Japan, Singapore and Korea: three different markets

East Asia is three markets, not one. Japan has a real shortage of engineers and a growing group of English-speaking tech companies, mostly in Tokyo, but daily life and most Japanese companies run in Japanese. Singapore works in English and pays well, but its Employment Pass uses a minimum salary and a points test, and employers must consider local candidates fairly first.

South Korea has a strong tech industry, but most engineering jobs expect Korean, and foreign hiring centres on larger companies and research roles. In all three, the employer usually starts or supports the visa.