EP COMPASS Renewal from 1 July 2026: What Every Singapore Employer Must Do

From 1 July 2026, Singapore employers renewing Employment Passes (EPs) must meet updated COMPASS criteria including revised salary thresholds. If your company sponsors EP holders — whether senior executives, specialised professionals, or overseas talent — understanding what changes and what you must prepare for is critical to avoiding disruption to your workforce.

What Is COMPASS and Why It Matters for Renewals

COMPASS (Complementarity Assessment Framework) is the points-based assessment system introduced by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for Employment Pass applications and renewals. It replaced the previous salary-and-qualifications-only evaluation model to encourage a more complementary approach to foreign manpower — rewarding employers who hire diverse candidates and maintain healthy local PMET (Professionals, Managers, Executives, Technicians) ratios alongside their EP holders.

COMPASS assigns points across four foundational criteria and two bonus criteria. An EP applicant or renewal must score at least 40 points to qualify.

COMPASS Criteria: A Quick Refresher

The six COMPASS criteria are:

1. Salary (C1) — how the candidate’s salary compares to local PMET salary benchmarks for the same occupation and age group. Higher relative salary = more points.
2. Qualifications (C2) — whether the candidate holds a degree from a top-tier institution. Top-tier status is assessed against MOM’s published list.
3. Diversity (C3) — whether the candidate’s nationality is over-represented in the employer’s PMET workforce. Companies with a very concentrated nationality profile among their PMETs score less on this criterion.
4. Local PMET Employment (C4) — the employer’s ratio of local PMETs to total PMETs, benchmarked against the industry. Companies with a strong local PMET workforce score higher.
5. Skills Bonus (C5) — whether the role is in a shortage occupation listed on MOM’s Shortage Occupation List (SOL). Roles on the SOL receive bonus points.
6. Strategic Economic Priorities Bonus (C6) — bonus points for candidates working on projects under certain government-supported economic priority initiatives.

What Changes on 1 July 2026

The principal change from 1 July 2026 is an upward revision to the qualifying salary thresholds for the COMPASS salary criterion (C1). MOM adjusts these benchmarks periodically to keep pace with local salary growth. The updated benchmarks reflect 2025 salary survey data and will mean that candidates who were previously scoring full points on salary (C1) may score fewer points if their salary has not kept pace with the updated benchmarks.

Employers should not assume that existing EP holders will automatically meet the new thresholds. An EP holder due for renewal after 1 July 2026 will be assessed against the new benchmarks, and some holders previously scoring maximum points on salary may face a deficit that must be offset elsewhere in the COMPASS scorecard.

Additionally, MOM has indicated that the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) will be updated from 1 July 2026 to reflect current labour market conditions. Some occupations previously on the SOL may be removed, while new ones may be added. This affects C5 bonus eligibility for certain candidates.

Checking Your Existing EP Holders’ COMPASS Scores

Every employer sponsoring EP holders should proactively review their workforce before renewals fall due. The steps are:

1. Identify renewal dates — pull a list of all EP holders and their pass expiry dates for the next 12 months.
2. Run a COMPASS self-assessment — use MOM’s COMPASS self-assessment tool (available in the EP Online system) for each holder, applying the updated salary thresholds effective 1 July 2026.
3. Identify gaps — EP holders scoring below 40 points under the new benchmarks will need either a salary adjustment or other corrective action before renewal.
4. Consider salary adjustments — if a holder is borderline, raising their salary to hit the next salary tier may resolve the shortfall. This must be done genuinely and reflected in actual payroll.
5. Review your local PMET hiring (C4) — if your local PMET ratio is weak, consider prioritising local PMET hiring to improve this score before renewals.

The Diversity Criterion: An Often-Overlooked Risk

For companies with a significant proportion of PMETs from a single nationality, the COMPASS diversity criterion (C3) can be a persistent weakness. COMPASS does not penalise individual candidates for their nationality — it penalises their employer for over-concentration. If your PMET workforce is, say, 60% from one country, new EP applications and renewals from candidates of that nationality will score 0 points on C3.

Addressing this requires a structural change to hiring — actively recruiting from a broader range of nationalities over time. Employers who do not manage this risk ahead of renewal cycles can find themselves unable to renew passes for key staff. Engaging a professional Employment Pass adviser early can help you navigate this complexity.

New SOL From 1 July 2026: What to Watch

The Shortage Occupation List grants candidates an automatic 10-point bonus under C5. Roles on the current list include various technology, engineering, and healthcare specialisations. From July 2026, the list is being revised to reflect labour market data. Employers who rely on the C5 bonus for borderline candidates should verify whether the relevant role remains on the updated SOL before the renewal is submitted.

If a role drops off the SOL, the candidate loses 10 points — potentially pushing a previously marginal pass below the 40-point threshold. This must be compensated by improving scores elsewhere (typically salary or qualifications).

Actions for Employers Before 1 July 2026

Here is a practical checklist for employers with EP holders due for renewal from mid-2026 onwards:

• Pull your complete EP expiry schedule from MOM’s EP Online portal.
• Run COMPASS self-assessments using the 1 July 2026 salary benchmarks.
• Identify EP holders at risk of dropping below 40 points.
• Consult HR and finance on whether salary adjustments are feasible for at-risk holders.
• Review your local PMET headcount and identify any HR compliance gaps that could affect your FCF (Fair Consideration Framework) standing.
• Confirm the occupation codes for all EP holders against the updated SOL before July 2026.
• Submit renewal applications at least 6 weeks before expiry to allow time to respond to any MOM queries.

EP Renewals and the Fair Consideration Framework

COMPASS operates alongside the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF), which requires employers to fairly consider Singaporeans for job openings before hiring foreign candidates. Employers on the FCF watch list face heightened scrutiny for all EP applications. If your company has been flagged under the FCF, this can affect your COMPASS C4 score assessment and your broader EP renewal prospects.

For companies with complex employment structures or large EP-dependent workforces, proactive HR and immigration advisory before renewals is strongly recommended. Early engagement avoids last-minute scrambles and protects business continuity.

Last updated: June 2026. COMPASS criteria and salary benchmarks are updated periodically by MOM. Always verify current thresholds at mom.gov.sg.