Singapore immigration
The Employment Pass is applied for by your employer, not by you.
The Employment Pass is the pass most professionals arrive on. It is scored against a published framework, it is held by your employer rather than by you, and it shapes what becomes possible afterwards.
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The Employment Pass is Singapore's work pass for foreign professionals, managers and executives. It is issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and must be applied for by a Singapore-registered employer: an individual cannot apply for their own Employment Pass. An application must meet the qualifying salary, which as at September 2026 starts at S$5,600 a month for most sectors and S$6,200 in financial services, and must also score at least 40 points under COMPASS, the Complementarity Assessment Framework that has applied to new applications since 1 September 2023. The qualifying salary rises with age, reaching S$10,700 for most sectors and S$11,800 in financial services at age 45 and above. From 1 January 2027 the entry figures rise to S$6,000 and S$6,600 respectively, applying to new applications and to renewals expiring from 1 January 2028. Immigration Express advises professionals and their employers on eligibility, COMPASS scoring and the evidence MOM expects.
Two things about the Employment Pass surprise people, and both matter before you accept an offer. The first is that you are not the applicant: your employer applies, holds the pass, and cancels it if you leave. The second is that since September 2023 salary alone is no longer enough. COMPASS scores the application on your salary against your sector, your qualifications, and the make-up of the hiring firm's workforce, which means an offer can fail on the employer's profile rather than on yours.
That is worth understanding early rather than at the point of rejection. We advise on whether a role is likely to clear both the salary floor and COMPASS, and on what the employer would need to evidence, so the conversation happens before an application is filed rather than after one is refused.
Who can apply
Who the Employment Pass is for.
Meeting the qualifying salary is the starting point, not the test. COMPASS decides the rest, and part of it is about your employer rather than about you.
Professionals, managers and executives
The pass is intended for candidates in professional, managerial, executive or specialist roles with acceptable qualifications.
Candidates meeting the qualifying salary
From S$5,600 a month for most sectors and S$6,200 in financial services, rising progressively with age from 23 to S$10,700 and S$11,800 respectively at 45 and above. The entry figures rise to S$6,000 and S$6,600 on 1 January 2027.
Candidates scoring 40 points on COMPASS
Four foundational criteria score up to 20 points each: salary against sector benchmarks, qualifications, the employer's nationality diversity among its professional staff, and its share of local professional staff. Two bonus criteria add up to 20 and 10 points.
Candidates exempt from COMPASS
MOM exempts candidates on a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500, overseas intra-corporate transferees, and roles lasting one month or less. Outside those three, COMPASS applies.
Pass holders changing employer
A new employer must apply afresh. The pass does not travel with you, and the new application is assessed against current criteria rather than those that applied when you first arrived.
Both sides
What it offers, and what it requires.
Most consultancies publish only the first list. We publish both, because the second materially affects the decision and we believe you should know it before you submit rather than afterwards.
What the pass gives you.
The right to work in the role it was issued for
The pass is tied to the employer and the role. It permits that employment and not other work.
Your family may join you
Where you earn at least S$6,000 a month, your spouse and unmarried children under 21 may apply for a Dependant's Pass.
A route towards Permanent Residence
Employment Pass holders are the largest group ICA grants Permanent Residence to, though the pass carries no entitlement and the two decisions are made by different authorities.
Multiple-entry travel
The pass carries the right to enter and leave Singapore for its validity without a separate visa.
Renewable
First issue is usually up to two years and renewals up to three, subject to the criteria current at the time of renewal.
What to weigh before you accept.
The pass belongs to the job, not to you
If your employment ends the pass is cancelled, and you must leave or obtain another pass. There is no independent status to fall back on.
COMPASS can fail on your employer's profile
Diversity and local employment support are scored on the hiring firm. A strong candidate at a firm scoring poorly may not clear 40 points, and there is nothing the candidate can do about that part of it.
Thresholds are revised, and only upward
The qualifying salary has risen repeatedly and rises again on 1 January 2027 for new applications. A renewal is assessed against the criteria current then, not those that applied on first issue.
No CPF, which cuts both ways
Employment Pass holders neither contribute to CPF nor receive employer contributions. Take-home pay is higher than a Permanent Resident on the same salary, and no CPF balance accrues.
How it works
From first conversation to outcome.
Review the offer
Salary against the threshold for your sector and age, and the role against the pass being sought for it.
Estimate the COMPASS score
Including the two criteria that depend on the employer, which is where applications most often fall short unexpectedly.
Identify what must be evidenced
Qualifications requiring verification, and the documents MOM expects the employer to hold.
Support the employer's submission
The employer files. Our role is to see that what they file is complete and internally consistent.
Plan the family passes alongside
Dependant's Pass eligibility follows from your salary, and it is far better established before the move than after it.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions about Employment Pass
Can I apply for my own Employment Pass?
No. The application is made by a Singapore-registered employer, which is the single most common misunderstanding about this pass. If you do not yet have an offer, there is no Employment Pass application to make. Passes an individual can hold in their own right do exist, but they are separate schemes with their own and much higher thresholds.
What is COMPASS and do I need to pass it?
COMPASS is the Complementarity Assessment Framework MOM has applied to new Employment Pass applications since 1 September 2023. Four foundational criteria score up to 20 points each: salary against your sector's benchmarks, qualifications, the employer's nationality diversity among its professional staff, and the employer's share of local professional staff relative to its sector. Two bonus criteria add up to 20 points for a shortage occupation and 10 for participation in eligible economic programmes. Forty points are needed, and a low score on one criterion can be offset by a high score on another. Three exemptions apply: a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500, an overseas intra-corporate transferee, or a role lasting one month or less.
What is the minimum salary for an Employment Pass?
As at September 2026 the qualifying salary starts at S$5,600 a month for most sectors and S$6,200 for financial services. It then rises progressively with age from 23, reaching S$10,700 and S$11,800 respectively at 45 and above, which is the part most people are unaware of and which catches experienced candidates out. From 1 January 2027 the entry figures rise to S$6,000 and S$6,600, applying to new applications and to renewals expiring from 1 January 2028. Because these figures are revised regularly, treat MOM's own page as the authority rather than any consultancy's summary, including this one.
Does an Employment Pass lead to Permanent Residence?
It is the most common route to it, but it confers no entitlement. The pass is a MOM decision about employment; Permanent Residence is an ICA decision about residence, assessed separately and holistically. Most successful applicants apply after two to three years of stable employment rather than at the earliest opportunity.
What happens to my pass if I lose my job?
The employer must cancel it, and you would need either a new employer to apply for a fresh pass or a short-term visit pass while you arrange your departure. This is the practical consequence of the pass being held by the employer rather than by you, and it is worth understanding before you rely on the pass for anything long term, a property purchase most obviously.
Can my spouse work if they join me on a Dependant's Pass?
Not on that pass. Since 1 May 2021 a Dependant's Pass holder who wishes to work must hold a work pass of their own, applied for by an employer, apart from a narrow exception for some business owners. This changes the arithmetic of a relocation considerably for a dual-income household, and it is worth settling before the move rather than after it.
Is this the right moment for you to apply?
Please request a complimentary assessment, and a consultant will respond within two business days with a considered view of your position.
Criteria and fees are set by the Singapore authorities and are revised from time to time. Please confirm the current position directly.
Immigration Express is a private consultancy and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) or any Singapore government agency. All application outcomes are decided solely by the relevant authorities.