Employment Pass and S Pass holders often look for a points table for Singapore permanent residence (PR), similar to the COMPASS framework used for Employment Pass applications. The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) does not publish one. This page sets out what ICA does publish, and where the points-based system people often have in mind actually applies.
What ICA says it considers
ICA's page on becoming a permanent resident describes the assessment in one sentence: "ICA takes into account factors such as the individual's family ties to Singaporeans, economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile and length of residency, to assess the applicant's ability to contribute to Singapore and integrate into our society, as well as his or her commitment to sinking roots in Singapore."
That sentence is the full extent of the published criteria. ICA's pages give no scores, no weights for individual factors, no pass mark and no quota of any kind. Any table that assigns points to age, salary, employer, nationality or qualifications for a PR application is not an ICA document, and this site does not publish one.
COMPASS belongs to the Employment Pass, not to PR
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does run a published points system, but for a different purpose. Under MOM's Employment Pass eligibility rules, a candidate must meet the EP qualifying salary and, unless exempted, pass the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS); an application needs 40 points to pass. COMPASS decides whether an employer may hire a foreign professional on an Employment Pass. It is not used to assess PR.
MOM states the relationship plainly. An EP holder or an S Pass holder who wishes to become a permanent resident applies through ICA, and "the application will be assessed based on ICA's PR criteria."
Who may apply
ICA lists the following groups as eligible to apply:
- the spouse of a Singapore citizen or permanent resident;
- an unmarried child aged below 21, born within a legal marriage to, or legally adopted by, a Singapore citizen or permanent resident;
- the aged parent of a Singapore citizen who is at least 21 years old;
- the holder of an Employment Pass or S Pass;
- a student studying in Singapore who has passed at least one national exam (PSLE, GCE N, O or A levels) or is in the Integrated Programme;
- a foreign investor in Singapore, through the Global Investor Programme run by the Economic Development Board.
Being in one of these groups makes a person eligible to apply. It does not indicate the outcome.
What you can control: a complete, accurate application
ICA requires certified true copies of original documents and official translations of anything not in English, and warns that "insufficient documentation may result in non-acceptance of your application." Its document checklist for working applicants includes educational certificates and transcripts, a letter of employment dated no more than three months before the online application stating occupation, date of employment and basic and gross monthly salary, and payslips for the last six months. ICA may ask for further documents that are not on the checklist.
The fee is S$100 for each application at submission, plus S$20 for the Entry Permit, S$50 for a five-year Re-Entry Permit and S$50 for the identity card on completion of formalities. All fees are non-refundable. ICA states that applications "will be processed within 6 months, provided all the required documents are submitted and are in order", and that some applications may take longer. Successful applicants receive an In-Principle Approval and are granted PR status once they have fulfilled the necessary conditions.
Consultants who claim inside knowledge
ICA says it "has no affiliation with any external migration agency/ commercial entity which claims to be the Singapore immigration specialist/ consultant or partner" and does not support or endorse such services for PR applications. In a separate public advisory it notes that it is aware of commercial entities that claim they can improve an applicant's chance of success, that it "carefully assesses all applications", and that companies publishing false or misleading advertisements will be referred to the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore. Claims about a confidential scoring sheet or a guaranteed score should be read in that light.
Always confirm against the official page: ICA, Becoming a Permanent Resident.