Tech jobs abroad cheat sheet (East Asia)

1. 1Decide if, and whereYour reason to move, the money that really matters and the people who move with you, before any application.9 concepts

   1. 1Relocation goalTwo or three sentences on what moving for work should change for you: savings, career growth, safety, family life or long-term residence.
   2. 2Remote job or relocationThe choice between working for a foreign company from home and moving to that country on a work visa.
   3. 3Net monthly savingWhat is left each month after income tax, social contributions, rent, transport, food, insurance, school fees and money you send home.
   4. 4Cost of living comparisonA comparison of typical prices for rent, food, transport and services between two cities, often from crowd-sourced sites.
   5. 5Dependant rulesThe conditions under which a spouse or children can join you on your visa, sometimes with a minimum salary, housing or waiting period, and rules on whether a…
   6. 6Family move planA written agreement with the people affected by your move on who goes when, what it costs, who supports parents at home and what happens if the job ends early.
   7. 7Intra-company transferMoving to an overseas office of the company you already work for, often on a dedicated visa route.
   8. 8Main and backup destinationOne destination you focus on, plus one backup, each with a visa route, target roles and cities and a target move date.
   9. 9Language level in Japan and KoreaHow well you speak and read the local language, often shown with the JLPT for Japanese or TOPIK for Korean, from beginner to advanced levels.

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2. 2Visas and work permitsHow work routes are built, and the rules that apply whichever country you choose. Thresholds and fees change, often every January: check the official page the week you act.5 concepts

   1. 1Visa sponsorshipWhen an employer formally backs your work permit, applying for it or issuing the documents it needs.
   2. 2Job-seeker routeA permit to enter a country and look for work before you have an offer, then switch to a work permit, such as Germany's Opportunity Card.
   3. 3The official source ruleTake every visa rule, threshold and fee from the immigration authority or government portal, and write down the link and the date you read it.
   4. 4Salary thresholdThe minimum pay a job must offer for a work permit, such as the UK Skilled Worker threshold, the EU Blue Card threshold, Ireland's permit minimums or…
   5. 5Grace period after a job endsThe time you may legally stay in a country after your sponsored job ends, to find a new sponsor or leave.

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3. 3Japanese, Singaporean and Korean work routesWork statuses and passes in Japan, Singapore and South Korea, as the official pages described them in October 2026.8 concepts

   1. 1Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International ServicesThe Japanese status of residence most software engineers hold, granted for 3 months or 1, 3 or 5 years, based on a degree or relevant experience that matches…
   2. 2Highly Skilled ProfessionalA Japanese status for people scoring at least 70 points on education, experience, salary, age and other factors.
   3. 3Employment PassSingapore's work pass for professionals, applied for by the employer, with a minimum qualifying salary of 5,600 Singapore dollars a month until the end of 2026…
   4. 4COMPASSSingapore's points framework for Employment Pass applications: 40 points needed from salary, qualifications, workforce diversity and local employment, plus…
   5. 5E-7 visaKorea's visa for foreign professionals employed by a Korean organisation in occupations designated by the Minister of Justice, with conditions that depend on…
   6. 6Certificate of EligibilityA document from Japan's Immigration Services Agency, applied for by your employer in Japan, confirming you meet the conditions of a status of residence before…
   7. 7Qualification verificationProof that a degree or diploma is genuine, which Singapore's Ministry of Manpower asks for when an Employment Pass application claims COMPASS points for…
   8. 8East Asia visa tableThe main work routes for Japan, Singapore and South Korea, with the official sites, as read in October 2026.

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4. 4Degrees, attestation and documentsProving your documents are genuine, getting your degree compared and building the rest of the document kit before an offer arrives.9 concepts

   1. 1AttestationOfficial stamps from authorities in your home country, such as the education regulator and the foreign ministry, confirming that a degree or certificate is…
   2. 2ApostilleA single certificate from your own government that makes a public document valid in every member country of the Hague Apostille Convention, with no embassy…
   3. 3Embassy legalisationThe longer chain for countries outside the Apostille Convention: home foreign ministry, then the destination's embassy, then sometimes the destination's foreign…
   4. 4Credential recognitionAn official statement of what your degree corresponds to in the destination's education system.
   5. 5HEC attestationVerification and attestation of degrees and transcripts from recognised Pakistani universities by the Higher Education Commission, through its online system.
   6. 6IBCC attestation and equivalenceThe Inter Board Committee of Chairmen in Pakistan attests matric and intermediate certificates and issues equivalence for O and A levels and foreign school…
   7. 7Police clearance certificateAn official record from the police that you have no criminal convictions, sometimes needed from every country you lived in for a set period.
   8. 8Experience letterA letter on company letterhead stating your job title, dates of employment and main duties, signed by the employer.
   9. 9Document checklistThe papers most moves need, with the lead time to plan for each.

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5. 5A profile employers abroad will shortlistCV, LinkedIn and portfolio, adjusted to local norms and written for a recruiter who does not know your country.10 concepts

   1. 1Employer context lineOne line under each employer on your CV saying what the company does, its size or users and who its customers are.
   2. 2Impact bulletA CV line that states what you did and the measurable result, rather than a duty.
   3. 3Visa status lineOne honest line in your CV header and LinkedIn summary with your location, what permit you need or hold, and your notice period.
   4. 4Right to workYour legal permission to work in a country, from citizenship, a residence permit or a visa that allows employment.
   5. 5Local CV normsWhat recruiters in a country expect in a CV: length, photo, personal details, dates and format.
   6. 6ATS-friendly CVA CV with standard headings, plain text and no tables or graphics, so the software many employers and job boards use can read it.
   7. 7Open to Work settingsLinkedIn settings that tell recruiters the roles and locations you want, visible to everyone or only to recruiters.
   8. 8Project case studyA short write-up of a project: the problem, your decisions and trade-offs, the result and what you would change.
   9. 9Background checkAn employer's check of your education, past jobs and sometimes criminal record after an offer.
   10. 10RirekishoThe fixed-format Japanese CV with a photo, usually paired with a shokumu keirekisho, a free-form career history.

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6. 6Find employers who hire from abroadWho sponsors, where to search, how to work with recruiters and how to spot a fake offer.8 concepts

   1. 1Target company listA list of 20 to 40 employers in your destination with evidence that each sponsors or relocates, and a person you know or could reach inside each.
   2. 2Relocation-friendly job boardA job board that lists roles with visa sponsorship or relocation support, or lets you filter for them.
   3. 3Recruitment agencyA firm paid by employers to find candidates; in Pakistan, overseas employment promoters must be licensed by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment.
   4. 4ReferralAn engineer inside a company recommending you for a role through its internal system.
   5. 5Job and visa scam red flagsThe warning signs of a fake overseas job or visa offer.
   6. 6Verifying an offerChecking that the company, the recruiter and any visa document are real, through the company's own site and government portals.
   7. 7Salary expectationThe pay range you give when a recruiter asks, in the local currency and based on local data.
   8. 8Fair Consideration FrameworkSingapore's rules requiring many employers to advertise jobs on MyCareersFuture and consider local candidates fairly before applying for an Employment Pass.

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7. 7The offer and the moveComparing offers on what you keep, the contract clauses that matter and timing notice, visa and travel.7 concepts

   1. 1Offer comparison worksheetOne table, in one currency, that puts every offer (and staying where you are) side by side on pay, costs and conditions.
   2. 2Relocation packageWhat an employer pays to move you: flights, visa fees, temporary housing, shipping or a lump sum, sometimes help with flats and schools.
   3. 3Repayment clauseA contract clause requiring you to repay relocation or signing costs if you leave within a set period.
   4. 4Probation periodThe first months of a job, often with a shorter notice period, during which either side can end the contract more easily.
   5. 5Notice periodHow long you must keep working after resigning, or how much warning the employer must give you, as set in the contract and local law.
   6. 6Relocation timelineOne calendar with your notice period, visa processing time, start date, flights and the tasks to finish at home.
   7. 7Salary benchmarkThe local pay range for your role and level in your target city, from salary sites, official surveys, ads that list pay and people who work there.

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8. 8Your first 90 daysRegistration, housing, money and work culture: what to finish early and what protects you if things change.8 concepts

   1. 1Residence IDThe card or digital record that proves you live in the country legally, such as the Emirates ID, iqama, Qatar ID, German residence permit, Irish Residence…
   2. 2Registration deadlineThe legal time limit to register your address or residence after arrival, such as 14 days in Japan after moving in or 90 days for a residence card in Korea.
   3. 3Temporary housingA serviced flat, hotel or short let for your first weeks, ideally paid by the employer.
   4. 4Rental scamA fake flat listing that asks newcomers for a deposit before a viewing, often with a landlord who is "abroad".
   5. 5Workplace normsHow a team makes decisions, gives feedback, runs meetings, writes email and takes leave.
   6. 6Emergency fundSavings that cover several months of rent and living costs in your new country.
   7. 7Tax residenceThe country that taxes your income, usually decided by how long you live there and where your home and interests are.
   8. 8Route to long-term residenceThe rules for staying longer than your first permit: permanent residence, settlement, Stamp 4 in Ireland or long-term visas in the Gulf.

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9. 9Glossary, A to ZEvery concept in the sheet and the smaller terms it uses, in one list.94 terms

Relocate for work: Gulf, Europe, UK, East Asia.