Employment Pass Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS)

Beginner’s Guide to Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) – The New Employment Pass Criteria 2023

From 1st September 2023 onwards, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will assess all new Singapore Employment Pass Applications via the Complementarity Assessment Framework, or COMPASS. Employment Pass renewal will only be subject to the COMPASS from the 1st of September 2024. Read further to learn more about how COMPASS will impact your future applications.

What is Employment Passes Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS)?

De COMPASS framework is a point-based system that will take into consideration of both the quality of foreign professionals and the workforce diversity of the sponsor company. The Ministry of Manpower’s aim is to increase the quality of the foreign professionals moving to Singapore while ensuring workforce diversity in a company and building a strong Singaporean core.

Currently, the Singapore Employment Pass application is assessed based on the salary, the company’s business activities, and the applicant’s background (salary, experience and/or education qualification). After the implementation of COMPASS next year, not only that the applicant must pass the pre-existing EP criteria, the overall application must score at least 40 points in the COMPASS points-based system to be qualified for an EP.

For existing Employment Pass Eligibility Criteria, you should read our Employment Pass Application Guide.

How Does the COMPASS work?

The new Singapore Employment Pass (EP) application assessing criteria will consist of a two-stage evaluation process. At Stage 1, the Employment Pass Applicant must pass the Employment Pass qualifying salary criterion.

In the second stage, you must pass the COMPASS assessment. This is a points-based system where new employment pass applications are assessed based on a set of individual and firm-related attributes below. See below for details:

Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS)

The Singapore Employment pass (EP) application will score on four foundational criteria and you will be awarded points based on whether you meet or exceed expectations. See below for details on the scoring requirements:

COMPASS SCORING DETAILS

Your Employment pass (EP) application will earn additional points on the bonus criteria if you meet the relevant qualifying conditions based on the below table. These bonus points are awarded when there is a skill shortage in the skilled occupation or when the application support strategic economic priority.

To pass COMPASS, a minimum of 40 points is required:

• The Employment Pass application satisfies all the expectations (earn 10 points) on all foundational criteria; or

• The Employment Pass application did not meet the expectation of one or more foundational categories and will need to rely on scoring additional points on either the foundational criteria or Bonus criteria.

  *C1. Salaris (Individueel) Vast maandsalaris vergeleken met lokale PMET-salarissen in sector naar leeftijd	Punten	**C2. Kwalificatie (Individueel) Gebaseerd op de kwalificaties van de kandidaat	Punten
  ≥ 90e percentiel	20	Hoogwaardige instelling	20
  65e tot < 90e percentiel	10	Diploma-equivalent	10
  < 65e percentiel	0	Geen diploma-equivalent	0
  * Alle aanvragers moeten voldoen aan het EP-kwalificatiesalaris, dat stijgt met de leeftijd. COMPASS houdt verder rekening met sectorale verschillen in salarisnormen. Uw sollicitatie verdient punten door te voldoen aan sectorspecifieke benchmarks voor lokale PMET-salarissen. Deze benchmarks zijn ook aangepast aan de leeftijd.		** Als werkgever bent u er verantwoordelijk voor dat de kwalificaties van uw kandidaat echt zijn en zijn toegekend door geaccrediteerde instellingen. Meer informatie over de vereisten.
  ***C3. Diversiteit (Bedrijfsgerelateerd) Aandeel van de nationaliteit van de kandidaat onder de PMET's van het bedrijf.*		****C4. Steun voor lokale werkgelegenheid (Bedrijfsgerelateerd) Aandeel van het bedrijf in lokale PMET's binnen zijn subsector*
  < 5%	20	≥ 50e percentiel	20
  5 tot < 25%	10	20 tot < 50e percentiel	10
  ≥ 25%	0	< 20e percentiel	0
  *** Een diverse mix van nationaliteiten verrijkt bedrijven met nieuwe ideeën en netwerken, en draagt bij tot een meer inclusief en veerkrachtig personeelsbestand. COMPASS kent meer punten toe aan aanvragen waarbij de nationaliteit van de kandidaat een klein deel uitmaakt van de PMET-werknemers van het bedrijf. U krijgt geen punten als uw bedrijf een aanvraag indient voor een kandidaat van wie de nationaliteit momenteel een aanzienlijk deel van de PMET-werknemers uitmaakt.		**** COMPASS erkent bedrijven die inspanningen leveren om kansen te creëren voor de lokale beroepsbevolking en complementaire teams samen te stellen met zowel lokale als buitenlandse professionals. Je sollicitatie levert meer punten op als je bedrijf een relatief hoger aandeel plaatselijke PMET-werknemers heeft dan je collega's in dezelfde subsector.

Who is Exempted from COMPASS?

It is important to also note that under certain circumstances, an Employment Pass Application can be exempted from COMPASS. The employment pass holder must meet any of the following criteria to be exempted:

• Earn a monthly fixed salary of $20,000

• Apply the Employment Pass application as an overseas intra-corporate transferee (ICT) under the World Trade Organisation’s General Agreement on Trade in Services
  OR

• employment is on a short-term basis (i.e. 1 month or less)

Closing Remarks – How should you be prepared? 

Despite the implementation of COMPASS to make it harder to secure an Employment Pass, the points-based system is meant to improve the quality of applicants applying for Employment Passes and reinforce Singapore’s aim to become the talent hub of Asia. 

However, if we are looking from the company’s viewpoint, it is critical to move forward with all hiring plans prior to the implementation of COMPASS in September 2023.

Surrounding the latest developments in Employment Pass policies, if you are wondering whether you would still be eligible for an EP, contact us today for a free profile assessment!