Most employer obligations around work passes deal with predictable events, hiring, renewal, or a planned resignation. Far harder to manage is the situation where a Work Permit, S Pass, or Employment Pass holder simply stops turning up and cannot be contacted. Absconding is rare, but when it happens, Singapore employers have specific and time-sensitive obligations [...]
Singapore’s Employment Pass (EP) application process underwent a fundamental transformation with the introduction of the COMPASS (Complementarity Assessment Framework) scoring system on 1 September 2023. Before COMPASS, EP decisions were largely qualitative — an officer assessed salary, employer profile and candidate qualifications holistically. Since COMPASS, every EP application is now assigned a numerical score, and [...]
The S Pass is Singapore's work pass for mid-level skilled foreign workers — those who have the qualifications or experience to fill skilled roles but whose profile does not meet the Employment Pass (EP) threshold. For many Singapore employers, the S Pass is the principal mechanism for hiring skilled foreign employees in technical, supervisory, or [...]
The Employment Pass (EP) is the work pass most foreign professionals reach for, but for founders building a venture-backed or IP-led business in Singapore, the EntrePass is often the better fit — and in some cases the only fit. Unlike the EP, the EntrePass is awarded based on the merits of the business itself, not [...]
If you are a foreign professional considering a move to Singapore, or a multinational employer planning a Singapore posting, you will quickly come across three different work pass options that are often confused: the standard Employment Pass (EP), the Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass (ONE Pass), and the Personalised Employment Pass (PEP). All three allow [...]
If you are a foreign entrepreneur looking to start an innovative or venture-backed business in Singapore, the EntrePass is one of the few work pass routes available to you. Unlike the Employment Pass — which requires you to be sponsored by an existing employer — the EntrePass allows you to be the founder, the shareholder, [...]
For foreign professionals, executives and entrepreneurs eyeing a move to Singapore in 2026, the work-pass landscape has narrowed to three serious contenders: the Employment Pass (EP), the ONE Pass, and the Personalised Employment Pass (PEP). Each has a different sponsor model, salary floor and validity period, and choosing the wrong one can cost you months [...]
Since September 2023, the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) has been the gateway test for almost every Employment Pass (EP) application in Singapore. From 1 January 2026, MOM has refreshed both the qualifying salary thresholds and the institution lists used in scoring — meaning many employers and candidates who passed COMPASS comfortably in 2025 will need [...]
Singapore's Employment Pass (EP) framework changed fundamentally on 1 September 2023 when the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) took effect. The shift from a flat qualifying salary test to a points-based system has caught out countless employers and candidates — particularly those whose applications would have sailed through under the old rules. The good news is [...]
A comprehensive guide to Singapore's COMPASS framework for Employment Pass applications in 2026. Covers salary thresholds, all six scoring criteria (C1–C6), the Shortage Occupation List updates, Fair Consideration Framework requirements, and practical tips for employers.