Singapore's Employment Pass and COMPASS: the salary bar, the 40 points and the fine print

Think of the Employment Pass as a two-part exam your employer takes on your behalf. Part one is a salary floor. Part two is a 40-point scorecard called COMPASS.

The short version

• The Employment Pass (EP) is Singapore's main work pass for professionals, managers and executives. Your employer applies, not you [1][3].
• Stage 1: a fixed monthly salary of at least SGD 5,600 (about USD 4,380) at age 23, rising with age to SGD 10,700 (about USD 8,380) at 45 and up; financial services runs higher [1].
• Those floors rise on January 1, 2027: to SGD 6,000 at 23 and SGD 11,500 at 45 and up outside finance [1].
• Stage 2: the job must score 40 points on COMPASS. Salaries of SGD 22,500 a month (about USD 17,610) or more are exempt [2].
• A first EP lasts up to 2 years, renewals up to 3 [3]. Changing jobs means a brand-new application by the new employer [7].

USD conversions use the Federal Reserve H.10 rate of October 30, 2026 (USD 1 = SGD 1.2776).

Stage 1: the qualifying salary

The floor depends on your age, because Singapore expects older candidates to earn what their experience is worth. "Fixed monthly salary" means base pay: no bonuses, no housing allowance, no commission. Back home, a recruiter might sell you on total comp. Here, MOM looks at the fixed number in the contract.

Source: MOM [1]. The full age-by-age table is on MOM's page.

The "now" column applies to new applications submitted before January 1, 2027, and to renewals of passes expiring before January 1, 2028. The new column applies after those dates [1]. So if you arrive in 2026 at 38 and renew in 2028, your renewal is judged against the higher 2027 table at your age then. Build that into your raise conversations.

Miss Stage 1 and that's the end of it: MOM says a candidate who fails the salary floor is ineligible no matter how many COMPASS points they'd score [1].

Stage 2: COMPASS, the 40-point test

COMPASS (the Complementarity Assessment Framework) scores both you and the company. Four foundational criteria are worth up to 20 points each, and two bonus criteria can push a borderline case over the line [2].

Source: MOM [2]. PMETs means professionals, managers, executives and technicians.

A few things Americans tend to miss:

• C1 is relative, not absolute. MOM compares your pay against local professionals in your sector, so the same SGD 9,000 salary can score differently in tech and in retail. The benchmarks vary by sector, so we haven't reproduced them here; ask your employer's HR team or agent to run your numbers before they file.
• C3 can work in your favor. Americans are a small group at many Singapore companies, so the diversity points often come easy. At a US company's Asia office packed with other Americans, they may not.
• Small firms get a cushion. Companies with fewer than 25 PMETs get 10 points by default on both C3 and C4 [2].
• C2 is changing. Updated lists of 20-point institutions and 10-point professional qualifications apply to new and renewal applications from January 1, 2027 [1]. Don't assume your alma mater scores 20; check the list.

A typical passing combination: 10 for salary, 20 for a degree from a listed school and 10 for diversity. That's 40.

Who skips COMPASS

You're exempt if your fixed monthly salary is at least SGD 22,500, if you're an overseas intra-corporate transferee, or if the role lasts one month or less [2]. You still have to meet the Stage 1 salary.

Before the application: the job ad

Under the Fair Consideration Framework, most employers must advertise the job on MyCareersFuture, the government jobs portal, for at least 14 consecutive days before applying for your EP [6]. They can skip that step if the company has fewer than 10 employees, the job pays SGD 22,500 or more a month, it lasts a month or less, it goes to a local transferee, or you're an overseas intra-corporate transferee [6]. If you've accepted an offer and your start date seems oddly far away, the ad is often why.

How the application works, step by step

1. The employer files through MOM's EP eService, with your written consent, and pays a SGD 105 (about USD 82) application fee [4].
2. MOM decides, usually within 10 business days for online applications. Overseas companies without a Singapore office apply through a sponsor and wait up to about 6 weeks [4].
3. You get the in-principle approval (IPA) letter. It works as a single-entry visa and gives you 6 months to arrive and get the pass issued [4].
4. You fly in and show the IPA at immigration, then do any medical exam it asks for [4].
5. The pass is issued while you're in Singapore, for SGD 225 (about USD 176), plus SGD 30 for a Multiple Journey Visa if needed [4].
6. Fingerprints and photo, if your letter asks for them, within 2 weeks. Then set up Singpass and the SGWorkPass app; the physical card arrives within about 5 working days [4].

Who pays the fees is between you and the employer. Most multinationals cover them; it's worth putting in the offer letter.

Renewals and the 3-year question

A first EP lasts up to 2 years, and renewals up to 3. MOM also offers a 5-year EP to experienced tech professionals with skills in shortage [3]. You can renew from 6 months before the pass expires, and any remaining validity of up to 6 months is added on [5]. Renewal isn't automatic: you must still be in a managerial, executive or specialized job with the same employer, meet the salary floor, and pass COMPASS unless you earn at least SGD 22,500 [5]. MOM's own words are "Renewals are not guaranteed" [5].

Miss the expiry date and you'll need a new application, not a renewal [5]. Put the date in your calendar the way you would a passport renewal.

Changing jobs

Your EP is tied to one employer. To switch, your new employer applies for a new EP; MOM says there's no need to cancel your existing pass first [7]. MOM also doesn't cancel the old pass automatically when you resign: your current employer does that, which gives them your notice period [8]. The new application is judged fresh, against the salary floor and COMPASS at the time [7]. Don't hand in your notice until the new IPA is in hand.

If you're laid off, your employer cancels the pass and your right to stay changes with it. Ask HR about the cancellation date before your last day so you have room to job-hunt or wind down your lease.

The US side of an EP

Singapore's EP doesn't touch your US obligations. There's no US–Singapore income tax treaty [9] and no totalization agreement [10], so the usual expat tools apply: file every year, look at the foreign earned income exclusion or foreign tax credits, and report Singapore accounts on the FBAR if they cross the threshold. Singapore's CPF retirement system is for citizens and permanent residents, not EP holders, so your 401(k) and IRA remain your main long-term savings. A US expat tax preparer can check your situation.

Want to compare notes on offers, COMPASS scores and HR packages? Ask in our community group for Americans in Singapore.

Sources

1. Ministry of Manpower: Eligibility for Employment Pass
2. Ministry of Manpower: COMPASS
3. Ministry of Manpower: Key facts on Employment Pass
4. Ministry of Manpower: Apply for an Employment Pass
5. Ministry of Manpower: Renew an Employment Pass
6. Ministry of Manpower: Consider all candidates fairly (Fair Consideration Framework)
7. Ministry of Manpower FAQ: What if I want to change jobs while I am on an EP?
8. Ministry of Manpower FAQ: If an EP or S Pass holder changes jobs, is the existing pass automatically cancelled?
9. IRS: United States income tax treaties, A to Z
10. SSA: US international Social Security agreements

Keep reading

• Moving to Singapore as an American: visa routes
• Dependant's Pass and working as a trailing spouse
• Singapore taxes for Americans and your US return
• Foreign earned income exclusion vs foreign tax credit