Singapore has long used specialist tech visa schemes to compete for frontier talent — and from 1 January 2027, the Ministry of Manpower is raising the bar significantly. The Tech.Pass, administered by the Economic Development Board since 2021, will be retired and replaced by the new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track, announced by Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng at the Committee of Supply Debate on 3 March 2026. For founders, technical leaders and senior contributors in artificial intelligence and deep technology, this change is significant. Here is what you need to know about the ONE Pass AI and Tech Singapore track and how to position yourself — or your company — for the transition.
What Is the ONE Pass (AI and Tech) Track?
The ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track is a new eligibility tier within the existing Overseas Networks and Expertise (ONE) Pass framework. It does not replace the standard ONE Pass — it sits alongside it as a dedicated pathway for individuals whose work is specifically focused on artificial intelligence or technology innovation.
Under the standard ONE Pass, an applicant must earn a fixed monthly salary of at least SGD 30,000. The new AI and Tech track retains this threshold but introduces a meaningful change: equity-based compensation — ESOP and ESOW — may count toward the SGD 30,000 threshold. This is a direct response to how frontier AI companies structure compensation, where vested equity frequently outweighs base cash salary, particularly for founding-team members and early technical hires.
The MOM announcement, captured in the Foreign Workforce Policies factsheet at COS 2026, confirmed that the AI and Tech track will carry a five-year initial validity, with further five-year renewals available — identical to the standard ONE Pass. This replaces the Tech.Pass’s two-year cycle, which many holders found disruptive to long-term projects and company-building plans.
Why Is Tech.Pass Being Retired?
The Tech.Pass launched in 2021 as an invitation-only, biannual intake scheme for established technology professionals. EDB managed applications in quarterly cohorts, assessing candidates against five documented criteria: salary and experience, founding or leading a tech company, or holding a position of significant technical responsibility at scale. Our earlier analysis of those criteria — Tech.Pass Singapore 2026: The Five Criteria Reality Check — showed that the documentary burden was high and approval predictability low.
The scheme served its purpose in attracting an initial cohort of technology talent, but its two-year validity made it ill-suited to retaining founders building long-horizon companies. The cohort-based intake also introduced timing risk. By migrating the concept into the ONE Pass framework, MOM gains a more flexible, always-open instrument and aligns tech-talent attraction with the same brand it uses for other elite professionals.
ONE Pass (AI and Tech) Track: Eligibility at a Glance
MOM has not yet published the full eligibility guidelines — complete criteria are expected ahead of the January 2027 launch. Based on the COS 2026 announcement and subsequent government communications, the following parameters are confirmed or strongly indicated:
Salary Criterion
A fixed monthly salary of SGD 30,000, or an equivalent combination of fixed cash and vested ESOP/ESOW. This is the most significant structural difference from the current Tech.Pass, which did not allow equity to count toward the income test. As at 15 May 2026, MOM has not published precise rules on how ESOP valuation or vesting schedules will be treated — employers and candidates should monitor the MOM ONE Pass page for the detailed methodology.
Role and Sector Requirement
The track targets professionals in founder, C-suite or senior technical roles within AI and deep technology. MOM has indicated that the role must be substantively AI- or tech-focused — not merely employed by a tech company. Specialist contributors — for example, lead AI researchers, principal ML engineers, or chief scientific officers — are within scope; generalist business roles at tech firms are not.
Experience Standard
Current indications suggest the experience bar will be broadly comparable to Tech.Pass: at least five years in a relevant leadership or technical role, or a comparable founding-team track record. The outstanding-achievement pathway that exists under the standard ONE Pass (for Nobel laureates, Olympic medallists, and equivalent) may also apply to AI and Tech applicants with extraordinary public recognition, though this has not been formally confirmed.
Employer Flexibility
Like the standard ONE Pass, the AI and Tech track will permit concurrent employment — working for more than one employer without needing separate passes for each engagement. This matters greatly for technical advisors, board members, and entrepreneurs with multiple portfolio companies. If you hold the standard ONE Pass and want to understand how concurrent employment currently works, our guide to ONE Pass Singapore: Who Actually Qualifies in 2026 provides the current framework.
Timeline: Key Dates for Tech.Pass Holders and New Applicants
MOM has set a clear transition timeline. New applications under the ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track open on 1 January 2027. From that date, Tech.Pass will no longer accept new applicants. Existing Tech.Pass holders retain their pass until its current expiry. Renewals of expiring Tech.Passes will move across to the ONE Pass (AI and Tech) framework from 1 January 2028.
This gives current Tech.Pass holders a full year to assess their transition path. Key planning questions include: whether your current compensation package can meet the SGD 30,000 combined threshold under the equity-counting rules; whether your role description will satisfy the AI and Tech scope requirement; and whether it is advantageous to renew Tech.Pass before January 2028 (under existing rules) or wait for the new framework.
ONE Pass (AI and Tech) vs Current ONE Pass vs Tech.Pass: A Comparison
| Feature | Tech.Pass (retiring) | Standard ONE Pass | ONE Pass (AI and Tech) — from Jan 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administering body | EDB | MOM | MOM (details TBC) |
| Salary threshold | SGD 22,500 (or criteria-based) | SGD 30,000 fixed monthly | SGD 30,000 (cash + ESOP/ESOW) |
| Equity counts toward salary? | No | No | Yes (ESOP/ESOW included) |
| Initial validity | 2 years | 5 years | 5 years |
| Concurrent employment | No | Yes | Yes |
| Scope | Tech sector broadly | All sectors — outstanding achievement | AI and deep technology focus |
| Application intake | Quarterly cohorts | Open year-round | Open year-round (expected) |
Strategic Implications: EP vs ONE Pass (AI and Tech) for Senior AI Hires
For companies recruiting AI talent at the senior end of the market, the ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track will often be more attractive than the Employment Pass — not because it is easier to obtain, but because of what it enables. An EP holder needs a new pass when switching employers, cannot work concurrently, and is subject to the COMPASS framework, which scores nationality diversity, local hiring, and salary benchmarks. The ONE Pass (AI and Tech) holder faces none of these constraints.
For context on how COMPASS affects standard EP applications, see our detailed breakdown of the COMPASS Framework: Earning Your 40 Points for a Singapore EP. Senior AI researchers or founders who might be flagged under nationality concentration criteria on COMPASS could be better served applying via the ONE Pass AI and Tech track — provided they meet the SGD 30,000 threshold.
A note on cost: the True Cost of Hiring a Foreigner in Singapore 2026 shows that for a SGD 30,000-per-month hire, the pass cost itself is a minor line item. The strategic advantage — stability, flexibility, and pass tenure — is the real calculus.
ONE Pass (AI and Tech) and Singapore PR
Holding the ONE Pass (AI and Tech) will not automatically accelerate PR approval, but it signals a profile that ICA’s holistic assessment tends to favour: high income, senior professional standing, and long-term commitment to Singapore. ONE Pass holders who are also eligible for Permanent Residence should note that PR applications can be filed while the pass is valid — and that the five-year validity removes the renewal pressure that sometimes compels EP holders to file PR applications prematurely.
For a full overview of the PR pathway for employment pass holders in Singapore, see the Singapore PR Application 2026 Guide from Raffles Corporate Services.
What Should You Do Now?
MOM is expected to publish the full ONE Pass (AI and Tech) eligibility criteria and application mechanics by mid-2026, ahead of the January 2027 launch. In the meantime, here is a practical checklist for Tech.Pass holders and companies planning to use the new track:
- Audit compensation structures: Model whether ESOP/ESOW vesting brings total monthly compensation to SGD 30,000. The equity-counting methodology matters significantly for how you structure new offer letters.
- Review Tech.Pass expiry dates: If your Tech.Pass expires before 1 January 2028, you will renew under existing Tech.Pass rules. If it expires after that date, you will transition to the ONE Pass (AI and Tech) framework.
- Document your AI/tech role scope: As with Tech.Pass, the documentary trail — patents, publications, funding announcements, technical leadership evidence — will matter. Begin organising this now rather than at application time.
- Monitor the EDB and MOM websites: The EDB Tech.Pass page and MOM ONE Pass page are the authoritative sources for guideline updates.
Conclusion
The ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track represents a genuine upgrade for Singapore’s proposition to frontier tech talent. Five-year validity, ESOP-inclusive salary counting, and concurrent employment rights make it structurally superior to the Tech.Pass it replaces — though the SGD 30,000 threshold means it is aimed squarely at the most senior tier of the market. Companies building AI capabilities in Singapore should begin planning their talent strategy around this new track now, well ahead of the January 2027 opening.
If you are a founder, technical leader, or senior AI professional assessing your Singapore work pass options, Singapore Employment Agency — the consumer brand of Little Big Employment Agency Pte Ltd, a MOM-licensed employment agency (Licence 19C9790) — can guide you through the current ONE Pass landscape and help you prepare for the 2027 transition. For incorporation and corporate structuring questions relevant to founders relocating to Singapore, Raffles Corporate Services provides complementary services across company formation, tax and compliance.
— The Editorial Team, Little Big Employment Agency