ONE Pass AI Tech Track 2027: Replaces Tech.Pass

From 1 January 2027, the Tech.Pass closes to new applicants and is replaced by a new ONE Pass AI Tech Track 2027, sitting alongside the regular Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass and aimed squarely at senior global talent in artificial intelligence, machine learning, semiconductors, robotics, fintech infrastructure, and quantum computing. Announced on 3 March 2026 by Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng during the Committee of Supply 2026, the new track is the most significant work-pass redesign Singapore has launched since the original ONE Pass in 2023.

The reason this matters now, eight months before launch, is that the salary qualifying test has been redesigned. For the first time, MOM will allow the fixed monthly salary criterion to be met through a combination of cash and non-cash compensation , including vested employee stock option plans (ESOP) and employee share ownership plans (ESOW) , subject to MOM’s assessment. Founders, senior engineers, and CTOs whose compensation is heavily equity-weighted have a credible new route to a five-year, employer-flexible Singapore work pass.

This article explains what we know about the new track, where the open questions remain, how to compare it against an EP and the regular ONE Pass, and the transition strategy for current Tech.Pass holders facing renewal in 2027 and 2028.

What MOM has confirmed about the ONE Pass AI Tech Track 2027

From MOM’s Committee of Supply 2026 statements, the operationally relevant points are:

Effective date: applications open from 1 January 2027.
Replaces: the existing Tech.Pass closes to new applicants from the same date. Existing Tech.Pass holders may continue to renew under the existing Tech.Pass framework or transition to the AI & Tech track at renewal (subject to eligibility).
Validity: 5 years, renewable for further 5-year periods. Aligned with the regular ONE Pass.
Salary criterion: applicants must meet a last-drawn fixed monthly salary threshold that may be satisfied through a combination of cash and non-cash components. Indicative reporting following the announcement places the headline figure at SGD 22,500 fixed monthly salary, with non-cash components (vested ESOP, ESOW, RSUs, employer-paid housing where structured into the package) eligible for inclusion subject to MOM’s assessment.
Eligible domains: artificial intelligence, machine learning, semiconductor design and manufacturing, robotics, fintech infrastructure, quantum computing, and adjacent emerging technology fields.
Multi-employer flexibility: like the regular ONE Pass, the AI & Tech track allows the holder to be concurrently employed across multiple Singapore-based entities , useful for founders building portfolio careers or holding multiple board roles.
Family: Dependant’s Pass and Long-Term Visit Pass eligibility for spouses and children, in line with ONE Pass conventions.

Operational application mechanics, including the precise non-cash compensation valuation methodology and the COMPASS-style scoring (if any) that MOM applies, are expected to be published closer to launch. We will update this article when MOM’s detailed guidance is issued.

How “cash and non-cash compensation” will likely be measured

The most material design feature of the ONE Pass AI Tech Track 2027 is that it accommodates equity-heavy compensation packages without requiring the applicant to first liquidate the equity. The expected MOM approach to non-cash compensation, based on adjacent EP and ONE Pass treatment of allowances and benefits, will likely include:

Vested ESOP/ESOW value: the fair-market value of vested options or shares at the time of application. Unvested grants are unlikely to count.
RSUs (Restricted Stock Units): vested RSUs converted to a monthly equivalent over the relevant lookback period.
Employer-paid housing: only where structured contractually as part of the compensation, with documented landlord-paid invoices or rental subsidy clauses.
Tuition reimbursement and education benefits: less likely to count, given they are typically not classified as fixed monthly compensation under MOM’s general practice.
Cash bonuses: likely averaged over a defined lookback (24 months is the convention used elsewhere) and added to the cash salary calculation.

For tech founders weighing the AI & Tech track against the regular ONE Pass, the equity overlay matters most for early-stage CTOs and engineering leads at Series A and B startups, where six-figure cash salary often pairs with equity grants worth multiples more.

Strategic comparison: EP vs ONE Pass (regular) vs ONE Pass (AI & Tech) vs Tech.Pass

The matrix below sets out the four routes side-by-side as at May 2026. We track these in greater depth in our standalone explainers on the Complete Singapore Employment Pass Guide 2026, the ONE Pass Singapore qualification guide, the Tech.Pass five-selection-criteria reality check, and our EP vs PEP vs ONE Pass by career stage piece.

Pass	Salary test	Validity	Multi-employer	Best fit
Employment Pass	S$5,600/mo (general); S$6,200/mo (FinSvc); age-stepped to S$10,700 / S$11,800	2 years (1st); up to 3 years (renewals)	No (single employer)	Mid-career professionals, single employer
ONE Pass (regular)	S$30,000/mo fixed monthly cash salary, last 12 months	5 years	Yes	Senior executives, established income
ONE Pass (AI & Tech) , from Jan 2027	Indicative S$22,500/mo fixed; cash + vested non-cash counted	5 years	Yes	Senior tech talent & founders with equity-weighted comp
Tech.Pass , closing to new applicants Jan 2027	S$22,500/mo fixed; OR five-criteria framework	2 years initial	Yes	Tech founders, senior tech leaders (transitioning out)

Two strategic implications drop out of this matrix. First, the new track lowers the cash bar for tech talent compared to the regular ONE Pass (S$22,500 vs S$30,000), but only because the equity portion of the package can do the heavy lifting. Second, the multi-employer feature means a founder can hold a primary role at their startup while sitting on the boards or advising other Singapore-incorporated entities , a structural advantage over the EP route.

Transition strategy for current Tech.Pass holders

If you hold a Tech.Pass that expires in 2027 or 2028, you have three options:

Option A: renew under the existing Tech.Pass framework

MOM has indicated that existing Tech.Pass holders may continue to renew under the legacy framework subject to meeting renewal criteria. This is the lowest-friction path if your circumstances at renewal still satisfy the original five-criteria framework. The trade-off is that the legacy Tech.Pass is being phased out and the longer-run optionality sits with the new track.

Option B: transition to the ONE Pass (AI & Tech) track at renewal

If you can satisfy the new track’s salary test on a cash-plus-vested-equity basis, transitioning at renewal lengthens your validity to 5 years and aligns you with the strategically favoured AI/tech talent track. Practical preparation: get your equity vesting schedule, RSU statements, and employer letter ready in a clean documentary pack at least three months before renewal.

Option C: transition to the regular ONE Pass

If your cash compensation alone is at or above S$30,000/month, the regular ONE Pass remains the simplest route and avoids the AI/tech-domain eligibility test entirely. This is typically the right path for senior leaders whose role is no longer purely technical.

Implications for Singapore startups and tech employers

For Singapore-incorporated tech firms thinking about senior hiring in 2027, the new track is a meaningful negotiating advantage. Three operational points:

Equity becomes a recruitment tool, not just a retention tool. Where a UK or US senior engineer would otherwise need a S$30,000 cash salary to clear the regular ONE Pass, the same person on a S$22,500 cash + RSU package can now hit the AI & Tech track threshold , widening the candidate pool meaningfully.
Multi-employer flexibility supports portfolio careers. A senior AI researcher splitting time between a startup CTO role and an advisory board role can be cleanly structured under one ONE Pass, without the EP’s single-employer constraint or the cumbersome secondary-employment letter route.
Strategic timing for incorporation. If you are incorporating a Singapore tech entity to anchor an AI talent hire in 2027, our group company’s incorporation services at Raffles Corporate Services can run the company setup and corporate-secretarial work in parallel with the ONE Pass application. The pass attaches to the entity, so the entity must be live before submission.

For broader strategic-pass thinking on tech hiring, our strategic pass playbook for hiring foreign tech talent walks through the full decision tree.

Open questions to watch in late 2026

Three pieces of MOM guidance are still outstanding and will shape application strategy when they arrive:

Non-cash valuation methodology: how MOM will require ESOP/ESOW to be valued (409A-style fair market value, board-approved 409A, last preferred-share price, etc.) for the salary test.
Eligible domains list: whether “AI & Tech” will be defined narrowly (LLM/foundation-model research, semiconductor design) or broadly (any senior software engineering role at a tech firm).
Family pass mechanics: confirmation of Dependant’s Pass eligibility on the AI & Tech track (we expect parity with the regular ONE Pass but await confirmation). Our Dependant’s Pass and LTVP guide sets out the current entitlements.

We will update this article and the related explainers as MOM publishes the operational detail in late 2026.

Bottom line for tech leaders considering the ONE Pass AI Tech Track 2027

The ONE Pass AI Tech Track 2027 is the most credible work-pass innovation Singapore has launched for senior tech talent in years. The cash-plus-equity salary test reflects how senior tech compensation is actually paid, the 5-year validity gives founders runway, and the multi-employer flexibility solves a real constraint for portfolio CTOs. For current Tech.Pass holders, the right answer at renewal will depend on whether your equity package can credibly carry the salary test , and that is a question worth modelling now, not in November 2026.

If you would like to assess your eligibility against the new track, structure a compensation package that satisfies MOM’s likely valuation approach, or coordinate the entity setup that the application attaches to, the team at Singapore Employment Agency , the consumer brand of Little Big Employment Agency Pte Ltd (MOM Licence 19C9790) , works on senior-talent passes alongside our group firm Raffles Corporate Services for incorporation, corporate-secretarial, and equity-plan administration.

, The Editorial Team, Little Big Employment Agency