Emigration to East Asia & China
East Asia is a small but genuinely emerging region for Pakistani emigration, driven by three distinct bilateral relationships rather than any single regional system: China's CPEC-linked engineering and technical employment, South Korea's rapidly expanding manufacturing-sector labour quota, and Japan's Specified Skilled Worker programme. Malaysia adds a long-standing worker and student presence plus its recently overhauled residence-by-investment scheme. None of these routes use a Western-style points system; each runs on its own bilateral quota, work-permit tier, or investment threshold.
Country scorecard — at a glance
| Country | Main route | Pakistan-specific access | Recent change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | EPS (manufacturing) | Bilateral G2G MOU | Quota more than doubled, 2025 | Rising fast |
| China | Z visa / Work Permit tiers | CPEC-linked, PEC pact 2025 | A/B/C tier system | Steady, technical |
| Japan | Specified Skilled Worker | Partner country since 2019 | All-time high registrations | Rising |
| Malaysia | Employment Pass / MM2H | General rules | MM2H bar raised 2024 | Mixed |
| Singapore | EP / S Pass only | Excluded from Work Permit | Stable | Limited |
Green generally favourable or rising · Amber developing or mixed · Red restrictive or excluded. Indicative summary only, not immigration advice.
South Korea
Pakistan is a confirmed sending country under the Employment Permit System (EPS), a bilateral government-to-government MOU restricted to the manufacturing sector. Pakistan's annual quota more than doubled from 2,400 workers in 2024 to 5,400 in 2025 following successful negotiations between HRD Korea and Pakistan — the clearest growth story of any single route in this region. Pakistan competes for its annual allocation against 15 other sending countries based on past performance.
China
China classifies foreign workers into an A/B/C "talent tier" system: Class A ("Talent") for high-end professionals with fast-track processing, Class B ("Professional") requiring a bachelor's degree plus two years' relevant experience, and Class C ("Ordinary") for quota-limited seasonal labour, scored on a weighted points formula (education, experience, salary, language). The standard employment route is the Z visa, requiring a Notification Letter of Foreigner's Work Permit before application. For CPEC-linked employment specifically, a 2025 mutual-recognition agreement between the Pakistan Engineering Council and China's CEEAA-accredited institutions now lets licensed Pakistani engineers work across a broader range of Chinese-regulated sectors.
Japan
Pakistan is a partner country under Japan's Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) programme, formalised by a Memorandum of Cooperation signed 23 December 2019 between Japan's Ministry of Justice, MOFA, MHLW and National Police Agency and Pakistan's Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis & HRD, which set up an information-sharing framework to screen out malicious recruitment intermediaries. As of December 2023, 25,334 Pakistanis were registered residents of Japan, with over 5,000 new registrations in the preceding ten months alone — an all-time high, largely SSW-driven.
Malaysia
Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) was overhauled in June 2024: the minimum age dropped from 35 to 25, and the flat asset/income rule was replaced with a three-tier deposit system — Silver (USD 150,000 deposit, 5-year visa), Gold (USD 500,000, 15-year visa) and Platinum (USD 1,000,000, 20-year visa). On the labour side, Employment Pass fees rose from RM800 to roughly RM2,000 from 1 September 2024, all foreign workers require digital ePASS endorsement from 1 March 2025, and new EP salary thresholds take effect 1 June 2026. No Pakistan-specific restriction applies within Malaysia's Employment Pass framework.
Hong Kong and Singapore
Neither city-state runs a Pakistan-specific programme. Hong Kong offers standard access via the General Employment Policy and the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, both employer-sponsored. Singapore's low-skill Work Permit (construction, services) is restricted to a defined list of approved source countries that excludes Pakistan; Pakistani nationals must instead qualify through the higher-bar Employment Pass or S Pass.
References
ProPakistani — South Korea doubles Pakistan EPS quota, Oct 2025 · China Briefing — Work permit tiers A/B/C · Pakistan-China engineering mutual recognition agreement, 2025 · MOFA Japan — SSW Memorandum of Cooperation with Pakistan · MM2H 2025 requirements overview · Singapore work passes and permits for foreign workers
This page is general information, not immigration advice, and not a substitute for advice on your specific situation. Bilateral quotas and work-permit rules in this region change frequently — always confirm the current position with the relevant embassy or ministry and contact us before acting. ← Back to Emigration overview