Singapore has always maintained high standards when it comes to hiring foreign professionals. As the economy evolves and competition increases, the government continues refining its employment policies to ensure both fairness to locals and continued access to global talent. One of the most significant changes in recent years is the introduction of COMPASS — the Complementarity Assessment Framework.
Launched in September 2023, COMPASS completely changed how the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) evaluates Employment Pass (EP) applications. Instead of relying solely on salary, qualifications, and job roles, COMPASS introduces a structured, points-based assessment to ensure transparent, consistent, and objective decision-making.
For employers, understanding COMPASS is no longer optional — it is essential. Mistakes or misunderstandings about COMPASS may lead to unnecessary EP rejections. In this article, we provide a clear, comprehensive, and practical 1500-word explanation of how COMPASS works, how it affects your EP applications, and how employers can improve their COMPASS scores.
1. What Is COMPASS?
COMPASS stands for Complementarity Assessment Framework. It is a points-based scoring system introduced by MOM to assess new EP applications (and renewals from 2024 onward).
Instead of evaluating purely based on salary or qualifications, COMPASS evaluates both applicant attributes and employer characteristics. This approach ensures:
- Fairness in hiring
- Transparency in criteria
- Support for Singapore’s workforce development
- Stronger employment standards
To pass COMPASS, an EP application must score at least 40 points across the 6 assessment criteria.
2. Why Did Singapore Introduce COMPASS?
The introduction of COMPASS aims to achieve several national workforce goals:
1. Strengthen Fair Hiring
Companies must show they are not overly dependent on any single nationality and that they provide meaningful opportunities to Singaporeans.
2. Promote a Balanced Workforce
COMPASS encourages diversity, local employment support, and the hiring of truly skilled foreign professionals who complement the local workforce.
3. Bring Objectivity to EP Evaluations
Employers can now anticipate EP success using a clear, point-based system rather than guessing MOM’s expectations.
4. Encourage Skills That Singapore Needs
Professionals in shortage skills or strategic sectors will receive bonus points to support Singapore’s long-term economic growth.
COMPASS helps maintain a healthy balance between global competitiveness and local workforce protection.
3. The COMPASS Scoring System — Full Breakdown
COMPASS evaluates EP applications using six criteria, broken into four foundational and two bonus criteria.
To pass an EP application under COMPASS, the applicant must achieve at least 40 points.
Here is the full breakdown:
A. Foundational Criteria (F1 — F4)
These apply to all EP applications.
F1: Salary (Up to 20 points)
Salary is compared against local PMET wages in the same job and industry.
Scoring:
- 20 points: Salary significantly exceeds industry norms
- 10 points: Salary meets the typical range
- 0 points: Salary is below industry norms
Higher salaries = higher points.
This criterion ensures foreign hires are compensated competitively and not undercutting local wages.
F2: Qualifications (Up to 20 points)
Qualifications are assessed based on:
- Recognized university degrees
- Reputable international institutions
- Professional certifications
- Strong industry experience (even without formal education)
Scoring:
- 20 points: Degree from top-tier accredited institution
- 10 points: Degree or equivalent certification from recognized institution
- 0 points: No tertiary education or unverifiable qualifications
MOM focuses on academic credibility and relevance, but strong experience may partially compensate.
F3: Diversity (Up to 20 points)
This measures the nationality mix within the company.
Scoring:
- 20 points: Applicant improves diversity
- 10 points: Applicant does not significantly affect diversity
- 0 points: Applicant belongs to an overrepresented nationality
This encourages a balanced, multicultural workforce, reducing over-reliance on one nationality.
F4: Local Employment Support (Up to 20 points)
This evaluates the size and strength of the company’s local PMET workforce relative to industry norms.
Scoring:
- 20 points: Strong local PMET employment
- 10 points: Average local PMET support
- 0 points: Weak local hiring practices
Companies that invest in locals gain a competitive advantage in EP approvals.
B. Bonus Criteria (B1 & B2)
These give extra points but are not mandatory.
B1: Skills Bonus — Shortage Occupation List (Up to 20 points)
Applicants score bonus points if their job is listed on MOM’s Shortage Occupation List (SOL).
Examples include:
- Software developers
- AI specialists
- Cybersecurity experts
- Engineers
- Marine specialists
Scoring:
- 20 points: If the applicant’s role is on the SOL
- 0 points: If not
This bonus helps employers hire talent in high-demand fields.
B2: Strategic Economic Priorities Bonus (Up to 20 points)
Companies engaged in Singapore’s national economic strategies can benefit from this.
Examples of qualifying activities:
- Participation in innovation programs
- Productivity initiatives
- Internationalization projects
- Research and development (R&D)
- Government-supported capability development programmes
Scoring:
- 20 points: If the company meets the economic priority criteria
- 0 points: If not
This supports employers that contribute to Singapore’s long-term economic goals.
4. Who Is Exempted From COMPASS?
Some EP applicants are exempt:
1. Intra-Corporate Transferees (ICT)
Senior employees transferred from overseas offices under international trade agreements.
2. Short-term EP roles
Certain roles not exceeding one year.
3. Companies with fewer than 5 employees
Diversity and local employment criteria may be waived.
4. Applicants earning very high salaries
High-income roles may automatically satisfy certain criteria.
However, most employers and applicants will require COMPASS scoring.
5. How COMPASS Changes the Way EP Applications Are Evaluated
COMPASS introduces transparency and predictability into EP assessments.
Here’s how EP evaluation has changed:
Before COMPASS
EP approval primarily depended on:
- Salary
- Education
- Job role
- Company profile
The evaluation was more subjective, and decisions could vary across cases.
After COMPASS
EP approval now depends on:
- Points-based scoring
- Detailed company workforce profile
- Diversity considerations
- Skills requirements
- Industry shortages
- Strategic economic contribution
Companies must think long-term about workforce planning, not just hire foreign workers reactively.
6. How Employers Can Improve Their COMPASS Score
1. Offer Competitive Salaries
Salary remains the strongest factor.
Higher salaries immediately boost the F1 score.
2. Attract Truly Skilled Professionals
Applicants with specialized, technical, or in-demand skills score better — especially if on the SOL.
3. Strengthen Local Hiring Practices
Investing in Singaporean PMETs improves the:
- Local Employment (F4)
- Company track record
4. Improve Workforce Diversity
Avoid concentration of a single nationality.
5. Participate in Economic Development Programmes
If eligible, companies can automatically receive:
- Strategic Economic Priority Bonus (B2)
This gives a significant advantage in EP evaluations.
7. Common Reasons EP Applications Fail Under COMPASS
Even strong applicants can fail if companies ignore the new scoring system.
Common reasons include:
1. Salary too low for industry norms
Simply hitting MOM’s minimum salary is not enough.
2. Excessive reliance on one nationality
This triggers low scores in the Diversity criterion.
3. Weak local workforce support
Companies with few local PMETs score poorly under F4.
4. Unaccredited education or unverifiable qualifications
These risk 0 points under F2.
5. Mismatched job descriptions
If the job scope does not match the applicant’s expertise, the application weakens across multiple criteria.
Understanding these risks helps employers prepare stronger applications.
8. Examples of COMPASS Scenarios
To help illustrate how COMPASS works, here are two simplified examples.
Scenario A — Strong COMPASS Profile
- Salary: Above industry benchmark (20 pts)
- Qualifications: Recognised degree (10 pts)
- Diversity: Adds to diversity (20 pts)
- Local PMET Support: Average (10 pts)
- Skills Bonus: Yes, on SOL (20 pts)
- Strategic Priority Bonus: No (0 pts)
Total: 80 points → Pass
Scenario B — Weak COMPASS Profile
- Salary: Minimum threshold (10 pts)
- Qualifications: Not accredited (0 pts)
- Diversity: Overrepresented nationality (0 pts)
- Local PMET Support: Low (0 pts)
- Skills Bonus: Not on SOL (0 pts)
- Strategic Priority Bonus: Not applicable (0 pts)
Total: 10 points → Fail
These scenarios show how COMPASS encourages strong hiring practices.
9. Final Thoughts
COMPASS is a major shift in Singapore’s employment landscape. While it may seem technical at first, it actually brings clarity and fairness to the EP process.
By understanding COMPASS and applying its principles early in the hiring process, employers can:
- Improve EP approval success
- Build stronger and more diverse teams
- Support local employment
- Attract highly skilled global talent
In today’s competitive environment, smart employers must proactively plan their workforce strategy around COMPASS, not after submitting their EP applications. With proper preparation, documentation, and understanding of the scoring system, securing EP approvals becomes not only achievable but predictable.