The hardest part of job searching in Singapore as a foreigner is not finding listings. It is knowing which ones can actually result in an Employment Pass. Most job boards do not tell you. MOM does not label them. You are expected to assess eligibility yourself, for every single role, before investing time in an application.
This guide gives you the filters. Salary thresholds, COMPASS scoring, role-level signals, and red flags — so you stop spending hours on applications that were never viable.
Stage 1: Does the salary clear the floor?
Every EP application must meet a minimum qualifying salary. This is not a single number — it scales with your age, benchmarked against the top third of local PMET salaries per age cohort.
Current minimums (until 31 December 2026)
- Age 23 or below: $5,600/month (general) / $6,200 (financial services)
- Age 30: $7,223 / $7,982
- Age 35: $8,381 / $9,255
- Age 40: $9,541 / $10,527
- Age 45+: $10,700 / $11,800
From January 2027, these rise by approximately 7-8%. The general sector floor moves from $5,600 to $6,000.
First filter: If the listed salary range does not reach your age-bracket minimum, stop. The role cannot support an EP for you, regardless of the employer's intent.
Stage 2: Will it pass COMPASS?
Clearing the salary floor is necessary but not sufficient. Since September 2023, all new EP applications must score at least 40 points on COMPASS across six criteria.
How scoring works
Four foundational criteria, each worth 0, 10, or 20 points:
- C1 — Salary benchmark: Your salary vs. sector PMET benchmarks. Scoring well means your salary is not just above the floor — it is competitive within the sector. 90th percentile or above scores 20. Below 65th scores 0.
- C2 — Qualifications: Top-100 QS university or Singapore Autonomous University degree scores 20. Standard recognised degree scores 10. No degree scores 0.
- C3 — Diversity: Your nationality's share of the company's PMET workforce. Under 5% scores 20. Over 25% scores 0.
- C4 — Local employment: The company's local PMET share relative to their sector. Above 50th percentile scores 20. Below 20th percentile scores 0.
Two bonus criteria:
- C5 — Shortage Occupation List: Up to 20 bonus points if the role matches the SOL
- C6 — Strategic Economic Priorities: Up to 10 points if the company participates in eligible government programs
The math: Scoring 10 on all four foundational criteria passes (40 total). Scoring 0 on any one criterion means you need 20 on another — or rely on bonus criteria to compensate.
COMPASS exemptions
- Fixed monthly salary of $22,500 or above — bypasses COMPASS entirely
- Intra-corporate transferees
- Roles lasting 1 month or less
Practical filters for your job search
1. Add a salary buffer
Clearing the EP floor is not enough. To score well on COMPASS C1, your salary needs to benchmark against sector medians — not just scrape the minimum. Target roles paying 30-50% above your age-bracket floor.
If you are 35, the floor is $8,381. Target roles paying at least $10,500-$12,000 to give yourself a healthy C1 score.
2. Target larger employers
MNCs and companies with 50+ local PMETs typically score better on C4 (local employment ratio). They also have established EP application processes and are less likely to abandon the process mid-way.
3. Check your nationality concentration risk
If a company already employs many people from your country, C3 scores 0. This is common for Indian nationals at Indian IT services firms, or Chinese nationals at Chinese tech companies. Diversify your target list toward companies where your nationality is underrepresented.
4. Prioritise Shortage Occupation List roles
SOL roles earn C5 bonus points — up to 20 extra. This can compensate for a weaker score on another criterion. Current shortage areas include:
- AI/ML engineering, cybersecurity, data science, cloud architecture
- Semiconductor engineering
- Carbon/green economy specialists
- Specific healthcare roles (clinical psychology, physiotherapy)
- Wealth management (UHNW, family office)
5. Look for MyCareersFuture listings
If a role appears on MyCareersFuture, the employer is going through the Fair Consideration Framework advertising requirement — which means they are preparing to submit an EP or S Pass application. It is a structural signal of willingness to hire foreign candidates through the formal process.
6. Avoid roles with warning signs
- Salary range starts below your EP threshold — even if the top of range meets it, the employer may negotiate down
- Generic roles easily filled locally (general project management, basic accounting, HR administration) — these score poorly because local talent supply is ample
- Company has heavy concentration of your nationality visible on LinkedIn
- Role requires local certifications or security clearance
- Company is a small SME with no visible prior foreign hires
7. Ask about COMPASS during the process
At offer stage, ask: "Have you run the Self-Assessment Tool for my profile?" MOM's SAT lets employers check indicative COMPASS outcomes before submitting. Companies serious about hiring you will have done this. If they cannot answer or seem unfamiliar with COMPASS, that is a risk signal.
The Self-Assessment Tool
MOM provides an online Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) via their eServices portal. It lets employers input candidate details and get an indicative pass/fail result before formal submission.
Important: Candidates cannot complete the SAT alone. It requires employer-side data — workforce composition, sector classification, company details. You can ask a prospective employer whether they have run it for your profile, but you cannot run it independently.
Results are indicative, not binding. MOM's formal assessment may differ. But a positive SAT result is a strong signal that the application will succeed.
Timing matters
The next salary threshold increase takes effect 1 January 2027. Applications submitted before that date use current (lower) thresholds. If you are close to the margin — particularly in the 35-45 age range where thresholds increase steeply — applying sooner directly affects your eligibility.
The Shortage Occupation List is reviewed annually, with comprehensive reviews every three years. Roles currently on the SOL may be removed in future cycles. The C5 bonus you have today is not guaranteed next year.
What RoleRadar AI does differently
Every role in RoleRadar AI is evaluated against EP viability signals before it reaches your shortlist. You see:
- Whether the salary range clears your personal EP threshold
- A visa evidence label based on employer statements, candidate reports, and structural signals
- Match scoring across scope, salary, location, and COMPASS-relevant dimensions
The goal: spend your time applying to roles where EP approval is structurally likely, not researching eligibility for every listing on every board.
Stop guessing EP eligibility. RoleRadar AI filters for visa-viable roles and shows a sponsorship signal for every listing.
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