PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department is in the process of gazetting i-kad, to be used by foreign students registered with higher education institutions in the country as valid identification document.
In a statement today, the department’s director general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said foreign students registered with the Higher Education Ministry would be able to use the identification in accordance with Immigration Act 1959/63 and Immigration Regulation 1963.
"With the gazettement, foreign students will be able to use the i-kad as an identification, but it will not substitute the use passport as an ultimate identification document," he explained.
He adds that the Home Ministry urged all enforcement agencies to accept the use of the i-kad for foreign students as replacement to passports.
"The department is in the final stages of finalising the format of i-kad to absorbed to be part of Immigration Regulations (2017 Amendments) draft," he added.
Mustafar said the i-kad for foreign students will be introduced in a new format with enhanced safety features to avoid forgery and abuse.
"The new i-kad will be equipped with a new version of biotmetric chip. Also a permanent identification number will be given to the foreign students to be recognised by all enforcement agencies," he added.