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Also Authored by Melvin Ng and Riduan Fattah
Clark Hill's Global Immigration practice guides corporate clients and individuals through complex global immigration challenges worldwide. We pride ourselves on creative, compliant and people-centered solutions – looking at global mobility from a wholistic perspective in an ever-changing immigration environment. Our team assists with short-term assignments, long-term relocations, consular processing, document procurement, document legalizations/apostilles, and business visas in 100+ countries worldwide.
Below is an overview of the major updates from January 2026 in the Asia-Pacific region.
South Korea
To stimulate the Korean tourism industry, the Ministry of Justice has extended the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) exemption for another year until Dec. 31, 2026. This extension benefits employers that send K-ETA exempt employees to Korea by streamlining the admission process.
The exemption applies to nationals of 22 visa-exempt countries – Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States (including Guam), and residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
Travelers from these countries/territories remain exempt from the K-ETA requirement until Dec. 31, 2026 and may enter Korea for tourism or business purposes using only their valid passport. Foreign nationals who are not exempt from the K-ETA requirement must complete and submit an E-Arrival Card in the three days leading up to their arrival.
Singapore
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) recently announced updates to two scoring criteria under the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) points-based framework for Employment Pass (EP) applicants. As a recap, the COMPASS framework assesses applicants based on four foundational criteria (salary, qualifications, diversity and support for local employment) and two bonus criteria (skills bonus, a.k.a. shortage occupation list (SOL) and strategic economic priorities). Applicants must earn at least 40 points to pass COMPASS. The MOM reviews the COMPASS criteria regularly to ensure that the framework remains relevant to market conditions.
From Jan. 1, 2026, the amended requirements for the following criteria are in effect for EP applications (both new and renewals):
- Criterion 2 (Qualifications): The MOM updated the list of top-tier institutions awarded with 20 points, and applicants who have a degree from an institution on this list will continue to receive 20 points. The list of professional qualifications recognized as "degree-equivalent" has also been updated to include new sectors, and applicants who have relevant qualifications from an institution on this list will continue to receive 10 points.
- Criterion 5 (SOL): The SOL has been updated to include two more occupations under the Healthcare sector, while occupations such as Cyber Risk Specialist, Cybersecurity Operations Specialist, and Product Manager (Digital) have been removed. Applicants who hold a job on this list will receive up to 20 bonus points.
In response to the above, the MOM also updated its Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) to reflect the changes for criterion 2 (Qualifications) and employers may use it to streamline pre-assessments of both new and renewal EP applications.
With these changes, EP applicants may be able to earn points in areas where they previously could not, and thus benefit employers by providing them with access to a broader pool of global talent.
Malaysia
The Ministry of Home Affairs (Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN)) has revised the minimum salary requirements for Employment Pass (EP) categories I, II, and III. These revisions will take effect on June 1, 2026.
|
EP Category |
Minimum Base Salary |
Maximum Duration |
Dependents Allowed? |
|
|
I |
Current | RM 10,000 and above | Indefinite | Yes |
| From 1 June 2026 | RM 20,000 and above | 10 years | Yes | |
|
II |
Current | RM 5,000 – RM 9,999 | Indefinite | Yes |
| From 1 June 2026 | RM 10,000 – RM 19,999 | 10 years with succession plan | Yes | |
|
III |
Current | RM 3,999 – RM 4,999 | 3 years | No |
| From 1 June 2026 | *RM 5,000 – RM 9,999 | 5 years with succession plan | ^Yes |
* For manufacturing related services, the EP III revised minimum salary is RM 7,000 – RM 9,999.
^ Dependents refer to spouse or equivalent, children, parents and parents-in-law.
All new and renewal EP applications submitted from June 1, 2026 onwards must comply with the revised minimum salary requirements. Companies are strongly advised to plan and align their foreign national workforce strategy accordingly to avoid potential disruptions to upcoming engagements and renewal applications.
Taiwan
Taiwan implemented a slew of new measures on Jan. 1, 2026 to attract and retain foreign talent, aiming to address local labor gaps and bolster Taiwan's competitive edge in the global talent market.
- Two-year work experience requirement waived for certain work permit applicants: Foreign nationals who apply for a work permit and hold a bachelor's degree from one of the top 1,500 international universities are now exempt from the two-year work experience requirement. Eligible applicants can apply immediately following graduation and are no longer required to have worked for at least two years before applying for a work permit.
Individual work permits for top-tier talent: Foreign nationals who graduated with a bachelor's degree or higher from one of the top 200 international universities (as listed by the Ministry of Education) within the five years prior to submitting the work permit application may apply for an individual work permit without being sponsored by an employer. The permit is valid for up to two years and cannot be extended.
Reduced stay requirement for Alien Permanent Resident Certificate (APRC): International students and overseas compatriot students (i.e., Taiwan passport holders who were born and raised overseas) who graduate from an accredited institution in Taiwan may now become eligible for an APRC after remaining in Taiwan for one year (down from three years previously). In addition, highly qualified professionals may now apply for permanent residence after one year of residence in Taiwan.
- Extended stay and work permit exemption for foreign students: Foreign students with an associate degree or higher obtained from an accredited institution in Taiwan may extend their stay for up to two years after completing their degree and may apply for jobs without a work permit.
- Extension of stay for digital nomads: Individuals who hold a Taiwanese digital nomad visa may now remain in Taiwan for up to two years, up from six months previously.
- Eligibility for foreign nationals to participate in Labor Pension (New System) and Employment Insurance: Foreign professionals and foreign special professionals (i.e. those who hold a foreign special professional work permit in specific fields of expertise) may now participate in the new Labor Pension (system) and Employment Insurance system without obtaining permanent residence. Additionally, foreign nationals, foreign special professionals and foreign senior nationals who hold a permanent residence permit are now eligible for unemployment benefits.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
