Singapore regularly reviews its Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) to assess the eligibility of foreign candidates for the Employment Pass (EP).
Newly released by Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM), salary benchmarks that fall under the COMPASS system will be adjusted for new EP applications from 1 January 2026 and for renewals from 1 July 2026. If you’re an employer hiring foreign talent, knowing these latest requirements can give you time to plan ahead. This article will discuss:
- What is the Employment Pass (EP) in Singapore?
- What is the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS)?
- COMPASS application criteria
- COMPASS scoring system
- Who is exempt from COMPASS?
- How to maximise your COMPASS score?
- How we can help with your EP application
What is the Employment Pass (EP) in Singapore?
Singapore’s EP is the primary work visa for highly skilled foreign professionals seeking to build their careers in one of Asia’s most dynamic economies. EPs are typically valid for up to two years for first-time applicants and can be renewed for up to three years.
Importantly, an individual is unable to apply for an EP directly. Instead, only a Singapore-based employer or an authorised employment agent can submit the application on their behalf.
As an employer, you will also need to fulfil the Fair Consideration Framework by first advertising jobs locally and considering all candidates fairly before applying for an EP for a foreign hire.
The candidate will then need to:
- Meet the EP qualifying salary: SG$5,600 for new applications in 2025. The amount is slightly higher for the financial services sector, starting at SG$6,200. The actual salary amount varies with age, capped at SG$11,800 for the financial services sector and SG$10,700 for all other sectors. Note this is separate from the salary benchmarking under COMPASS.
- Pass the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS)
Both stages must be completed successfully for the EP to be granted.
What is the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS)?
Effective from September 2023, COMPASS is a points-based system implemented to assess applications for the EP in Singapore. It is a clear guide on the qualities and contributions that the country values in foreign professionals.
COMPASS application criteria
Under this framework, the EP application will be evaluated against four foundational criteria, namely Salary, Qualifications, Diversity and Support for Local Employment.
Further to this, there are two bonus criteria that recognise applications bringing in skills that are not readily available in Singapore and support the country’s strategic economic priorities. Here’s how each category is assessed:
C1 Salary
C1 Salary compares your candidate’s fixed monthly salary against the salaries of local professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) in the same field. This category rewards candidates whose salaries are on par with or higher than those earned by top local professionals of similar age.
As mentioned, this category is separate from the EP qualifying salary. Note that new C1 Salary benchmarks will take effect across various sectors. This is applicable to new EP applications from 1 January 2026 as well as renewal applications set to expire from 1 July 2026.
C2 Qualifications
C2 Qualifications awards points based on the academic qualifications or professional credentials of the EP candidate. This considers qualifications attained from the:
- Top 100 universities in global rankings as well as other highly regarded universities in the region
- Autonomous universities in Singapore
- Institutions with a strong reputation in their respective fields
Other degree-equivalent qualifications are typically defined as:
- Foreign qualifications that the MOM recognises as comparable to a UK bachelor’s degree
- Well-recognised professional qualifications endorsed by an appropriate sector agency
Holding a degree-equivalent qualification, however, is not a mandatory requirement under COMPASS. A candidate can still achieve a passing score by earning points in other categories.
C3 Diversity
C3 Diversity will evaluate the nationality mix of your PMET workforce and award more points if the candidate’s nationality is under-represented in your firm. To put it into perspective, if you have a large proportion of employees from the same country as your candidate, the score might be lower in this category.
Importantly, small companies are not penalised for limited diversity. If your organisation employs fewer than 25 PMETs in total, COMPASS will automatically provide ten points. From September 2025, the MOM considers all employees earning at least SG$3,300 per month in the firm as PMETs.
As your company grows beyond 25 PMET employees, however, you should monitor your hiring mix. The MOM provides a Workforce Insights tool that you can use to verify your current nationality share statistics and gauge how you would score.
C4 Support for local employment
This category looks at how your employment of local PMETs compares with other companies in the same industry. It is designed to reward employers who are building balanced teams that bring together both local and foreign professionals.
As with C3 Diversity, firms with fewer than 25 PMET employees get a default ten points.
C5 Skills bonus
C5 Skills bonus is a bonus criterion that gives extra points when the EP role being filled in on Singapore’s Shortage Occupation List (SOL). This list highlights occupations that require highly specialised expertise and are in particularly short supply among the local workforce.
The application will receive bonus points under C5 if your candidate is to be hired in one of the occupations on the SOL and meets the criteria required. If the role is not on the SOL, no points will be awarded in this category. The SOL is updated periodically as workforce trends change.
C6 Strategic Economic Priorities (SEP) bonus
If your company is investing in Singapore and participating in key government initiatives, your EP application might benefit under the C6 SEP bonus category. Specifically, your company is involved in eligible programmes such as the Development and Expansion Incentive (DEI) and Research and Innovation Scheme for Companies (RISC).
This bonus, however, will only be given if the programme’s government agency approves it. You may also be considered under this criterion if your company is endorsed by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) for transformative efforts.
COMPASS scoring system
An application must score at least 40 points from the four foundational criteria and, if applicable, the bonus criteria to qualify for the EP. Under the foundational criteria, points will be awarded if the application meets or exceeds expectations:
| Points for each foundational criterion | Assessment |
|---|---|
| 20 | Exceeds expectations |
| 10 | Meets expectations |
| 0 | Does not meet expectations |
Here’s how the COMPASS points system works for EP applications:
| Foundational criteria | Description | Condition | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1. Salary | Fixed monthly salary compared to local PMET salaries in sector by age. | ≥ 90th percentile | 20 |
| 65th–90th percentile | 10 | ||
| < 65th percentile | 0 | ||
| C2. Qualifications | Based on candidate’s qualifications | Top-tier institution | 20 |
| Degree-equivalent qualification | 10 | ||
| No degree-equivalent qualification | 0 | ||
| C3. Diversity | Share of candidate's nationality among firm’s PMETs* | < 5% of PMETs share candidate’s nationality | 20 |
| 5%–25% | 10 | ||
| ≥ 25% | 0 | ||
| C4. Support for Local Employment | Firm’s share of local PMETs within its subsector* | ≥ 50th percentile | 20 |
| 20th–50th percentile | 10 | ||
| < 20th percentile | 0 |
| Bonus criteria | Condition | Points |
|---|---|---|
| C5. Skills Bonus | Share of candidate’s nationality among your firm’s PMETs is less than 1/3 | 20 |
| Share of candidate’s nationality among your firm’s PMETs is 1/3 or more | 10 | |
| C6. Strategic Economic Priorities Bonus | Firm meets specific assessment criteria on innovation or internationalisation activities | 10 |
Who is exempt from COMPASS?
That said, certain cases are exempted from the points framework entirely. According to the MOM, the foreign candidate will not be assessed under COMPASS if they meet any of the following conditions:
- Earning a fixed monthly salary of SG$22,500 or more
- Filling a role for one month or less
- Applying as an overseas intra-corporate transferee (ICT) under the World Trade Organisation’s General Agreement on Trade in Services or an applicable free trade agreement that Singapore is a party to
How to maximise your COMPASS score?
Achieving the passing COMPASS score of 40 points is typically straightforward for well-qualified candidates. Still, some preparation beforehand will allow you to reach the required points and put you in a stronger position to meet the EP requirements. This could involve:
1. Offering a competitive salary
To score well on C1, you can cross-check your offer against the published salary benchmarks to ensure it meets or exceeds the threshold for the role. If the candidate’s skills and experience warrant it, consider positioning the salary at the 90th percentile or higher to improve the COMPASS EP scoring.
2. Focusing on candidates with strong educational qualifications
As shown earlier, a degree from a top-tier university or a highly reputed professional certification can secure 20 points on C2. Nonetheless, holding a recognised degree can still earn points. Verification proof will need to be included alongside your candidate’s qualifications as part of the EP application process.
3. Strengthening diversity and local employment
If a large proportion of your foreign employees come from the same country, adding another hire from that nationality could result in a lower C3 score. As such, strive to build teams with a healthy mix of nationalities. For instance, if your tech department is already 30% made up of one nationality, consider candidates from other backgrounds to improve diversity.
At the same time, increasing your local PMET workforce can improve your C4 score. This could involve initiatives such as hiring and training Singaporean professionals, participating in government-backed talent development programmes or redesigning roles to attract more local applicants. While helping with the COMPASS EP scoring, these steps are good business practice and can align with government expectations.
4. Leveraging the bonus criteria if eligible
Additionally, should your sector be facing talent shortages, consider hiring for roles listed on the SOL to tap into the C5 bonus. In the same way, you can explore opportunities to participate in programmes run by Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB) or other relevant government agencies. This might qualify your firm for the C6 bonus and support your EP application.
How we can help with your EP application
If you’re uncertain about any of the above requirements or how they might apply to your company, our Singapore-based team can provide immigration support and guide you through the EP application for your foreign employees. We can also walk you through other types of work visas and schemes that might be better suited for the roles you’re looking to fill.
For more information on hiring foreign talent in Singapore, please get in touch with us.
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