Changes in employment pass eligibility from 1 September 2023
There are changes in employment pass eligibility that will take effect from 1 September 2023. This includes the change in EP qualifying salary and implementation of COMPASS Framework.
A new Workforce Insight Tool is also launched to give insights into compensation and benefits across industries.
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Changes in Employment Pass Eligibility from 1 September 2023
New EP candidates must pass a two-stage eligibility framework:
Stage 1 – Meet the EP Qualifying Salary
Stage 2 – Score at least 40 points under COMPASS (Complementarity Assessment Framework)
(COMPASS will apply to EP renewals for passes expiring from 1 Sep 2024.)
Changes in EP Qualifying Salary
*NEW* COMPASS Framework and Scoring Guidelines
Detailed scoring guideline can be found here
Changes to Verification Requirement
Verification proof is required for post-secondary diploma and above qualification.
Employers who need points from these qualifications in COMPASS have to declare them in the EP application, otherwise it is optional to declare educational qualification. Employers should not declare qualifications that cannot be verified or are from unaccredited institutions.
Employers only need to verify the candidate’s qualifications once. You will not be prompted to upload a verification proof if the candidate’s qualifications have been verified before.
Accepted Verification Proof Sources
- Background screening companies
- Government/ Awarding Institution’s Verification Portal
- OpenCerts portal to verify digital certificates issued by educational institutions.
Additional documents are required for healthcare professionals, lawyers, football players, or coaches from professional bodies; and employees of food establishments.
More details on verification proof requirement can be found here.
Enhanced Self-Assessment Tool
Use the enhanced Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) for an indicative outcome of EP applications, including COMPASS scores.
Please note that an EP eService (formerly EP Online) account is needed to use the enhanced SAT.
Exemption from COMPASS
Candidate is exempted from COMPASS if they fulfil any of these conditions:
- Earn a fixed salary of at least $22,500 per month.
- Apply as an overseas intra-corporate transferee under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) or a relevant Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
- Filling a role on a short-term basis, i.e. 1 month or less
However, applicants must still meet the minimum qualifying salary for their EP application.
Source: Overview of changes to Employment Pass eligibility (mom.gov.sg)
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Workforce Insight Tool for COMPASS
What is the Workforce Insight Tool (WFI)?
The WFI tool has benchmarking insights to help with workforce planning and hiring. It lets you compare median salaries and non-monetary benefits across industries.
The tool has been enhanced to help you find out your firm’s score on these firm-related COMPASS criteria:
- C3 – Diversity
- C4 – Support for Local Employment
Accessing the Workforce Insights tool
The Workforce Insights tool can be accessed via myMOM Portal.
Source: Workforce Insights Tool Recruit for Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) (mom.gov.sg)
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