Singapore’s Employment Pass: All You Need to Know About COMPASS

Singapore has been working hard and smart to strengthen its economy to further build themselves as a global business hub for foreign talent. A thriving city, famous for its bilingual education system, quality of living, and low tax rates, to name a few, Singapore is a great place for foreign talent looking to grow their career. The process to keep its title as a global business hub comes with the introduction and enhancement of several schemes – such as the most recent one, the COMPASS framework.

First introduced on 1 September 2023 for new Employment Pass (EP) applicants, the COMPASS framework supports Singapore’s goal of building a strong labour market and a diverse workforce as it attracts managers, executives, technicians and professionals to live and work in the city-state. As part of this shift, the Ministry of Manpower has also raised EP eligibility requirements: applicant must meet the EP qualifying salary and pass the point-based COMPASS assessment.

Below, we answer the key questions about how the framework works.

Who is eligible?

To be eligible to apply for an EP, candidates must pass a two-stage eligibility framework:

Stage 1 – Meet the EP qualifying salary, which is aligned with the top one-third of local PMET salaries based on age. The following EP qualifying salary requirements apply to new applications and renewals:

• At least SG$5,600 for all sectors except financial services (increases progressively with age from age 23, up to SG$10,700 at age 45 and above)
• At least SG$6,200 for the financial services sector (increases progressively with age from age 23, up to SG$11,800 at age 45 and above).

The new qualifying salaries will apply to:

• new EP applications from 1 January 2025
• renewal applications from 1 January 2026

Stage 2 – Unless exempt, pass the point-based COMPASS assessment.

• Note 1: Candidates who fail to meet the Stage 1 salary requirement will not qualify for an EP, regardless of their COMPASS score.

How does the COMPASS Scoring System work?

Salary (Foundational Criteria – Individual Attributes)

• The applicant’s salary will be compared to the pool of current employees of the same sector and similar age.

Qualifications (Foundational Criteria – Individual Attributes)

• The applicant’s academic qualifications will be measured on the basis of the world’s top 100 ranking universities, Singaporean universities and highly recognised vocational institutions.

Diversity (Foundational Criteria – Firm-related Attributes)

• This criterion gives more points when the candidate’s nationality makes up a small share of the firm’s PMET workforce, supporting stronger nationality diversity and a more inclusive, resilient team.

Support for Local Employment (Foundational Criteria – Firm-related Attributes)

• The percentage of local employees will be compared to other companies within the same subsector.

Points Needed for Applicant to be eligible for the Employment Pass (EP)

If an applicant earns:

• 0 points = They stand below expectations.
• 10 points = They meet expectations.
• 20 points = They exceed expectations.

Applicants earn additional points if they meet or exceed expectations.

An applicant would require a total of at least 40 points to be eligible for the EP:

Is there a way to get bonus points on the COMPASS Scoring System?

At the end of March 2023, Singapore released further criteria under the COMPASS framework – namely Criterion 5 and Criterion 6.

C5. Skills bonus (Shortage Occupation List)

This bonus is designed to recognise roles that require highly specialised, in-demand skills that are currently scare in the local workforce. The Shortage Occupation List is set through a rigorous evaluation process, considering industry demand and ongoing local workforce development efforts.

How to earn points under the Skills bonus?

How to qualify for the Skills bonus?

• The candidate must be performing the duties outlined for the relevant shortage occupation.
• An eligible job title must be selected in the Employment Pass (EP) application.
• The candidate must also meet any additional role-specific requirements if either of the following applies:
  • They need SOL bonus points to pass COMPASS or,
  • They are applying for a 5-year EP in a specified tech occupation listed on the SOL.

C6. Strategic Economic Priorities bonus

This bonus is awarded to organisations that either:

• Are pursuing ambitious investment, innovation and internationalisation plans in partnership with economic agencies; or,
• Have been endorsed by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) as strong partners in company and workforce transformation.

Singapore aims to attract and support firms that strengthen the economy’s innovative capacity, deepen global connections and boost overall competitiveness – while also having the scale or potential to create good-quality jobs for locals.

How to earn points under the Strategic Economic Priorities bonus?

For list of eligible programmes, please refer to: https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eligibility/compass-c6-strategic-economic-priorities-sep-bonus-eligible-programmes

Is anyone exempted from COMPASS? If yes, who?

Three types of candidates would be exempted from the COMPASS assessment system including:

1. Applicants earning at least SG$22,500 per month (similar to the prevailing Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) job advertising exemption from 1 September 2023)
2. Applicants filling in a role on a short-term basis (1 month or lesser than that)
3. Applicants applying as an overseas intra-corporate transferee under the World Trade Organisation’s General Agreement on Trade in Services or an applicable Free Trade Agreement that Singapore is party to.

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Frequently asked questions about COMPASS:

• What does COMPASS stand for?
  • Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS)

• To be eligible for the Employment Pass (EP), how many points would an applicant require?
  • 40 points and above.

• How difficult is it to get an employment pass in Singapore?
  • It falls down to several factors including the applicant’s qualifications, salary, work experience, and more.

• How long is the application process for an Employment Pass (EP) in Singapore?
  • If the application is submitted online, the process or update on application would take 10 business days.

• If someone doesn’t meet the EP qualifying salary, can COMPASS points “save” the application?
  • No, if Stage 1 (EP qualifying salary) isn’t met, the candidate won’t be eligible regardless of potential COMPASS score.

Sources:

1. Ministry of Manpower – Eligibility for Employment Pass: https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eligibility
2. Ministry of Manpower – COMPASS C5. Skills bonus – Shortage Occupation List (SOL): https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eligibility/compass-c5-skills-bonus-shortage-occupation-list-sol
3. Ministry of Manpower – COMPASS C6. Strategic Economic Priorities (SEP) bonus – eligible programmes: https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eligibility/compass-c6-strategic-economic-priorities-sep-bonus-eligible-programmes