Foreign worker quota & eligibility checker
Work out the maximum number of foreign workers you may hire for your local headcount, and whether your sector can apply for quota right now under the 2025–2026 rules. Then price it with the matching cost calculator.
Updated 2026-06-05
Your details
Quota rules and eligible-subsector lists change frequently. These figures were last verified on the date shown — always confirm the current position with KESUMA before you apply. In Peninsular Malaysia, all quota applications have gone through the FWCMS eQuota module since 6 July 2026.
Your quota
Maximum foreign workers
30
You can still hire 30 more
To hire 10 foreign workers, you'd need 4 local employees.
Can you apply now?
Eligible to apply
- Earlier quota rounds limited manufacturing to new investments approved by MIDA, and no official notice says eQuota lifted that — check the eQuota checklist before applying.
National policy caps foreign workers at 15% of the workforce today, targeting 10% by 2030 and 5% by 2035. This is a national-aggregate target, not a per-employer limit.
Now price it
See the full first-year and 3-year cost of hiring for this sector.
Quota FAQ
- What is the foreign worker dependency ratio?
- It's the ratio of local (Malaysian) employees to foreign workers your business may hire. Export-oriented manufacturing is 1:3 (one local permits three foreign), non-export is 1:1, and electrical & electronics and quarrying are 2:1 (two locals per foreign worker).
- Why is there no ratio for construction, plantation, agriculture or services?
- Those sectors don't have a single published headcount ratio — how many workers you get depends on your application, project or subsector. Use the eligibility check above, then apply through the FWCMS eQuota module.
- Which sectors can apply for quota right now?
- Since 6 July 2026, quota applications in Peninsular Malaysia go through the FWCMS eQuota module, which is open across all sectors, with construction limited to contractors graded G4 and above (more than 100 workers) and no closing date announced. Earlier rounds limited manufacturing to MIDA-approved new investments and services to approved subsectors — no official notice says eQuota lifted those limits. The August 2025 reopening and the special application period from early 2026 have been superseded by eQuota. Rules change often, so check eQuota before applying.
- How do I apply for foreign worker quota in 2026?
- In Peninsular Malaysia, since 6 July 2026, all quota applications go through the eQuota module of FWCMS, handled by the One Stop Centre under the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) — manual applications at the counter have ended. Before you apply, advertise the vacancy to Malaysians on MYFutureJobs and get prior approval under Section 60K of the Employment Act 1955. Sabah and Sarawak license foreign workers under their own state labour laws.
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