COMPASS EP Points, Salary Checker and Sector Benchmark 2026

COMPASS (Complementarity Assessment Framework) is Singapore MOM’s points-based EP evaluation system, fully implemented in September 2023. It was introduced to replace the previous approach — where passing the minimum salary threshold was effectively sufficient for EP approval — with a more structured framework that rewards candidates who complement (rather than substitute) the local PMET workforce. COMPASS evaluates both individual candidate attributes (salary vs PMET peers, qualifications) and employer-level attributes (workforce diversity, local PMET hiring support). The dual individual-plus-firm approach means that even highly qualified, high-earning candidates can be rejected if their prospective employer has not maintained a balanced and locally-supportive workforce. COMPASS aims to ensure that EP approvals support Singapore’s economic goals rather than simply serving individual employers’ staffing convenience, while also creating incentives for companies to invest in building and developing local talent.

A minimum of 40 points is required to pass COMPASS and qualify for an EP. Points come from four foundational criteria (C1 Salary, C2 Qualifications, C3 Diversity, C4 Local Employment Support), each scored at 0, 10, or 20 points, and two bonus criteria (C5 Skills Bonus for Shortage Occupation List roles, worth 0 or 20 points; C6 Strategic Economic Priorities bonus, worth 0 or 10 points). Maximum possible score: 90 points (80 foundational + 20 C5 bonus; note C6 is capped at 10). Bonus points from C5 and C6 cannot independently pass an application — if C1 through C4 all score 0 (0 foundational points), bonus points alone cannot reach 40. However, bonus points can supplement a weak foundational score: an application scoring 20 on C1–C4 plus 20 on C5 (SOL bonus) reaches exactly 40 points — a marginal pass. Every point matters in borderline cases.

These are two completely different thresholds that serve different purposes in the two-stage EP assessment. The EP qualifying salary is the Stage 1 absolute minimum that an application must meet before COMPASS scoring begins: S$5,600/month for most sectors, S$6,200/month for financial services (from 1 January 2026). Failing Stage 1 means the application is not even assessed under COMPASS. The COMPASS C1 benchmark is the Stage 2 scoring standard: a candidate’s salary is compared against the 65th percentile of local PMET salaries in the same sector and age band. A salary that clears the Stage 1 floor (e.g., S$5,600) will typically score 0 points on C1 because the qualifying floor is approximately the 50th–55th percentile — well below the 65th percentile threshold needed for any C1 points. The two thresholds move independently: the qualifying floor is a ministerial policy decision raised periodically; the C1 benchmark changes annually based on MOM’s Labour Force Survey data, averaging +5% in 2026. An EP that was passing both Stage 1 and scoring 10 on C1 in 2024 may now score 0 on C1 if the sector benchmark rose faster than the candidate’s salary.

COMPASS still applies, but small firms below 25 PMETs receive a significant concession: they are awarded a default score of 10 points on both C3 (Diversity) and C4 (Local Employment Support), rather than having these criteria computed against actual workforce data. This default means a small firm’s EP applications automatically receive 20 points from C3+C4 combined without the employer needing to demonstrate diverse nationality representation or strong local PMET hiring ratios. For C1 and C2 (the individual criteria), small-firm status provides no default — the candidate’s salary and qualifications are assessed normally. The small-firm concession is designed to allow newly incorporated companies, startup ventures, and small overseas subsidiaries to staff their initial teams with EP holders before they have built out a sizeable local PMET workforce. However: once the firm’s PMET headcount reaches 25, the default disappears at the next EP application or renewal, and actual C3 and C4 scores are computed — potentially causing a sudden score collapse if the firm has been hiring predominantly from one nationality or without a focus on local talent.

MOM confirmed at the March 2026 Committee of Supply proceedings that the EP qualifying salary floor will increase from S$5,600 to S$6,000 for general sectors (and from S$6,200 to S$6,600 for financial services) effective 1 January 2027. This applies to: (1) all new EP applications submitted from 1 January 2027; and (2) all EP renewal applications for passes expiring from 1 July 2027 onward — since MOM typically requires renewal applications to be filed 6 months before expiry, passes expiring from July 2027 must be renewed under the new floor. EP holders currently earning between S$5,600 and S$5,999/month in general sectors (or S$6,200–S$6,599 in financial services) are in the “renewal risk zone” — their current salary clears the 2026 floor but fails the 2027 floor. Employers must audit their EP population and implement salary increases before the relevant renewal window. A renewal rejection for failing Stage 1 due to the new floor is treated as a new application, not a correctable error.

MOM updates the COMPASS C1 salary benchmarks annually, based on data from the Comprehensive Labour Force Survey conducted by MOM’s Manpower Research and Statistics Department. The updated benchmarks apply to: new EP applications from 1 January of the following year, and renewal applications for EPs expiring from 1 July of the following year. In 2025 (effective 1 January 2026), the average increase across all sectors to the 65th percentile benchmark was approximately 5.11%, with the highest increase in Fund Management (+9.91%) and the only decrease in Media (−0.47%). For candidates and employers, this means that a salary package agreed 12–24 months ago may now score lower on C1 than it did when the EP was first approved. Annual salary review cycles should account for the C1 benchmark movement — if the benchmark rises 5% per year and the candidate’s salary rises only 3%, C1 will deteriorate over successive renewals until it eventually scores 0 and the application fails.

C2 scores 20 points for a degree from a top-tier institution — defined by MOM as universities ranked in the global top 100 by the QS World University Rankings or the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, plus a list of highly regarded regional institutions maintained by MOM. C2 scores 10 points for a degree from any other accredited university or institution, plus for holders of specific professional qualifications recognised by MOM (including CPA Singapore, CFA Charterholder, Singapore Bar admission, GMC/SMC medical registration, and other approved professional credentials). C2 scores 0 points for degrees from institutions not on MOM’s recognised list, for unverified degrees (even from top-tier universities if MOM verification has not been completed), and for polytechnic diplomas or other non-degree qualifications without an equivalent professional credential. Crucially, a professional credential alone — without a degree — can still qualify for 10 points, meaning candidates who entered their profession through a non-university pathway are not automatically disadvantaged on C2.

Yes — candidates earning a fixed monthly salary of S$22,500 or above are entirely exempt from the COMPASS assessment. Their EP application is evaluated based only on Stage 1 (meeting the qualifying floor, which their salary clearly exceeds) and MOM’s general assessment of the role’s merits. The S$22,500 exemption is not frequently applicable — it covers senior executives, C-suite professionals, and specialist high earners. Additional exemption categories include: intra-corporate transferees (staff transferred within a multinational enterprise from an overseas office to a Singapore office); short-term EP holders with a validity of one month or less; and candidates applying under Singapore’s international trade agreements with specific provisions. Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) holders are governed by a separate framework entirely. For the vast majority of EP applications, COMPASS is not bypassed — the S$22,500 threshold excludes most mid-career hires, even in senior management roles.

The MOM Shortage Occupation List (SOL) identifies specific occupations that require highly specialised expertise and are in particularly short supply among the local PMET workforce. An EP application for a role on the SOL receives a C5 Skills Bonus of 20 points — the largest single bonus available in COMPASS. The SOL is updated periodically by MOM in consultation with industry agencies (EDB, MAS, MOH, MTI). As of 2026, the SOL includes roles across: Digital and AI (data scientists, AI/ML engineers, cybersecurity specialists, certain software architects); Financial services (certain actuarial specialists, risk model developers, select regulatory compliance roles); Healthcare (subspecialty medical consultants in high-shortage areas); Agritech (food scientists, controlled environment agriculture specialists); Green economy (carbon specialists, renewable energy engineers); Maritime (specific ship management and marine engineering roles). The SOL is not a general list — it specifies SSOC codes and often minimum experience requirements. Always verify the exact SOL at mom.gov.sg before assuming a role qualifies, as the list changes and SSOC code matching matters.

The Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) requires Singapore employers to give fair consideration to all Singaporean candidates before hiring a foreign professional on an EP. Specifically, employers must: advertise the job vacancy on MyCareersFuture.gov.sg for at least 14 calendar days (for jobs paying below S$22,500/month) before submitting an EP application; and genuinely consider all applications from Singaporean Citizens and Permanent Residents before proceeding with the foreign hire. The FCF is not just a form-filling exercise — MOM actively monitors FCF compliance and cross-references job posting data with EP applications. Employers on the Fair Consideration Framework Watch List face enhanced scrutiny of their EP applications and are required to undergo additional assessments. FCF non-compliance is treated as a serious violation that can result in EP rejection, suspension of EP privileges, and reputational consequences. Employers should maintain clear documentation of the FCF process — number of Singaporean applicants, interview records, and the specific reasons why local candidates were not selected — as MOM may request this information during an EP review.

C3 Diversity measures the share of the firm’s PMET workforce from the EP candidate’s nationality against all nationalities. The scoring scale: a nationality representing less than 5% of the firm’s PMET workforce = 20 points (highly under-represented, brings diversity); representing 5–25% = 10 points (moderate representation); representing more than 25% = 0 points (high concentration — adding another hire from this nationality increases concentration). A C3 score of 0 is common in firms that have hired multiple employees from the same source country — a Singapore tech subsidiary that hired primarily Indian engineers, a financial services firm with a predominantly Chinese PMET team, or a manufacturing operation staffed primarily with Malaysian PMETs. The C3 score is computed at the time of each application and renewal — it changes as the workforce composition changes. For the same candidate applying at two different firms, C3 may score 20 at Firm A (where that nationality is under-represented) and 0 at Firm B (where it is over-represented), resulting in a pass at one and a fail at the other with identical individual qualifications.

SSOC (Singapore Standard Occupational Classification) is MOM’s occupational coding system, aligned with the International Standard Classification of Occupations. Every EP application requires an SSOC code that classifies the role being filled. The SSOC code matters for COMPASS in two critical ways: (1) C1 salary benchmark — MOM compares the candidate’s salary against the local PMET benchmark for that specific SSOC code. Using a lower-grade SSOC code for a senior role may result in a lower C1 benchmark (easier to beat), which sounds advantageous but creates FCF inconsistencies. Using a higher-grade SSOC code for a mid-level role may set a benchmark the salary doesn’t meet, scoring 0 on C1. (2) C5 SOL eligibility — the Shortage Occupation List specifies eligible SSOC codes. A role that qualifies for the C5 bonus under SSOC 2519 (ICT specialist) may not qualify under SSOC 2513 (software developer) even if the actual job duties are identical. Mismatched SSOC codes are a common rejection cause that employers miss because the correct SSOC code requires understanding both the job duties and MOM’s occupational classification framework — it is not simply a label-matching exercise.

Standard EP processing times in 2026: 3 weeks for straightforward applications submitted online via the EP Online portal (EP applicants and employers without prior compliance issues, complete documentation). Up to 8 weeks for applications requiring additional assessment, such as: applications from employers on the FCF Watch List; cases with complex SSOC classification; applications with borderline COMPASS scores requiring manual review; cases with incomplete documentation. Expedited processing is not generally available for standard EP applications. MOM issues an In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter upon approval — the candidate then has up to 6 months to enter Singapore and collect the physical pass. After entering Singapore, the candidate must complete any required medical examination, attend the pass issuance appointment, and have fingerprints taken. The physical pass is typically issued within a few working days of the appointment. First-issue EP validity is up to 2 years for most roles; roles on the Shortage Occupation List may receive 5-year initial validity for certain tech and specialist positions.

Yes — employers can appeal a rejected EP application through the EP Online portal. The appeal must be submitted within 3 months of the rejection date. Supporting the appeal requires identifying the specific reason for rejection (MOM provides a rejection reason, though it may be general) and presenting evidence that addresses the concern — typically: additional salary evidence if C1 was the issue, verified qualification documentation if C2 was disputed, or workforce composition data if C3/C4 was assessed incorrectly. Appeals against C3 and C4 firm-level rejections are particularly difficult because the data underlying the rejection (the firm’s workforce composition) is MOM’s own records — disputing it requires demonstrating a data discrepancy, not simply arguing for a different interpretation. Appeals based on SSOC misclassification (where the wrong SSOC code was used, leading to an incorrect salary benchmark comparison) are more frequently successful if the employer can demonstrate that the correct SSOC code matches the role and results in a passing score. MOM does not publish appeal success rates; experienced immigration agents generally cite a success rate of 20–40% for well-prepared appeals.

EP holders earning a fixed monthly salary of S$6,000 or above (general sectors; S$6,600 from January 2027) are eligible to apply for a Dependant’s Pass (DP) for their spouse and unmarried children below 21. The DP allows dependants to reside in Singapore for the duration of the EP holder’s validity, and DP holders are eligible to work in Singapore with a Letter of Consent from an employer. EP holders earning below S$6,000 are not eligible to bring dependants on a DP; they may apply for a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) for their spouse and children, which is a more restricted pass with fewer entitlements. For EP holders earning S$12,000 or above, there is also eligibility for parents to apply for a Long-Term Visit Pass+ (LTVP+), which provides more comprehensive entitlements than a standard LTVP. The DP Qualifying Salary requirement (S$6,000/month, or S$6,600 from January 2027 for financial services) is an important consideration for EP applications at the lower salary bands — an EP approved at S$5,750 clears Stage 1 but does not allow DP applications, limiting the candidate’s ability to relocate with family.

Singapore has three primary work passes for foreign professionals at different qualification and salary levels. The Employment Pass (EP) is for professionals, managers, and executives. Minimum salary: S$5,600/month (general sectors), subject to COMPASS assessment. Validity: up to 2 years (initial), up to 3 years (renewal). Suitable for mid-to-senior career professionals. The S Pass is for mid-skilled foreign workers. Minimum salary: S$3,300/month (general sectors) from 2025. Subject to a subquota — employers can only hold S Passes up to a percentage of their workforce. Suitable for skilled technicians and associates. The Overseas Networks & Expertise (ONE) Pass is for exceptional global talent earning at least S$30,000/month or meeting specific high-achievement criteria (recent Forbes-listed company leadership, top global research recognition, etc.). ONE Pass provides 5-year validity, allows simultaneous employment at multiple companies, and does not require a specific employer sponsor at the time of application — applicants can enter Singapore and find employment after arrival. The EP is the most commonly sought work pass for the typical foreign professional relocating to Singapore for a corporate role.