Singapore has made a deliberate and increasingly explicit effort to position itself as a global hub for artificial intelligence talent, research, and commercialisation. For AI professionals looking to work in Singapore, this translates into a relatively favourable work pass environment — but navigating the options requires understanding which pass is actually right for your profile, your career stage, and your intended employer arrangement.
This guide sets out the main work pass routes available to AI professionals in 2026, how to assess which one applies to you, and what Singapore’s recently announced AI track means in practice.
The Core Options: EP, ONE Pass, Tech.Pass, and the AI Track
For most AI professionals, the relevant work pass options in Singapore are:
- Employment Pass (EP) — the standard route for professionals employed by a Singapore company
- ONE Pass (Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass) — for top-tier global talent with exceptional track records
- Tech.Pass — for established tech entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders
- AI Track under ONE Pass — a newly announced pathway for AI specialists meeting specific criteria
The right option depends on your salary level, your employment arrangement (employed vs. self-directed), and whether you meet the specific eligibility thresholds for the premium passes.
The Employment Pass: The Standard Route
The Employment Pass remains the most commonly used route for AI professionals joining Singapore companies — whether start-ups, regional tech firms, or the Singapore offices of global AI labs and technology companies. The EP is employer-sponsored, which means a Singapore-registered company must apply for the pass on your behalf.
The minimum qualifying salary for an EP is SGD 5,600 per month (as at May 2026) for most sectors. For financial services — which includes fintech and AI companies that are licensed financial institutions — the threshold is SGD 6,200 per month. These are floor figures; AI professionals at the senior engineer, ML engineer, or data science director level are typically well above the minimum.
Every EP application is assessed under the COMPASS framework, which requires a minimum of 40 points. For AI professionals, the key COMPASS factors to note are:
- C1 — Salary: AI and machine learning roles command salaries well above the 40th and even 60th percentile benchmarks in most technology and professional services categories, which means most qualified AI hires will score strongly on C1.
- C2 — Qualifications: Degrees from top-tier universities (those ranked in the top 100 globally) attract the maximum C2 score. A PhD in machine learning or AI from a leading institution is a significant advantage.
- C5 — Skills Bonus / SOL: Some AI and data science roles appear on MOM’s Shortage Occupation List (SOL), which awards an additional 10 points and can help borderline cases pass the 40-point threshold comfortably.
For AI professionals applying through employers, the full EP application walkthrough sets out the process step by step.
The ONE Pass: For Top-Tier AI Talent
The Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass (ONE Pass) is Singapore’s most prestigious work pass — designed for individuals at the very top of their fields globally. It is employer-independent, meaning holders can work for multiple employers simultaneously, set up their own companies, and change roles without a new pass application. For entrepreneurial AI professionals or those who consult across multiple organisations, the ONE Pass is structurally superior to the EP.
The standard eligibility threshold for the ONE Pass is a fixed monthly salary of at least SGD 30,000 — reflecting the expectation that this pass is for those who could command offers at that level globally. For AI professionals, there is also a non-salary route: individuals with outstanding achievements in their field can qualify without meeting the salary criterion. This matters for academics, research scientists, and AI thought leaders whose impact is measured in publications, citations, and institutional recognition rather than commercial salary.
The ONE Pass is valid for five years initially (compared to the EP’s typical one to two years) and can be renewed. Its employer-independence also means that if you change projects or roles — common in AI research and consulting — your pass is unaffected. See our full breakdown in the ONE Pass eligibility guide.
The AI Track Under ONE Pass
Singapore has announced an AI Track as a specific pathway within the ONE Pass framework, targeting AI specialists at the frontier of the field. The AI Track is designed to reduce friction for exceptional AI professionals who may not meet the conventional salary threshold but whose contributions to AI development are demonstrably significant.
Under the AI Track, qualifying individuals are assessed on their research output, industry contributions, leadership in AI development, and the strategic value their presence brings to Singapore’s AI ecosystem. This includes researchers at world-leading AI labs, senior scientists at organisations such as DeepMind, Anthropic, OpenAI, or the major technology companies’ AI divisions, as well as academics whose work is shaping the direction of the field.
The AI Track does not replace the standard ONE Pass pathway — it supplements it. If you meet the SGD 30,000 salary threshold, you apply via the standard ONE Pass route. If you are a frontier AI researcher or leader whose impact is better measured by non-salary metrics, the AI Track provides an alternative assessment pathway.
For detailed information on the AI Track criteria as currently published, our dedicated guide on the ONE Pass AI and Tech Track covers what MOM has released.
Tech.Pass: For AI Entrepreneurs and Investors
The Tech.Pass is distinct from both the EP and ONE Pass — it is designed for established tech entrepreneurs, investors, and senior technology leaders who want to start companies, invest in Singapore’s tech ecosystem, or lead transformative technology initiatives. It is not primarily for employed AI professionals but for those building or investing in AI ventures.
To qualify for Tech.Pass, you must meet at least two of three criteria: earning a fixed monthly salary of at least SGD 20,000 in the last year, having at least five years of experience in a senior role at a technology company with a market valuation or funding of at least USD 500 million, or having at least five years of experience as a founder of a technology company that has raised at least USD 10 million in funding.
For AI start-up founders, venture investors focused on AI, or senior AI executives at large technology companies, Tech.Pass may be the most relevant option. See our in-depth Tech.Pass five-criteria reality check for an honest assessment of who qualifies and who does not.
Comparing the Passes: A Decision Framework
Here is how to think about which pass applies to different AI professional profiles:
- AI software engineer, ML engineer, or data scientist joining a Singapore tech company: Standard EP via employer. Most will comfortably pass COMPASS given salary levels in this field.
- AI research scientist at a global lab’s Singapore office: EP if employed locally; ONE Pass if earning SGD 30,000+/month or qualifying on exceptional achievements.
- Frontier AI researcher with significant publications but below the salary threshold: ONE Pass AI Track (non-salary assessment pathway).
- AI start-up founder setting up in Singapore: Tech.Pass if meeting two of the three criteria; otherwise EP under your own Singapore company once incorporated.
- Independent AI consultant working across multiple clients: ONE Pass (employer-independent and allows multiple engagements); EP requires a sponsoring employer.
- Senior AI executive at a large technology company (Chief AI Officer, VP of AI, etc.): ONE Pass if salary meets the threshold; EP if below threshold but COMPASS qualifies.
Singapore’s Strategic Context for AI Talent
Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0 sets an explicit goal of developing Singapore into a trusted and leading node in the global AI ecosystem. This includes attracting AI researchers, building AI infrastructure, and deepening industry adoption. The work pass framework — particularly the ONE Pass AI Track — is a tool in service of that strategy.
Practically, this means that AI professionals applying for Singapore work passes are operating in an environment where the policy intent is favourable. MOM and EDB actively want frontier AI talent in Singapore. This does not mean automatic approval, but it does mean that applications from genuinely qualified AI professionals are unlikely to face the kind of resistance sometimes encountered in sectors where MOM is trying to moderate foreign worker inflows.
The Shortage Occupation List, which offers a 10-point COMPASS bonus, includes several AI-adjacent roles precisely because MOM has assessed supply as insufficient relative to demand. If your occupation falls on the SOL, your EP application benefits directly from Singapore’s recognition that the field is understaffed.
EP vs ONE Pass: The Practical Differences Beyond Salary
For AI professionals who might qualify for either an EP or a ONE Pass, the choice matters beyond the pass itself. The ONE Pass’s employer independence is a significant structural advantage in AI, where project-based work, advisory roles, and concurrent engagements are common. With an EP, any change of employer or new commercial engagement requires a new or updated pass — a friction that the ONE Pass removes entirely.
The ONE Pass also signals differently to the Singapore ecosystem. It is associated with top-tier global talent, and being a ONE Pass holder carries a degree of recognition within Singapore’s technology and investment community. For those building a professional reputation in Singapore’s AI ecosystem, this is not irrelevant.
For a detailed comparison of how the ONE Pass stacks up against the EP and PEP at different career stages, see our EP vs PEP vs ONE Pass guide.
How Singapore Employment Agency Can Help
Singapore Employment Agency works with both individual AI professionals and technology companies managing EP and ONE Pass applications. For individual professionals, we help assess which pass best fits your profile, prepare a strong application dossier — particularly important for ONE Pass applications where qualitative evidence of exceptional achievement must be presented compellingly — and manage the submission and follow-up process.
For technology companies hiring AI talent, we manage end-to-end EP application pipelines, including COMPASS pre-assessments, documentation preparation, and timeline management to ensure new hires can start on schedule.
For corporate services support including company incorporation, corporate secretarial work, and employer immigration compliance, our sister company Raffles Corporate Services provides the full suite of services that AI start-ups and tech company offices in Singapore typically need alongside their talent recruitment.
Start with our complete EP guide or our dedicated ONE Pass eligibility guide to understand which route best fits your situation.