COMPASS framework — points, bonuses, shortage list — Timeline and processing benchmarks
Little Big Employment Agency (EA Licence 19C9790) works with a panel of corporate and employment law firms; this article is general information, not legal advice.
The COMPASS framework is Singapore’s points-based system for assessing most Employment Pass applications. In practice, a candidate needs at least 40 points across salary, qualifications, diversity and local-workforce criteria, plus available bonus points, and running the self-assessment takes only minutes once the employer’s workforce data is to hand.
What the COMPASS framework measures
The COMPASS framework, the Complementarity Assessment Framework, scores Employment Pass candidates against a balanced set of criteria rather than salary alone. It awards points across four foundational categories: the candidate’s salary relative to local peers, qualifications, the employer’s workforce diversity, and its support for the local workforce. Two bonus categories reward roles on the shortage occupation list and strategic economic priorities.
The design intent is to ensure foreign hiring complements, rather than substitutes for, the local workforce. Employers structuring their entity and hiring plans often review the Singapore Corporate Tax 2026: A Complete Guide to Rates, Exemptions and Filing to align corporate positioning with COMPASS scoring.
How the points and bonuses work
Each foundational category awards 0, 10 or 20 points, and a candidate must reach at least 40 points overall to pass. The salary and qualification criteria assess the individual; the diversity and local-workforce criteria assess the employer’s overall profile. This means two identical candidates can score differently depending on which company hires them.
Two bonus categories add up to 20 further points each: the Skills Bonus, for occupations on the shortage occupation list, and the Strategic Economic Priorities Bonus, for firms partnering on ambitious investment or innovation activities. These bonuses can lift an otherwise borderline candidate over the line.
The shortage occupation list and statutory basis
The shortage occupation list identifies roles where local supply is insufficient, and candidates filling them earn the Skills Bonus. The list is reviewed periodically, so employers should confirm current entries before relying on the bonus.
COMPASS operates within the work-pass regime under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990. Section 7 of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990 empowers the Minister to make regulations governing the conditions and criteria for work passes, and Section 22 allows conditions to be varied. The Ministry of Manpower publishes the framework and the shortage list at the Ministry of Manpower, and immigration formalities are handled by ICA at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. Little Big Employment Agency (EA Licence 19C9790) works with a panel of corporate and employment law firms; this article is general information, not legal advice.
Cost and timeline benchmarks
COMPASS self-assessment itself is free through MOM’s online tool. The cost sits in the downstream EP application: S$105 to apply and S$225 to issue, totalling S$330, plus professional handling fees of S$800 to S$2,000 where managed.
Timeline benchmarks: gathering workforce diversity and local-employment data, one to three days; running the self-assessment, minutes; addressing any scoring gaps, such as adjusting salary or documenting shortage-list eligibility, one to two weeks; then the standard EP processing of about three weeks. Employers should assess COMPASS before extending a firm offer.
Step-by-step process to score and apply
First, collect the employer’s workforce data, headcount by nationality and the share of local professionals, managers and executives. Second, confirm the candidate’s salary against the local peer benchmark for the sector and age band. Third, verify qualifications. Fourth, check whether the role sits on the shortage occupation list for the Skills Bonus. Fifth, run the MOM self-assessment to confirm at least 40 points. Sixth, submit the EP application with confidence.
The practical hiring documents that support the application are covered in our London to Singapore: A Finance Professional’s Complete Relocation Guide 2026.
Common mistakes and gotchas
The most common error is assessing the candidate in isolation and ignoring the employer criteria, which many small or homogeneous firms score poorly on. A second is assuming a role qualifies for the Skills Bonus without checking the current shortage occupation list. Third, employers rely on outdated local peer salary benchmarks, misjudging the salary points.
Firms also overlook that improving workforce diversity and local hiring is a medium-term project, not a quick fix, so borderline scores cannot always be rescued before a deadline. Finally, some apply without running the self-assessment at all, and are surprised by a rejection.
Related guides and next steps
A passing COMPASS score leads into the full EP process, and successful candidates then need banking and settling-in support. Read our Singapore bank account opening — DBS, OCBC, UOB, Wise, Aspire — Timeline and processing benchmarks to plan the account-opening and relocation steps that follow approval, so the new hire is operational quickly.
Improving a borderline COMPASS score
Where a candidate falls short of 40 points, several levers can help. Raising the offered salary lifts the salary points if the candidate is close to the next band. Securing the Skills Bonus, by confirming the role sits on the shortage occupation list, can add up to 20 points. Over the medium term, improving the employer’s workforce diversity and local-PMET share raises the two employer-based criteria for all future applications.
Because two of the four foundational criteria depend on the employer’s overall profile, a firm that hires thoughtfully across nationalities and invests in local talent steadily improves its scoring position, benefiting every subsequent EP application rather than just one.
How COMPASS interacts with fair consideration
COMPASS operates alongside the fair-consideration expectations that require employers to consider local candidates fairly before hiring foreign talent. Advertising the role and genuinely assessing local applicants remains good practice, and the local-workforce criterion within COMPASS reinforces the same policy goal. Firms that treat local hiring as a genuine priority tend to score better and face fewer questions.
Documenting the recruitment process, the advertisement, the applications received, and the reasons the chosen candidate was selected, provides a defensible record if the application or the firm’s hiring practices are ever reviewed.
FAQs
What score does a candidate need to pass COMPASS?
At least 40 points across the four foundational categories, with bonus points from the shortage occupation list or strategic priorities able to lift a borderline candidate over the threshold.
Is the COMPASS self-assessment free?
Yes. MOM’s online self-assessment tool is free. Costs arise only at the EP application stage, S$105 to apply and S$225 to issue.
What is the shortage occupation list?
A periodically reviewed list of roles where local supply is insufficient. Candidates filling these roles earn the Skills Bonus of up to 20 points. Confirm current entries before relying on it.
Can a good candidate fail COMPASS because of the employer?
Yes. Two of the four foundational criteria assess the employer’s workforce diversity and local-hiring profile, so the hiring company’s own profile affects the score.
Need help with this? Call, SMS or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133, or email [email protected]. Little Big Employment Agency (EA Licence 19C9790) works with a panel of corporate and employment law firms; this article is general information, not legal advice.