Employment Pass (EP) COMPASS framework — 40 points minimum

Build a Singapore Employment Pass (EP) strategy under COMPASS framework for [CLIENT_NAME] hired by [EMPLOYER_NAME] as [POSITION_TITLE] at S$[MONTHLY_SALARY_SGD]/month. Qualification: [QUALIFICATION]. Employer diversity: [EMPLOYER_NATIONALITY_MIX]. Sector: [SECTOR].

§1 — COMPASS FRAMEWORK (110-140 words)
Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) live from 1 September 2023 for new EP applications + 1 September 2024 for renewals. Replaces prior salary-only EP assessment. Two-step:

(1) ELIGIBILITY:
  • Monthly fixed salary ≥ S$5,600 (most sectors) / S$6,200 (Financial Services) from 1 Jan 2025 [VERIFY]
  • Older applicants (age 45+): higher threshold ~S$10,700+
  • Acceptable qualifications

(2) COMPASS POINTS — minimum 40:
  Four FOUNDATIONAL criteria (max 20 points each = max 80):
  C1 — Salary (compared to sector + qualification benchmarks)
  C2 — Qualifications (top-tier vs ordinary degree)
  C3 — Diversity (firm's nationality mix)
  C4 — Support for local employment (firm's local-PMET % vs sector)

  Two BONUS criteria (max 20 + 10):
  C5 — Skills bonus (Shortage Occupation List)
  C6 — Strategic Economic Priorities (SEP) bonus

§2 — POINTS SCORING (140-180 words)
For each criterion: 0 / 10 / 20 points (foundational) — 0 / 10 / 20 / 10 (bonus).

C1 SALARY (compared to local PMET sector benchmark):
  • ≥90th percentile: 20 points
  • 65-90th: 10 points
  • Below 65th: 0 points
For S$[MONTHLY_SALARY_SGD] in [SECTOR]: estimate percentile (MOM publishes benchmarks).

C2 QUALIFICATIONS:
  • Top-tier institution (MOM-recognised list, e.g. world top 100): 20 points
  • Recognised degree from accredited institution: 10 points
  • No degree / unrecognised: 0 points
Indian IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, BITS Pilani, NIT Trichy/Surathkal/Warangal, top NITs: typically top-tier (20). UGC-recognised general universities: 10. Diploma-only: 0.

C3 DIVERSITY (employer's nationality concentration):
  • <5% of PMETs from [CLIENT_NAME]'s nationality at [EMPLOYER_NAME]: 20 points
  • 5-25%: 10 points
  • 25%+: 0 points
For [EMPLOYER_NAME] with [EMPLOYER_NATIONALITY_MIX] — Indian-concentrated IT services firms typically score 0 here. This is the single biggest Indian-cohort penalty.

C4 LOCAL EMPLOYMENT SHARE:
  • Firm's local PMET share ≥ sector top decile: 20
  • Within average band: 10
  • Below: 0

§3 — INDIAN-COHORT IT SERVICES TRAP (110-140 words)
TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL, Tech Mahindra, Cognizant, Accenture-India desk:
  • C3 diversity = 0 (Indian-concentrated)
  • C4 local employment = often 0 (low local PMET %)
  • Need to score 40 across C1 + C2 + bonuses alone
  • Often EP applications fail for these employers even at S$8,000-12,000 salary

Workarounds:
  • Boost C1 to 20 (top salary percentile) → 20 + 20 (C2 top-tier degree) = 40 → barely qualifies if 0 in C3, C4
  • Move to MNC client (Goldman Sachs Singapore, DBS, Stripe, Meta APAC) where C3 + C4 score better
  • Wait for C5 / C6 bonus eligibility — SOL occupations (AI engineers, data scientists, cybersecurity, fintech) earn +20

Many Indian-cohort EP holders shifted to MNC employers + financial services post-2023 reform.

§4 — APPLICATION PROCESS (90-110 words)
  • Employer submits via MOM EP Online portal
  • Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) on MOM website to estimate COMPASS score before filing
  • Documents: passport, qualification certificates + transcripts, employment contract, employer business profile, latest accounts
  • Application fee: S$105 (submission) + S$225 (issuance)
  • Processing: 1-8 weeks (10-day target for many cases)
  • Outcome: In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter
  • [CLIENT_NAME] enters Singapore on IPA; collects EP card within 30 days
  • Initial duration: 2 years; renewable for up to 3 years

§5 — SALARY THRESHOLDS BY AGE + SECTOR (80-100 words)
Jan 2025 EP minimum (verify current):
  • Most sectors:
    - Age 23-25: S$5,600
    - Age 26-35: gradual increase
    - Age 45+: S$10,700+
  • Financial Services:
    - Higher minimums (e.g. S$6,200 base; older S$11,800)
  • Special concessions for shortage occupations + strategic sectors (fintech, advanced manufacturing, AI)

Salary must be FIXED monthly (bonuses + allowances generally not counted unless guaranteed). Wage cuts during EP validity trigger re-assessment.

§6 — INDIAN-COHORT REALITY (40-60 words)
Indian EP grant rates have declined post-COMPASS for IT services concentration penalty:
  • MNC + financial services + non-IT services tech: strong approval
  • Indian IT services Big 4-6 employers: tougher; selective approvals
  • Re-routing: target MNC clients, build top-tier degree credential, or apply ONE Pass / Personalised EP if salary supports

End with: "DRAFT EP COMPASS STRATEGY — for review by Singapore-registered HR / employment law adviser. Run COMPASS Self-Assessment Tool before submission. For Indian-cohort IT services candidates, consider whether moving to MNC employer (boosting C3 + C4) before filing is faster than fighting COMPASS at concentrated employer."