17/06/2026
Malaysia has introduced revised salary thresholds for Employment Pass holders, significantly increasing the minimum pay levels required for expatriate employment.
Under the updated framework, the minimum base monthly salary for Employment Pass eligibility has risen from MYR 3,000 to MYR 5,000.
Roles offering salaries between MYR 3,000 and MYR 4,999 no longer qualify for an Employment Pass.
The revised structure, which applies to new applications and renewals submitted from 1 June 2026 onward, introduces updated salary bands across the three Employment Pass categories.
Category I now applies to salaries of MYR 20,000 and above per month, Category II covers MYR 10,000 to MYR 19,999, while Category III applies to salaries between MYR 5,000 and MYR 9,999.
The changes represent a notable increase from the previous framework, particularly for higher-tier expatriate roles where minimum salary expectations have risen sharply.
Employers should review expatriate workforce structures carefully to ensure that job responsibilities, seniority levels, and compensation packages remain aligned with the revised categorisation requirements.