Foreign Nuns Face Visa Renewal Difficulties for Volunteer Work in Malaysia

Foreign Catholic nuns volunteering at elderly care homes in Malaysia are encountering significant challenges with the nation's visa policies, primarily concerning the renewal of their short-term passes. The current immigration regulations only grant these volunteers 12-month visas, a process that is both costly and time-consuming to repeat. This situation has led to difficulties for organisations like the Little Sisters of the Poor, which rely heavily on these foreign nuns to provide essential care for elderly residents.
Limited Visa Duration Hinders Continuity of Care

The existing Malaysian immigration policy permits foreign nuns to stay for a maximum of 12 months at a time, necessitating frequent and cumbersome renewal procedures. The Little Sisters of the Poor organisation has expressed a strong desire for longer visa durations, ideally between three to five years, for each volunteer nun. This would allow for greater stability and continuity in the care provided to the 135 elderly residents who depend on the nuns' services in Penang and Kuala Lumpur.
Calls for a Dedicated Visa Category

Advocates for the nuns argue for the creation of a special visa category that acknowledges their humanitarian contributions, drawing parallels to visas granted for economic investment or the Malaysia My Second Home programme. The Little Sisters of the Poor operate entirely on donations and do not charge residents for the free care, which includes feeding, cleaning, and bathing the elderly. The scarcity of local Catholic nuns further underscores the reliance on foreign volunteers for these critical roles.
Immigration Department's Stance on Renewals

Since January, the Immigration Department has reportedly disallowed the renewal of the existing 12-month passes for these volunteer nuns. This has prompted appeals from the Little Sisters of the Poor to the Home Ministry for a policy decision to address the visa extension requests. Representatives from the Immigration Department and the Home Ministry are scheduled to visit the organisation's Kuala Lumpur facility to explore potential solutions to the ongoing visa predicament.

Reading history

Hide →

This history is cleared when the page is closed.

What challenges do foreign nuns face with Malaysian visa policies?

Loading

Was this article helpful?

Helpful

Not helpful

Report an issue

1

0

0

Share with friends