Thorough background screening is essential to MOM EP renewals under the new COMPASS framework in 2026

‍Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

MOM is the government ministry responsible for employment policy, work passes, workplace standards and labour market regulation. For employers, MOM is the authority that assesses and approves Employment Pass applications. An Employment Pass is Singapore's primary work visa for highly skilled foreign professionals.

COMPASS: the complementarity assessment framework for MOM

COMPASS is the points-based framework MOM uses to assess most Employment Pass applications. COMPASS is a system, rather than a separate agency or organisation. It measures whether an EP candidate complements Singapore’s workforce by looking at both individual factors and employer-level factors.

The framework gives employers a clearer view of what MOM expects. A strong application needs more than an eligible salary. It should also show that the candidate’s qualifications are sound, the employer’s workforce profile is considered, and the application data is accurate from the start.

What the COMPASS framework has changed in 2026

With effect from January 2026, a MOM Employment Pass application in Singapore is no longer a salary-led exercise. Salary still matters, but it is only one part of the Employment Pass decision. Under the new COMPASS framework, employers also need to show that the candidate, the role and the organisation meet a broader set of expectations.

Effective July 1, 2026, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) requires all Employment Pass (EP) renewals to be assessed under the updated COMPASS (Complementarity Assessment Framework).

That changes the job for Singapore HR teams. The strongest applications are prepared before the offer is finalised, with the right salary benchmark, verified qualifications, clean candidate data and a clear view of how the employer scores on workforce criteria.

Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower uses a two-stage framework for Employment Pass eligibility.

First, the candidate must meet the EP qualifying salary

SG$5,600 for new applications in 2025. The amount is slightly higher for the financial services sector, starting at SG$6,200. The actual salary amount varies with age, capped at SG$11,800 for the financial services sector and SG$10,700 for all other sectors. Note this is separate from the salary benchmarking under COMPASS.

Second, most candidates must pass COMPASS

COMPASS assesses the application across individual and firm-related criteria. MOM lists the main COMPASS criteria as salary, qualifications, diversity, support for local employment and bonus criteria. (Ministry of Manpower Singapore). This means a candidate can no longer be assessed by salary alone. A high offer may help, yet the application can still be weakened by missing qualification evidence, poor data quality or a low score in firm-related areas.

For HR teams, the practical shift is clear: the Employment Pass process now starts earlier in hiring.

The core COMPASS criteria employers need to focus on

COMPASS scores applications across four foundational criteria and two bonus criteria.

To successfully renew your EP from July 2026, the application must score at least 40 points across four foundational and two bonus criteria. [1]

C1: Salary

The salary criterion compares the candidate’s fixed monthly salary against local PMET salaries in the same sector and age group. MOM states that candidates who do not meet the EP qualifying salary are not eligible for an EP, regardless of their potential COMPASS score. Candidates earning at least S$22,500 in fixed monthly salary are exempted from COMPASS. (Ministry of Manpower Singapore)

HR teams should check salary fit before issuing an offer. A salary that looks competitive internally may still fall short against MOM’s benchmark for the role, age and sector.

C2: Qualifications

Qualifications are assessed as part of COMPASS. For regulated or qualification-sensitive roles, this is one of the easiest areas to get wrong. A degree title, institution name or graduation date entered incorrectly can create unnecessary back-and-forth.

This is where verified education data matters. Veremark’s MOM education verification check is built for employers that need proof of education credentials for Singapore work pass applications. Veremark also offers a Work Pass Application Singapore package for employers that need candidate education authentication, institutional accreditation checks or related verification support.

C3: Diversity

The diversity criterion looks at whether the candidate’s nationality improves or worsens the employer’s workforce diversity. This is not controlled only by the candidate. It depends on the existing make-up of the employer’s PMET workforce.

That matters because two companies can submit the same candidate for the same role and receive different COMPASS outcomes. HR should not assume that a previous approval for a similar profile will produce the same result.

C4: Support for local employment

This criterion assesses the employer’s support for local PMET employment compared with other firms in the same sector. MOM also states that small firms with fewer than 25 PMET employees score 10 points by default on the C3 and C4 criteria. (Ministry of Manpower Singapore)

This is a firm-level factor. Recruiters cannot fix it at application stage, but they can plan around it. If the employer’s local employment score is likely to be weak, the application may need strength elsewhere.

C5 and C6: Bonus criteria

COMPASS also includes bonus criteria, including a skills bonus for roles on the Shortage Occupation List and a strategic economic priorities bonus for eligible firms. These can help applications that meet the right conditions, but they should not be treated as a fallback for weak preparation.

Why background screening has become more essential for MOM EP applications

Most delays are avoidable. They usually come from gaps that should have been caught before submission.

The first issue is salary. HR teams sometimes assess salary against internal bands rather than the MOM benchmark. That can create late-stage problems when the offer has already been accepted.

The second issue is education evidence. The candidate may have the required qualification, but the application still slows down because the employer does not have verified proof in the right format. The institution name may not match, the degree title may be translated inconsistently, or the candidate may not have easy access to records.

The third issue is inconsistent candidate data. A candidate’s CV, application form, passport, education record and employment history need to tell the same story. Small differences are common in cross-border hiring, especially where names, dates or institution titles vary across documents.

Veremark’s background checks help employers verify candidate information before it becomes an application issue. For senior or specialist hires, employment history checks can also help confirm role history, dates and previous employers.

Build verification into the hiring process

A strong MOM EP application Singapore process should not begin after offer acceptance. It should be built into the hiring workflow.

Before making the offer, HR should check the role, salary and likely COMPASS position. The hiring team should know whether the role is likely to qualify, whether the salary is aligned, and whether the candidate’s qualifications need verification.

After shortlisting, collect candidate data in a structured way. Do not rely only on a CV. Confirm full legal name, passport details, education records, employment dates and role history. Where qualifications are relevant to the application, verify them early.

Before submission, reconcile the records. The details used in the application should match the evidence held by HR. This reduces rework and avoids unnecessary questions.

For employers hiring across APAC, Veremark’s guide to APAC background screening requirements gives useful context on consent, privacy and screening workflows across the region.

What HR teams should do before submitting an EP renewal

Treat COMPASS as an evidence process. Salary, qualifications and firm-level criteria all need to be checked before the application is filed.

For each candidate, HR should be able to answer five questions:

• Can the candidate meet the EP qualifying salary?
• Does the salary score appropriately under COMPASS?
• Are the candidate’s qualifications accurate and verified?
• Does the employer understand its likely position on diversity and local employment?
• Are there any bonus criteria that genuinely apply?
• This is also the point to check whether the candidate may be exempt from COMPASS. MOM has stated that candidates may be exempt if they earn at least S$22,500 in fixed monthly salary, are applying as an intra-corporate transferee, or are filling a role for one month or less. (Ministry of Manpower Singapore)

Why verified candidate data matters more in your MOM EP renewal

COMPASS makes the Employment Pass process more evidence-led. That is good for employers that keep accurate records and prepare early. It is harder for teams that collect documents late or rely on unverified candidate claims.

Although verified qualifications and accurate candidate data will not guarantee approval, they do reduce the risk of avoidable delays, inconsistent submissions and last-minute document issues.

A MOM EP application Singapore is now a shared responsibility between talent acquisition, HR operations, mobility and compliance. The companies that handle it well are the ones that treat verification as part of hiring, not an admin step after hiring is complete.

For employers hiring foreign professionals in Singapore, the message is simple: understand COMPASS before the offer, verify the candidate before submission, and keep the application evidence clean. That is the practical way to improve Employment Pass readiness under the COMPASS Employment Pass framework.