According to local reports, Malaysia will be releasing a special visa designed to spur technological innovation. Officials say it will primarily be intended to attract quality blockchain talent.

Malaysia is trying to position itself as a hub of the blockchain space, and now they’re unveiling a new ‘tech visa’ to attract more talent. The new short-term visa was unveiled at the recent Malaysia Tech Week conference. The purpose of the visa is to bring in ‘technology freelancers,’ especially those who are familiar with blockchain-related projects.

The visa program is a result of a collaboration between the NEM Foundation and the jobs platform Jobbaical, based in Estonia. The NEM Foundation will be responsible to define which skills are needed for which positions; Jobbatical is responsible for filling these posts from overseas markets.

Individuals brought in from overseas are expected to help train locals in the blockchain space. Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) Growth Ecosystem Development Vice-President Norhizam Abdul Kadir told reporters, “We will be kicking it (the program) off starting with blockchain jobs. The number of visas to be issued depends on the projects that will be run by blockchain companies in Malaysia.”

Malaysia to Attract Blockchain Talent

Although Malaysia is the first such country to have a visa largely dedicated to bringing in blockchain talent, other Asian countries have similar programs. For example, Thailand boasts its own Thai SMART visa for technologically-minded talent. Similarly, Hong Kong has its Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS). Malaysia’s new visa, however, may push other Asian nations to include specific stipulations in their visa for blockchain talent.

Aside from blockchain-related jobs, Malaysia has always suffered from a lack of technology talent overall. For example, Tech Wire Asia recently reported that most of the country’s open positions are in cybersecurity, data science, and even digital marketing. There is hope that the new visa will bring in much-needed workers to operate in not just blockchain, but many other technological sectors.

It’s still unclear how long the visa will last or when it will officially be available to overseas workers. However, we can expect more details on this new ‘tech visa’—the first one focused on blockchain talent—in the coming months.

Do you believe Malaysia could someday become a hub for blockchain-related development? Let us know your thoughts below.