The Employment Pass (EP)

The Employment Pass (EP) is for foreign professionals, managers and executives. Candidates need to earn at least $5,000 a month and have acceptable qualifications.

Minimum Qualifying Salary

The minimum qualifying salary is not a flat rate. It scales with age and sector to ensure a level playing field with local talent.

• All Sectors (excluding Financial Services): Starts at S$5,000 at age 23, scaling up to S$10,500 at age 45 and above.
• Financial Services Sector: Starts at S$5,500 at age 23, scaling up to S$11,500 at age 45 and above.

Tip: Use our EP Qualifying Salary Checker to estimate the exact requirement based on age.

The COMPASS Framework

In addition to meeting the qualifying salary, EP candidates must pass COMPASS (Complementarity Assessment Framework). You need 40 points to pass.

Points are earned across four foundational criteria:

1. C1. Salary: Relative to local PMET salaries in your sector (Up to 20 points).
2. C2. Qualifications: Based on your university's ranking (Up to 20 points).
3. C3. Diversity: Whether your nationality improves the firm's diversity (Up to 20 points).
4. C4. Support for Local Employment: The firm's local PMET share relative to industry peers (Up to 20 points).

There are also bonus criteria for skills shortages and strategic economic priorities.

Application Timeline

• Processing Time: 85% of online applications are processed within 3 weeks.
• Job Advertising: Before applying for an EP, employers must usually advertise the job on MyCareersFuture for at least 14 days to give locals a fair chance (Fair Consideration Framework).