Singapore’s work-pass thresholds are set out in full on the MOM (Ministry of Manpower) website. Permanent resident (PR) applications are assessed separately by the ICA (Immigration & Checkpoints Authority); MOM pages do not contain the PR document list. The points below set out only the current eligibility, salary, scoring, quota and dependant rules for EP, S Pass and ONE Pass, for pass holders and employers to check item by item before renewal, role change or assessing long-term stay eligibility.
EP: two-stage eligibility framework and COMPASS scoring
The EP (Employment Pass) application uses a two-stage eligibility framework (MOM Eligibility for Employment Pass):
- Stage 1: fixed monthly salary meets the EP Qualifying Salary. This salary rises with age, benchmarked to the top one-third percentile of local PMET (professionals, managers, executives and technicians) pay.
- Stage 2: unless exempt, the applicant must pass the COMPASS (Complementarity Assessment Framework) points system, scoring 40 points to pass.
Key numbers (version dated 28 April 2026)
- Non-financial services: current minimum S$5,600 (age 23), rising to S$10,700 (age 45 and above); new applications from 1 Jan 2027 minimum S$6,000, rising to S$11,500.
- Financial services: current minimum S$6,200 (age 23), rising to S$11,800 (age 45 and above); new applications from 1 Jan 2027 minimum S$6,600, rising to S$12,700.
- Fixed monthly salary ≥ S$22,500, overseas transferees, or employed for less than 1 month are exempt from COMPASS.
COMPASS six indicators (C1–C6)
| Indicator | Core rule | Max points |
|---|---|---|
| C1 Salary | Candidate’s fixed monthly salary compared with same-age local PMET pay at the industry percentile: at or above 90th percentile — 20 points; 65th to below 90th percentile — 10 points; below 65th percentile — 0 points. | 20 |
| C2 Qualifications | A degree from a QS top-ranked university, a Singapore autonomous university, or an institution recognised by a relevant body — 20 points; another degree or equivalent qualification — 10 points; no degree or equivalent qualification — 0 points. Proof of recognition is required. | 20 |
| C3 Diversity | Company PMET headcount below 25 — default 10 points; 25 and above by candidate’s nationality share: below 5% — 20 points, 5% to below 25% — 10 points, 25% and above — 0 points. | 20 |
| C4 Support for local employment | Company PMET headcount below 25 — default 10 points; 25 and above by company’s local PMET share at the industry percentile: at or above 50th percentile — 20 points, 20th to below 50th percentile — 10 points, below 20th percentile — 0 points. Companies with economy-wide local PMET share of 70% or above get at least 10 points. | 20 |
| C5 Shortage occupation bonus | Role on the SOL (Shortage Occupation List) and candidate’s nationality below 1/3 of company PMET — 20 points; at or above 1/3 — 10 points. Additional checks on duties, qualifications and industry certification apply. | 20 |
| C6 Strategic economic priorities bonus | Participating in an eligible government or union programme — 10 points, for up to 3 years or until the programme participation ends (whichever is earlier). In the 3 months before renewal, must continuously meet C3 ≥ 10 points and C4 ≥ 10 points. | 10 |
Pass threshold: the four foundational criteria (C1–C4) plus the two bonus criteria (C5, C6) must total 40 points or more. MOM provides the Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) for employers and employment agents to project outcomes.
S Pass: salary threshold, quota and levy
The S Pass is for associate professionals and technicians (APT), benchmarked to the top one-third percentile of local APT pay (MOM Eligibility for S Pass).
Key numbers
- Non-financial services: current minimum S$3,300 (age 23), rising to S$4,800 (age 45 and above); new applications from 1 Jan 2027 minimum S$3,600, rising to S$5,100.
- Financial services: current minimum S$3,800, rising to S$5,650 (age 45 and above); new applications from 1 Jan 2027 minimum S$4,000, cap maintained at S$5,650.
- Qualification declaration is optional; if declared, it must be genuine and from a recognised institution listed in the form’s dropdown.
Quota and levy (MOM S Pass quota and levy requirements)
| Sector | Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) | S Pass sub-quota |
|---|---|---|
| Services | 35% | 10% of total company headcount |
| Manufacturing | 60% | 15% |
| Construction/process | 83.3% | 15% |
| Shipbuilding | 75% | 15% |
- Levy: from 1 Sep 2025, unified at S$650/month (all sectors, all tiers). Daily average levy S$21.37 (monthly levy × 12 ÷ 365, rounded up). Must be deducted via GIRO.
ONE Pass: top-talent threshold and exemptions
The ONE Pass (Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass) is for top talent in business, sports, arts and culture, academia and research, and AI/technology (MOM Eligibility for Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass).
Three entry routes (meet any one)
- Past employment: fixed monthly salary ≥ S$30,000 for 12 consecutive months before application, and employed by an established company with market capitalisation ≥ US$500 million or annual revenue ≥ US$200 million (calculated on a global consolidated basis).
- Singapore employment: will be employed by a Singapore established company meeting the above size threshold, with fixed monthly salary ≥ S$30,000, commencing within 6 months.
- Exceptional achievement: outstanding achievement in sports, arts and culture, or academia and research, assessed jointly by MOM with MCCY, MOE (Ministry of Education), NRF (National Research Foundation) and A*STAR; not subject to the salary threshold.
Core privileges
- Exempt from the COMPASS and FCF job advertisement requirements.
- May concurrently start or work for multiple companies (subject to employment contracts).
- No need to re-apply for the pass when changing roles.
- First pass up to 5 years; renewal up to 5 years.
- No foreign worker levy or quota.
Dependant’s Pass: unified thresholds for EP / S Pass / ONE Pass
| Pass type | Spouse/child pass type | Main applicant salary threshold | Parent pass type | Parent salary threshold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP | Dependant’s Pass (DP) | ≥ S$6,000 | Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) | ≥ S$12,000 |
| S Pass | DP | ≥ S$6,000 | — | — |
| ONE Pass | DP (spouse may apply for a Letter of Consent to work) | subject to ONE Pass eligibility | LTVP | subject to ONE Pass eligibility |
- DP covers a legally married spouse and unmarried children under 21 (including legally adopted).
- LTVP covers a common-law spouse, unmarried disabled children above 21, stepchildren and parents (EP/ONE Pass only, and salary must meet the threshold).
- Applications are submitted by the employer or sponsoring company, either together with the main pass or separately afterwards.
General steps for renewal and changes
- Self-test with SAT in advance: for EP renewal, use the enhanced SAT to verify the COMPASS score; for S Pass, use SAT to confirm the salary is met.
- Check the salary effective date: the new EP salary threshold of 1 Jan 2027 applies to new applications; for renewals, check whether the pass expiry date is after 1 Jan 2028.
- Watch the levy bill: the S Pass levy runs from the issuance date to the cancellation or expiry date; late CPF (Central Provident Fund) contributions or salary declarations affect the quota.
- Notify MOM of changes: changes to role, salary, company information, passport updates and the like must be reported within the required time limit via myMOM Portal or WP Online.
- Passport validity: a pass cannot be valid beyond one month before the passport expiry (expressly required for S Pass; the same applies to EP/ONE Pass).
Official reference pages
- Employment Pass – Eligibility
- Employment Pass – Key facts
- S Pass – Eligibility
- S Pass – Key facts
- S Pass – Quota and levy requirements
- Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass – Eligibility
- Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass – Key facts
- Passes for families of Employment Pass holders
- Eligibility for Dependant’s Pass