Settling in Singapore or Hong Kong turns on three lines: work-pass routes, permanent resident (PR) timelines, and personal income tax. Singapore’s main route is the Employment Pass (EP); Hong Kong’s equivalent is the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS). The two also differ on PR approval and tax. The sections below compare the official positions point by point, following the questions readers ask most.
What is the threshold for Singapore’s Employment Pass (EP)?
EP applicants must clear a two-stage eligibility framework. Stage one is meeting the EP qualifying salary. Stage two is passing the COMPASS (Complementarity Assessment Framework) scoring framework.
EP qualifying salary (Stage one): for most sectors the current minimum is S$5,600 (rising with age from 23, to S$10,700 at 45 and above). From 1 January 2027, the minimum for new applications is S$6,000 (S$11,500 at 45 and above); the new standard also applies to renewals expiring on or after 1 January 2028.
Financial services currently has a minimum of S$6,200 (S$11,800 at 45 and above). From 1 January 2027, the minimum for new applications is S$6,600 (S$12,700 at 45 and above).
An applicant who does not meet the EP qualifying salary is not eligible for an EP, regardless of COMPASS score. Employers and employment agents can use the enhanced Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) to check eligibility before applying. Before submitting a new EP application, employers must still meet the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) job advertisement requirement.
How to pass COMPASS
COMPASS requires 40 points to pass. The score comprises four foundational criteria plus two bonus criteria.
C1 Salary: a monthly salary at or above the 90th percentile of local PMET salaries in the sector earns 20 points; at the 65th up to below the 90th percentile earns 10 points; below the 65th percentile earns 0 points. C1 is distinct from the EP qualifying salary, which is only the entry minimum.
C2 Qualifications: an equivalent qualification from a top institution such as a QS World University Rankings top-100 university earns 20 points; another equivalent degree-level qualification earns 10 points; no equivalent degree-level qualification earns 0 points (the remaining points can still be met through other criteria). To score, an education verification certificate must be submitted together with the application.
C3 Diversity: firms with fewer than 25 PMET employees score a default 10 points. Where there are at least 25 PMET employees, the applicant’s nationality making up below 5% earns 20 points, 5% to below 25% earns 10 points, and 25% or more earns 0 points.
C4 Support for Local Employment: fewer than 25 PMET employees score a default 10 points. Where there are at least 25, a local PMET share at or above the sector’s 50th percentile earns 20 points, the 20th up to below the 50th percentile earns 10 points, and below the 20th percentile earns 0 points. A local PMET share of at least 70% scores at least 10 points.
Exemptions: COMPASS is waived for a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500 (aligned with the FCF job advertisement exemption from 1 September 2023), an overseas intra-company transfer, or an assignment of one month or less. C5 Shortage Occupation List (SOL) and C6 Strategic Economic Priorities bonus can add further points.
What is the threshold for Hong Kong’s Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS)?
TTPS targets high-income talent and graduates of the world’s top universities, and requires no prior job offer in Hong Kong at application. Approved applicants generally receive a stay of 36 months (Category A) or 24 months (Categories B and C), subject only to the stay limit with no other conditions of stay.
Category A: an annual income of HK$2.5 million or above (or equivalent in foreign currency) in the year before application. Category B: a graduate with a degree from an eligible university who has at least three years of work experience in the five years before application. Category C: a graduate from an eligible university within the past five years with less than three years of work experience, subject to an annual quota on a first-come, first-served basis.
TTPS does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Mainland Chinese holding a PRC passport may apply if they hold overseas permanent residency, or have resided overseas for not less than one year and submit from overseas.
Processing generally takes four weeks from receipt of all documents and fees. The application fee is non-refundable regardless of outcome. The Director of Immigration retains absolute discretion over eligibility and may reject an application even if all conditions are met.
How long are the PR and permanent resident timelines in each place?
Singapore permanent resident (PR) status is assessed by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA); Hong Kong permanent residency requires ordinary residence in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years.
Singapore PR eligibility includes: spouses of Singapore citizens or PRs; unmarried children under 21; parents of Singapore citizens aged 21 or above; Employment Pass (EP) or S Pass holders; students who have passed at least one national exam or are in the Integrated Programme; and foreign investors (through the Economic Development Board (EDB) Global Investor Programme (GIP)).
ICA weighs factors such as family ties, economic contribution, qualifications, age, family profile and length of residence to assess an applicant’s integration and roots in Singapore. Applications with complete documents are generally processed within six months; some take longer.
For Hong Kong, under the Immigration Ordinance, a non-Chinese national must have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong continuously for not less than seven years and made Hong Kong their place of permanent residence to enjoy the right of abode. Entrants under the various talent admission schemes (including TTPS) and their dependants may apply for Hong Kong permanent resident status under the law after seven years of continuous ordinary residence.
Male PRs and citizens must serve National Service (NS): registration at age 16½, with enlistment from age 18 as early as possible; the obligation lasts until age 50 (officers) or 40 (other ranks). Renouncing PR before completing NS affects future work, study-abroad and long-term stay applications, and also affects similar applications by family members.
How do Singapore and Hong Kong personal income tax compare?
Singapore personal income tax is levied by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) on residents under a progressive rate scale; Hong Kong’s Salaries Tax is charged at the lower of the progressive rates or the standard rate. The two tables are compared as published below.
Singapore resident tax rates (from YA 2024) are as follows, charged by bands of chargeable income:
| Chargeable income (S$) | Rate (%) | Tax (S$) |
|---|---|---|
| First 20,000 Next 10,000 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 200 |
| First 30,000 Next 10,000 | - / 3.50 | 200 / 350 |
| First 40,000 Next 40,000 | - / 7 | 550 / 2,800 |
| First 80,000 Next 40,000 | - / 11.5 | 3,350 / 4,600 |
| First 120,000 Next 40,000 | - / 15 | 7,950 / 6,000 |
| First 160,000 Next 40,000 | - / 18 | 13,950 / 7,200 |
| First 200,000 Next 40,000 | - / 19 | 21,150 / 7,600 |
| First 240,000 Next 40,000 | - / 19.5 | 28,750 / 7,800 |
| First 280,000 Next 40,000 | - / 20 | 36,550 / 8,000 |
| First 320,000 Next 180,000 | - / 22 | 44,550 / 39,600 |
| First 500,000 Next 500,000 | - / 23 | 84,150 / 115,000 |
| First 1,000,000 Balance | - / 24 | 199,150 |
Hong Kong Salaries Tax progressive rates (from 2020/21) are as follows:
| Net chargeable income (HK$) | Rate | Tax (HK$) |
|---|---|---|
| First 50,000 | 2% | 1,000 |
| Next 50,000 | 6% | 3,000 |
| Next 50,000 | 10% | 5,000 |
| Next 50,000 | 14% | 7,000 |
| Balance | 17% | - |
Hong Kong standard rate: 15% for 2020/21 to 2023/24; from 2024/25 a two-tier system applies, with the first HK$5,000,000 of net income at 15% and the balance at 16%.
Singapore non-resident employment income is taxed at the higher of a flat 15% or the resident progressive rates; other non-resident income (from 2024) is taxed at 24%. Hong Kong Salaries Tax is paid on net chargeable income at the progressive rates, or at the amount computed using the standard rate, whichever is lower.
How do dependant and sponsored-family arrangements differ?
Singapore PR status itself covers sponsorship of close family such as spouse, children and parents; Hong Kong’s TTPS lets the holder sponsor a spouse and unmarried dependant children under 18 to enter Hong Kong.
For Singapore, where the PR applicant is the spouse of a Singapore citizen or PR, the spouse must sponsor through ICA’s e-Service using Singpass. Unmarried children under 21 are sponsored by their parents; parents of a Singapore citizen aged 21 or above are sponsored by that citizen child. EP or S Pass holders may submit their own PR application via Singpass.
For Hong Kong, an approved TTPS holder may sponsor a spouse, or a relationship recognised under local law such as a same-sex civil partnership or opposite-sex civil partnership, as well as unmarried dependant children under 18, to come to Hong Kong. Dependants’ stay is generally tied to the sponsor and they may work and study in Hong Kong without restriction.
Neither city guarantees approval for accompanying family members; each case is assessed by the relevant authority on its merits. Documents must be certified true copies with an English translation, which may be provided by the issuing country’s embassy or a Singapore / local notary public.
What to read next
- Singapore immigration complete guide — see the routes to migrate to Singapore, their conditions, and the approximate official fees.
- Singapore work visa types explained — distinguish the Employment Pass, S Pass and Work Permit by scope and who they fit.
- Singapore PR conditions and application — learn who can apply for PR, what documents are needed, and how long assessment takes.
- Singapore personal income tax — check tax-residency rules, the rate tables and common questions.
- ICA and MOM official websites guide — see what each agency handles and how to avoid agent traps.
Official sources
- MOM: Employment Pass eligibility — EP qualifying salary, the COMPASS scoring framework and each criterion’s points.
- ICA: Becoming a permanent resident — PR eligibility, fees, processing time and National Service rules.
- IRAS: Individual income tax rates — Singapore resident and non-resident tax rate tables.
- Hong Kong Immigration Department: Top Talent Pass Scheme — TTPS categories, stay periods, fees and dependant arrangements.
- Hong Kong Immigration Department: Admission schemes for talent and professionals — stay modes of each scheme and the seven-year PR rule.
- Hong Kong Government: Salaries Tax rates — Hong Kong Salaries Tax progressive and standard rates.
This site is not an immigration agency. It does not process applications, represent anyone, or constitute immigration or legal advice; it provides general information only. The information pack was captured on 2026-10-07. Rules change; confirm against each agency’s official pages before applying.
