Two Hurdles: Salary Floor and COMPASS

Every Employment Pass application must clear two separate hurdles set by the Ministry of Manpower. First, the candidate's fixed monthly salary must meet the qualifying floor for their age and sector. Second, the application must score at least 40 points under COMPASS, the Complementarity Assessment Framework that has been in effect since 1 September 2023.

Minimum Qualifying Salary

The current minimum qualifying salary is S$5,600 per month for most sectors and S$6,200 per month for financial services. Salary requirements scale with age — older candidates require materially higher salaries to clear the bar. From 1 January 2027, these floors rise to S$6,000 and S$6,600 respectively for new applications, with renewals following from 1 January 2028.

Meeting the minimum is necessary but not sufficient. The salary must also benchmark against local PMET wages for the same role, age and sector under COMPASS C1.

COMPASS Scoring

Applications are scored across four foundational criteria and two bonus criteria. A minimum total of 40 points is required:

• C1 — Salary benchmarked against local PMET wages (up to 20 points)
• C2 — Candidate's qualifications and institution (up to 20 points)
• C3 — Diversity within the employer's PMET workforce (up to 10 points)
• C4 — Support for local employment (up to 10 points)
• C5 — Skills bonus for Shortage Occupation List roles (up to 20 bonus points)
• C6 — Strategic Economic Priorities contribution (up to 10 bonus points)

Candidates earning a fixed monthly salary of S$22,500 or more are generally exempt from COMPASS scoring.

COMPASS January 2026 Refresh

MOM refreshed COMPASS effective 1 January 2026 for new applications and 1 July 2026 for renewals. Changes include an updated list of top-tier institutions for C2, revisions to the Shortage Occupation List, and recalibrated salary benchmarks. Applications filed using outdated assumptions are increasingly being rejected — we re-assess every case against current rules before filing.

Fair Consideration Framework (FCF)

Before submitting an Employment Pass application, the employer must advertise the role on MyCareersFuture for at least 14 consecutive days. The advertisement must accurately describe the role and salary, and must comply with the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices.

FCF advertising is not required if any of the following applies:

• The company has fewer than 10 employees
• The fixed monthly salary is S$22,500 or more
• The role is short-term (one month or less)
• The role is filled by an intra-corporate transferee meeting specific criteria

Educational Qualification Verification

Any qualification used to score points under COMPASS C2 must be verified through an MOM-approved background screening provider before the application is submitted. This is mandatory. We coordinate the verification end-to-end with approved providers — typical verification takes 2 to 3 weeks and longer for less common countries or institutions.

Processing Time

Standard MOM processing for Employment Pass applications is around 3 weeks once submitted. Realistic end-to-end planning, accounting for the FCF advertising period (14 days) and educational verification (2 to 3 weeks), should allow 6 to 8 weeks from engagement to pass issuance.

Renewal Considerations

EP renewals are now re-assessed under current COMPASS rules and salary benchmarks. A pass that was approved 2 to 3 years ago at an old benchmark may face a stricter standard at renewal. Renewals should be started at least 1 month before expiry — ideally earlier — to allow for COMPASS re-assessment and any salary adjustments.