Is it possible that I can receive a visa without a degree?

Yes. MDEC permits a Bachelor of Degree in IT to be replaced with a Diploma + 2 years of experience or certain technology qualifications (e.g. AWS/Cisco) in IT positions.

Does my spouse accept work rights?

A spouse of a current EP Category I holder is allowed to work in Malaysia through a simple Work Endorsement on his/her Dependent Pass. In the case of the Category II, it is more limited.

What is the "10-Year Tenure Cap"?

Beginning in 2026, there will be an overall limit of 10 years of cumulative stay in the Category I and II pass to ensure that the foreign talent migrates into the Residence Pass-Talent (RP-T).

Tech Career Opportunities in Malaysia: Visa Sponsorship 2026

Are you a tech expert who is looking at the most energetic digital center in Southeast Asia? The year 2026 Malaysia will not be the place of nice beaches and street food anymore it has become the world data center capital and semiconductor giant. As tech giants invest billions in local AI infrastructure, finding foreign talents has been turned into a fever.

The game rules are however changing. Malaysia will introduce significant changes in the pay threshold on June 1, 2026 that will change the definition of who is eligible to receive a Visa Sponsorship. You can be a Software Engineer, an AI Specialist, or a Cloud Architect, this guide is your plan to getting a high paying job and a work visa in Malaysia this year.

The 2026 Wage Shift New Types of Visas

The Ministry of Home Affairs and MDEC has also revised Employment Pass (EP) to make sure that Malaysia gets high valued expertise. In 2026 (should you be seeking a tech job with visa sponsorship), the minimum basic salary (before allowances) to qualify would need to be based on the following new wage floors in June 1, 2026:

EP Category I (Elite/Executive): The minimum income will be increased to RM 20,000 and above (about 4,600 USD). This has the greatest advantage such as 5 years validity and work rights to spouses.
EP Category II (Professional/Managerial): New cut-off of RM 10, 000 19,999. It is the Senior Developers and Data Scientists most prevalent degree.
EP Category III (Skilled Technical): Minimum of RM 5,000 to RM 9,999. Limited to 12 months periods and not allowed to have dependents.

Most Visa Sponsorship Tech Roles in Demand

In order to be more likely to get sponsored, focus on the areas of the Digital Transformation where the shortage of talent is greatest:

Artificial Intelligence Data and Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence and Data: MLOps Engineers, GenAI Specialists, and Data Engineers.
Cybersecurity: Cloud Security architect and SOC Analysts.
Cloud and infrastructure: Site Reliability Engineers (SRE) or DevOps Leaders who are experienced with AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
Semiconductor Engineering: Integrated Circuit (IC) Design Engineers (National Semiconductor Strategy in search of 50,000 experts).
Software Engineering: Full-stack engineers and developers who understand React, Python and NestJS, particularly in Fintech.

Technology Visa Programs

Malaysia has specific opportunities to access by tech professionals, which avoid certain traditional barriers to immigration:

MDEC Foreign Knowledge Worker (FKW): In case your employer has the status of Malaysia Digital (MD), your visa is expedited by using the MDEC, which only takes up to 2030 working days.
DE Rantau (Digital Nomad Visa): This one suits remote techies having more than 24,000 USD incomes per year. It gives you a chance to work in Malaysia and stay up to 2 years with foreign clients.
Residence Pass-Talent (RP-T): In the case of the high-end technology talent that are already in Malaysia, they can have what the 10-year pass calls employability, i.e. you are not dependent on one sponsor.

Tech Career Opportunities in Malaysia: Visa Sponsorship 2026

The 2026 Compliance Checklist

To apply to a technology position in Malaysia now needs more than a resume. New compliance requirements force employers to demonstrate that they are also investing in local talent:

Labor Market Testing (MyFutureJobs): Before a foreigner can be sponsored, it is required that most positions have to be posted on the national portal within 30 days.
1:3 Internship Policy: In the countries where many companies have employed expatriates in Categories II or III, there is a new requirement of 1 local intern to help in transferring knowledge.
JTKSM Approval: before the visa process can commence at all, the employers have to obtain a “Section 60K” approval by the Department of Labour.
Passport Validity: Your passport must have a validity of at least 15 months otherwise Stage 2 of the visa endorsement will be declined.

FAQs

Is it possible that I can receive a visa without a degree?

Yes. MDEC permits a Bachelor of Degree in IT to be replaced with a Diploma + 2 years of experience or certain technology qualifications (e.g. AWS/Cisco) in IT positions.
Does my spouse accept work rights?

A spouse of a current EP Category I holder is allowed to work in Malaysia through a simple Work Endorsement on his/her Dependent Pass. In the case of the Category II, it is more limited.
What is the “10-Year Tenure Cap”?

Beginning in 2026, there will be an overall limit of 10 years of cumulative stay in the Category I and II pass to ensure that the foreign talent migrates into the Residence Pass-Talent (RP-T).

Final Thoughts

The tech ecosystem in Malaysia in the year 2026 is a seller market to those who possess niche skills in AI and Cloud. The RM 20,000 mark of Category I could be considered high, but with the low cost of living and quick growth in the tech salaries, it is among the most favorable ROI destinations of international talents.

Disclosure

The information regarding this job is not intended to be shared in a commercial way. Before submitting an application, please ensure that you confirm information on the official employer or government site ( Expatriate Services Division – esd.imi.gov.my ).