Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has refined Employment Pass (EP) requirements for 2026, introducing stricter salary benchmarks and mandatory COMPASS scoring. Employers and applicants must meet these updated criteria to secure approval, but with our agency’s comprehensive services, the process becomes faster, more accurate, and fully compliant.
2026 Employment Pass Requirements
1. Salary Benchmarks
- Qualifying salary: Applicants must earn at least the EP qualifying salary, benchmarked to the top one-third of local PMET salaries by age.
- This ensures foreign professionals are competitively compensated relative to local peers.
VisaOne ensures all applications are submitted with compliant salary requirements. Our advanced document review tools and processes allow us to maximize the approval rate and minimize rejection risks .
2. COMPASS Framework
- Stage 1: Meet the salary threshold.
- Stage 2: Pass the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS), a points-based system evaluating qualifications, diversity, and industry relevance.
- Exemptions apply for certain roles, but most applicants must score adequately to qualify.
VisaOne provides complimentary education verification service ensuring COMPASS scoring is maximized and the application is fully compliant to MOM regulations. This service also ensures all Employment Pass applications handled by VisaOne do not experience any delay during the education verification stage.
3. Fair Consideration Framework (FCF)
- Employers must advertise jobs locally before submitting EP applications.
- MOM enforces this to strengthen local workforce participation.
Our consultants streamline compliance with FCF rules, saving employers time and ensuring submissions are MOM-ready.
In addition,VisaOne provides dedicated MyCareersFuture services, managing job postings and compliance requirements on behalf of employers. This allows businesses to remain fully aligned with MOM regulations while freeing up valuable time and resources to focus on core operations.
4. Compliance
- New applications and renewals require continued compliance with salary benchmarks and COMPASS scoring.
- MOM has introduced stricter renewal checks in 2026 to prevent misuse of EP privileges.
Our transparent pricing covers new applications and renewals, with real-time tracking via our easy-to-use website so you know exactly when to expect approval. If you renew your past applications with VisaOne, we offer a significant discount.
Why Choose Our Agency?
| Challenge | MOM Requirement | Our Solution |
|---|---|---|
| COMPASS scoring | Education & qualifications verification | Complimentary education verification and rigorous checks to maximize the COMPASS score |
| FCF compliance | Mandatory job advertising | Visa expertise ensures submissions meet MOM rules. We offer MyCareersFuture management service for a smooth and worry-free application |
| Application progress transparency | Stricter checks and multi‑stage process | We provide a fully transparent, end‑to‑end timeline covering every stage of the Employment Pass process — from initial inquiry, document review, and data collection, through compliance checks, submission, approval, registration, and final pass delivery. |
| Family applications | Dependants Pass | Discounts for dependants submitted with EP |
Key Advantages
- Fully comprehensive service: From eligibility checks to final approval.
- Competitive, transparent pricing: No hidden fees, no compromise on speed.
- Visa expertise: Every application is MOM-compliant.
- Professional translation: Non-English documents handled seamlessly.
- Complimentary education verification: Boosts COMPASS scoring.
- Dependants discounts: Save when applying for family passes together.
- Real-time tracking: Monitor progress with stage-by-stage estimates.
- Pass issuance, card registration, and delivery: Once approved, the pass can be delivered to the employer’s office or to VisaOne. We also offer services for applicants who are new to Singapore to be accompanied by us during the card and biometrics registration process at the EP Services Centre.
- Advanced tech support: Minimize delays and mistakes with AI-powered document review for our visa consultants to highlight critical requirements. Any typographical errors that do not match the submitted documents will immediately be recognized by our proprietary Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology.
Conclusion
The 2026 Employment Pass framework is more rigorous than ever, but with our agency’s expert guidance, transparent pricing, and advanced tools, applicants and employers can navigate MOM’s requirements confidently. Whether it’s a first-time application or a renewal, we ensure speed, accuracy, and compliance—every step of the way.