PETALING JAYA: Japanese YouTubers iChang and Jimmy are excited over the visa approval granted by the Malaysian government.

Describing it as a miracle that their plight has received the attention of Minister of Communication and Multimedia Ahmad Fahmi Mohamed Fadzil, the couple uploaded a new video to thank Malaysians, the media and the minister for their concern and assistance.

Jimmy has also quit his job in Hong Kong where he had worked for 11 years, and is getting ready to return to Malaysia.

He has received job offers from Malaysia after spending several months here.

The couple, whose real names are Ai Nishida and Yusuke Nishida, said their tiny apartment in Hong Kong is extremely cold but their hearts are warm due to the support and care from the Malaysians.

They also said they were overwhelmed by the Genkidama (energy sphere), as many fans in Malaysia and Singapore left comments to support them.

They received the notification about the DE Rantau Nomad Visa approval a day after they uploaded a tearful farewell video last Tuesday.

Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), which notified the couple, said it was still waiting for the approval from the immigration department before the visa could be issued and that this typically takes 14 working days.

iChang and Jimmy said they had to leave Malaysia as their tourist visas lapsed after reaching the maximum stay limit of 180 days while their application for digital nomad visas filed last October had yet to be approved.

DE Rantau Nomad Visa is a type of professional visit pass launched by the Malaysian government to allow qualified foreign digital nomads to travel and work in Malaysia for up to 12 months.

During their stay in Malaysia last year, iChang and Jimmy visited one state every month to experience how the locals live. They also uploaded videos of the local food that they had tried.

Many Malaysians are moved by their love for Malaysian food and they were treated by Malaysians who recognized them.

Their YouTube channel featuring a variety of Malaysian food and their stay in Malaysia has since attracted 350,000 subscribers as of Wednesday.