The Employment Pass (EP) and the S Pass are decided by different machinery. An EP applicant must clear a salary floor and then pass a points test, unless exempt. An S Pass applicant must clear a lower salary floor while the employer stays inside a sector quota and pays a monthly levy. This article sets out what MOM and ICA currently publish on those points, in the order an employer or candidate would check them.
The EP is a two-stage test
Stage 1 is the EP qualifying salary. Stage 2 is the points-based Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS).
Candidates who do not meet Stage 1 are not eligible for an EP, regardless of the points they would have scored under COMPASS. That rule is stated on MOM’s eligibility page and it matters: a strong COMPASS profile cannot rescue a salary below the floor.
Before filing a new EP application, the employer must meet the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) job advertising requirement on MyCareersFuture. Employers and appointed employment agents can also use the enhanced Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) to check a candidate’s eligibility before applying.
EP qualifying salary: now and from 1 January 2027
The floor depends on the sector and rises with age, starting at age 23.
| Age | All sectors except financial services | Financial services |
|---|---|---|
| 23 or below | $5,600 | $6,200 |
| 30 | $7,223 | $7,982 |
| 35 | $8,382 | $9,255 |
| 40 | $9,541 | $10,527 |
| 45 or above | $10,700 | $11,800 |
A higher set applies to new applications from 1 January 2027, and to renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028.
| Age | All sectors except financial services | Financial services |
|---|---|---|
| 23 or below | $6,000 | $6,600 |
| 30 | $7,750 | $8,541 |
| 35 | $9,000 | $9,927 |
| 40 | $10,250 | $11,314 |
| 45 or above | $11,500 | $12,700 |
The qualifying salary is benchmarked to the top one-third of local PMET salaries by age. That benchmark compares the candidate against the top third of the local professional, managerial, executive and technical market — it is a pass-or-fail line only.
COMPASS: 40 points from six criteria
An application needs 40 points to pass COMPASS.
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| C1 Salary: 90th percentile and above of local PMET salaries in the sector | 20 |
| C1 Salary: 65th to less than 90th percentile | 10 |
| C1 Salary: below 65th percentile | 0 |
| C2 Qualifications: degree-equivalent qualification from top-tier institutions (QS top 100 universities and other highly-reputed universities in Asia, Singapore’s autonomous universities, field-recognised institutions endorsed by a relevant agency) | 20 |
| C2 Qualifications: other degree-equivalent qualifications | 10 |
| C2 Qualifications: none | 0 |
| C3 Diversity: firm employs fewer than 25 PMETs | 10 by default |
| C3 Diversity: candidate’s nationality is less than 5% of the firm’s PMETs | 20 |
| C3 Diversity: 5% to less than 25% | 10 |
| C3 Diversity: 25% or more | 0 |
| C4 Support for local employment: firm employs fewer than 25 PMETs | 10 by default |
| C4 Support for local employment: local PMET share at 50th percentile and above of the sector | 20 |
| C4 Support for local employment: 20th to less than 50th percentile | 10 |
| C4 Support for local employment: below 20th percentile | 0 |
| C5 Skills bonus: job on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) and nationality share below one-third | 20 |
| C5 Skills bonus: job on the SOL and nationality share at one-third or more | 10 |
| C6 Strategic Economic Priorities (SEP) bonus: at least one eligible programme | 10 |
Four points are worth flagging.
First, C1 is not the EP qualifying salary. It is a separate benchmark against sector salaries, so a candidate can be eligible for an EP and still score zero on C1.
Second, C2 points require verification proof submitted with the qualifications. If the application does not need C2 points, it does not need to submit the qualifications or the proof.
Third, C4 has a floor for firms in sectors where local PMET share is high: if the firm’s local PMET share is at least 70%, the application scores at least 10 points regardless of where the firm sits inside its sector.
Fourth, SEP bonus points last up to 3 years, or for the duration of the organisation’s participation in the eligible programme, whichever is shorter. Renewal depends on the supporting agency’s reassessment and on the firm earning at least 10 points for C3 and at least 10 points for C4 in each of the 3 months before renewal.
Who skips COMPASS
A candidate is exempt from COMPASS if any of these apply: a fixed monthly salary of at least $22,500; applying as an overseas intra-corporate transferee; or filling the role for 1 month or less.
S Pass: salary, quota and levy are three separate tests
The S Pass salary floor applies to foreign employees of all nationalities with a job offer in Singapore, benchmarked to the top one-third of local associate professionals and technicians (APT) salaries by age.
| Age | All sectors except financial services | Financial services |
|---|---|---|
| 23 or below | $3,300 | $3,800 |
| 35 | $4,118 | $4,809 |
| 45 or above | $4,800 | $5,650 |
For new applications submitted from 1 January 2027, and renewal of passes expiring from 1 January 2028, the non-financial services floor rises to $3,600 at age 23 or below and $5,100 at age 45 and above, and the financial services floor rises to $4,000 at age 23 or below and stays at $5,650 at age 45 and above.
Quota is separate. A dependency ratio ceiling (DRC) caps the ratio of foreign workers to total workforce by sector: Construction 83.3%, Process 83.3%, Marine shipyard 75%, Manufacturing 60%, Services 35%. On top of that, S Pass holders are capped at 10% of the company’s total workforce in the services sector, and 15% in the construction, manufacturing, marine shipyard and process sectors. Quota is computed from CPF records for local employees, based on the average over the last 3 months, and updated every Saturday.
Levy is the third test. Since 1 September 2025 the S Pass levy rate has been harmonised to $650 across all sectors and levy tiers, with a daily rate of $21.37 for S Pass holders who did not work a full calendar month. Levy liability starts when the pass is issued and ends when it is cancelled or expires.
S Pass pass facts applicants often miss
An employer or appointed employment agent applies; if the pass holder changes jobs, the new employer applies for a new pass. First-time passes run up to 2 years and renewals up to 3 years, but the grant is limited by passport validity — the pass can only be valid up to 1 month before the passport expiry date.
Healthcare obligations sit with the employer. Employers must provide medical insurance for S Pass holders, and must buy a Primary Care Plan after the in-principle approval or renewal letter for workers who stay in dormitories accommodating 7 or more workers, or who work in the construction, marine shipyard and process (CMP) sectors.
Declaring qualifications is optional. If declared, the employer is responsible for ensuring the qualification is authentic and was awarded by an accredited institution in the application form’s drop-down list.
Family passes depend on salary: S Pass holders with a fixed monthly salary of at least $6,000 are eligible for a Dependant’s Pass for their spouse and children. MOM’s S Pass eligibility page also notes that if the Self-Assessment Tool shows the candidate is eligible, there is around a 90% chance the candidate will get a pass — which is why the tool is worth running before filing.
Longer EP tenure and Tech@SG
Two routes sit alongside the standard EP. Experienced tech professionals with skills in shortage may be eligible for a 5-year duration EP. Candidates who needed SOL bonus points to pass COMPASS, or to obtain the longer-duration EP, can only be employed in that specific shortage occupation; the restriction is stated in the in-principle approval letter’s “Important” note, and MOM must be notified before any redeployment to a different job.
Separately, fast-growing tech companies newly expanding to Singapore and the region may be eligible for the Tech@SG Programme.
PR: who can apply, and what ICA does not publish
A foreigner may be eligible to apply for permanent residence (PR) as a spouse of a Singapore citizen or PR; an unmarried child aged below 21 born within a legal marriage to, or legally adopted by, a Singapore citizen or PR; an aged parent of a Singapore citizen aged at least 21; an Employment Pass or S Pass holder; a student in Singapore who has passed at least one national exam (PSLE, GCE N, O or A levels) or is in the Integrated Programme; or a foreign investor under the Global Investor Programme, which is handled through EDB.
ICA states that it takes into account family ties to Singaporeans, economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile and length of residency when assessing an applicant’s ability to contribute and integrate. What ICA has not published is any scoring system, weighting, or quota behind those factors. Anyone presenting a specific PR score, weighting or approval figure is going beyond the official text.
On process, ICA states that applications are processed within 6 months provided all required documents are submitted and in order, and that some applications take longer. Fees are $100 for each application at submission, then $20 for the Entry Permit, $50 for a 5-year Re-Entry Permit and $50 for the Singapore Identity Card at completion of formalities. All fees are non-refundable.
Documents must be certified true copies of originals, with official translations for documents not in English. ICA accepts translations from the issuing country’s embassy, from a notary public in Singapore or the issuing country, or privately translated documents attested by the embassy or notarised by a notary public. ICA also states that it has no affiliation with any external migration agency or commercial entity, and does not endorse consultancy services for PR applications.
One liability point for male applicants: under the Enlistment Act 1970, all male Singapore citizens and PRs are required to serve National Service unless exempted. Male applicants are directed to check with the Central Manpower Base before proceeding with an application.
A practical order of checks
- Identify the sector the employer is classified under.
- Look up the candidate’s age band in the salary table.
- Compare the fixed monthly salary against that row.
- Run the Self-Assessment Tool before filing.
- Check whether the role appears on the Shortage Occupation List.
- Confirm the firm’s PMET headcount and nationality mix where the firm has at least 25 PMETs.
- Check the company’s quota balance and levy before making an S Pass offer.
- Prepare certified copies and translations before submitting a PR application.
Official pages used
- MOM: Eligibility for Employment Pass
- MOM: Key facts on Employment Pass
- MOM: Eligibility for S Pass
- MOM: Key facts on S Pass
- MOM: S Pass quota and levy requirements
- ICA: Becoming a Permanent Resident
This article does not constitute legal or migration advice.