At the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Committee of Supply Debate on 3 March 2026, Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng announced that Singapore will introduce a new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track from January 2027. The new track will sit under the existing Overseas Networks and Expertise (ONE) Pass framework and will replace the Tech.Pass, which has served as the primary route for established technology entrepreneurs and technical leaders since its introduction in 2021.

For Singapore employers, tech companies and prospective applicants who currently rely on, or are considering, the Tech.Pass, this is a significant development. The new track promises more attractive terms than the current scheme, including recognition that top AI and tech talent are often compensated through non-cash components such as share options rather than cash salary alone. However, MOM has been clear that further details, particularly around renewal criteria, will only be published on its website closer to launch.

This article sets out what has actually been confirmed by MOM, what remains provisional or pending, and what employers and applicants should be doing now to prepare, while flagging clearly where the picture may still change before January 2027.

What Has Been Officially Announced

The announcement was made as part of MOM’s broader foreign workforce policy update at Committee of Supply (COS) 2026, alongside increases to Employment Pass and S Pass qualifying salaries and a separate simplification of the Work Permit levy framework. According to MOM’s own factsheet on foreign workforce policies published alongside the COS speech, the rationale is explicit: to strengthen Singapore’s position as a global hub for AI and tech talent, MOM will introduce a new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track in January 2027, replacing the existing Tech.Pass and offering more attractive terms.

The ONE Pass itself was introduced in 2023 to attract pinnacle talent across all sectors, covering areas such as business, arts and culture, sports, science and technology, and academia and research, for applicants earning at least S$30,000 a month. The new AI and Tech track effectively carves out a dedicated pathway within that framework specifically for technology leaders, replacing the standalone Tech.Pass rather than sitting alongside it.

The Cash and Non-Cash Salary Flexibility

The headline feature of the new track is flexibility in how the qualifying salary is met. MOM has recognised that top talent in AI and technology fields are frequently compensated through non-cash components such as Employee Stock Option Plans (ESOP) and Employee Share Ownership (ESOW), rather than through fixed cash salary alone. Under the new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track, applicants will be allowed to meet the ONE Pass fixed monthly salary criterion through a combination of cash and non-cash components.

Based on the eligibility table published in MOM’s official factsheet, this means an applicant must earn at least S$30,000 a month for the 12 consecutive months leading up to the date of application, and this figure can be made up of a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500, combined with vested non-cash components such as ESOP or ESOW, subject to MOM’s assessment. This is a meaningful departure from the standard ONE Pass, which generally expects the qualifying salary to be met through fixed cash compensation from a single employer.

How the AI and Tech Track Differs From the Standard ONE Pass

The standard ONE Pass is a broad, sector-agnostic route for top foreign talent, including business leaders and individuals with outstanding achievements in arts, sports, science and academia, generally assessed against a S$30,000 monthly salary benchmark from a single employer, or exceptional achievement in their field. The AI and Tech track narrows this considerably, adding structured company-level and individual-level criteria specific to the technology sector.

On the company side, MOM’s factsheet sets out that an applicant’s current or most recent employment must be with a tech company, a tech division within a company, or a tech venture capital firm, which must in turn meet a value threshold: a valuation or market capitalisation of at least US$500 million, annual revenue of at least US$200 million, or at least US$500 million in assets under management. Tech companies that have raised funding of at least US$30 million are also separately eligible, intended to capture high-growth but pre-revenue start-ups.

On the individual side, beyond the S$30,000 monthly salary criterion, applicants must also have at least five cumulative years of experience within the past 10 years, in either a founder or C-suite role, or a technical role such as senior software engineer. This experience threshold has no direct equivalent under the standard ONE Pass, which places more weight on current salary and demonstrated achievement.

Broader Context: EP and S Pass Salary Increases

The AI and Tech track was announced alongside wider adjustments to Singapore’s foreign workforce policy. From 1 January 2027 for new applications, and 1 January 2028 for renewals, the Employment Pass minimum qualifying salary will rise from S$5,600 to S$6,000 (S$6,200 to S$6,600 in financial services), while the S Pass minimum qualifying salary will rise from S$3,300 to S$3,600 (S$3,800 to S$4,000 in financial services), expected to reach around S$4,000 to S$4,500 by around 2030. This signals MOM’s overall direction across all work pass categories is toward higher quality bars for foreign talent, calibrated against local wage benchmarks.

What Happens to Existing Tech.Pass Holders

This is one of the areas where caution is warranted. MOM’s official COS 2026 materials confirm that the new track will replace the existing Tech.Pass, but do not spell out the precise transition arrangements for current Tech.Pass holders or for applications submitted shortly before the new track takes effect. Some immigration advisory commentary has suggested new Tech.Pass applications may continue to be accepted up to a specific cut-off date in January 2027, but MOM has not published a confirmed cut-off date in its own materials at the time of writing.

What can be said with confidence is that the new criteria will apply to new applications from January 2027, with renewal criteria still to be confirmed. Existing Tech.Pass holders should not assume automatic conversion to the new track; employers with staff on Tech.Pass should treat this as an active planning issue and watch for MOM’s confirmatory guidance closer to the launch date.

What Remains Confirmed vs Still Pending

To help employers plan sensibly, it is worth separating what MOM has explicitly confirmed from what industry commentary has inferred or reported, but which MOM has not yet formally published.

Confirmed by MOM as at COS 2026, 3 March 2026:

  • A new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track will be introduced in January 2027, replacing the Tech.Pass.
  • Applicants will be permitted to meet the ONE Pass salary criterion through a combination of cash and non-cash components (ESOP/ESOW).
  • The qualifying salary benchmark is at least S$30,000 a month over 12 consecutive months, with at least S$22,500 in fixed monthly salary.
  • Company-level eligibility is tied to being a tech company, tech division, or tech venture capital firm meeting specified valuation, revenue, assets under management, or funding-raised thresholds.
  • Individual applicants need at least five cumulative years of relevant experience within the past 10 years in a founder, C-suite, or senior technical role.

Announced but not yet detailed, or reported by advisers rather than confirmed directly by MOM:

  • The exact validity period and renewal terms. Advisories suggest alignment with the standard ONE Pass’s five-year validity and further five-year renewals, an improvement on Tech.Pass’s two-year validity with one renewal, but MOM’s factsheet notes renewal criteria will be published separately, so this is likely rather than settled.
  • The precise cut-off date for final Tech.Pass applications and the transition process for existing holders.
  • Full application procedures, documentation requirements and processing timelines.

Businesses should treat any commentary describing the scheme in full, final detail as provisional until MOM publishes complete eligibility criteria and application guidance closer to launch.

What Employers and Applicants Should Do Now

Even with some details still pending, there are practical steps worth taking well ahead of January 2027. Tech companies, tech divisions, and tech-focused venture capital firms that may wish to bring in AI or technology leaders under the new track should start assessing now whether they meet the company-level value thresholds, since these are unlikely to change materially between now and launch. Prospective applicants close to, but not yet meeting, the five-year experience threshold, or whose compensation includes unvested ESOP or ESOW, should map their vesting schedules against the January 2027 window, since the criteria explicitly require vested, not merely granted, non-cash components.

Employers currently sponsoring, or planning to sponsor, Tech.Pass holders should not delay pending applications on the assumption that the new track will simply be more generous across the board. Since MOM has not published a confirmed final application date for Tech.Pass, existing pathways may in some cases remain the more certain route in the near term. Businesses should also build in a review checkpoint for late 2026, once MOM is expected to publish fuller application procedures. Employers that rely on licensed employment agency support for work pass applications should flag AI and Tech track candidates early, given the additional documentation likely required to evidence company-level eligibility and vested equity components.

How This Fits Singapore’s Broader Talent Strategy

The AI and Tech track sits within a wider set of COS 2026 announcements balancing openness to global talent with safeguards for the local workforce. MOM has been explicit that this reflects intensifying global competition for frontier tech talent, including artificial intelligence and quantum computing, alongside the EP and S Pass salary increases and a reform of the Work Permit levy structure for lower-skilled foreign workers. Employers assessing their 2027 foreign workforce strategy should read the AI and Tech track alongside these related changes, since MOM has framed them as one coordinated policy direction. The Fair Consideration Framework obligations that apply before hiring foreign talent also continue to apply to AI and Tech track applications, since the new track does not exempt employers from existing job advertising and fair hiring requirements.

Conclusion

The ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track represents a genuine attempt by MOM to keep Singapore competitive for frontier AI and technology talent, with the flexibility to recognise equity-based compensation as its most distinctive feature. Employers and applicants should distinguish between what MOM has formally confirmed, the salary structure, the company and individual eligibility criteria, and the January 2027 timeline, and what remains to be published, particularly renewal terms and the transition arrangements for existing Tech.Pass holders. Businesses that assess their eligibility and compensation structures now, while staying alert for MOM’s further guidance, will be best placed to use the new track as soon as it opens. Founders and executives relocating under these schemes will also want to factor in personal financial planning alongside the immigration timeline. For the latest Singapore business news and regulatory updates, there are useful resources for directors and business owners tracking how these work pass reforms interact with wider business planning.

To speak with the team at Raffles Corporate Services, you can email [email protected] or call, SMS, or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133. We are happy to assist with any queries.

The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services