Malaysia has introduced the Graduate Pass (Social Visit Pass – Graduate), which allows international degree-holders to stay in the country for 12 months after graduation without needing an immediate employer sponsor. This is a major shift, giving you a full year to network, intern, or explore the job market in Southeast Asia’s booming tech and finance sectors. During your studies, you can work part-time in permitted sectors (hotels, restaurants, and retail), but the primary benefit is the ease of transitioning from a student pass to this new one-year job-search window.
Once you secure a professional role during your Graduate Pass year, the process of switching to an Employment Pass (EP) is streamlined. For high-earning graduates (earning over RM 15,000/month), there is even a fast-track pathway to a 10-year Residence Pass-Talent (RP-T). Malaysia’s low cost of living combined with these new “stay-back” rights makes it a highly strategic base for those looking to build a career in the ASEAN region.
