If your company hires foreign professionals on an Employment Pass, the numbers you plan around are changing in the new year. From 1 January 2027, the minimum qualifying salary for a new Employment Pass rises to S$6,000 a month, and S$6,600 in financial services. At the same time, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is raising the COMPASS C1 salary benchmarks that decide how many points a salary earns.
The changes do not all hit at once. New applications move first, renewals later. That gives employers some room to plan, provided they know which dates apply to which employees. This guide explains what is changing, who is affected and when, how C1 scoring works, and what to do now. If you only have one or two EP holders, it should take less than an hour to work out where you stand.
Key Takeaways
MOM has published the details on its page on upcoming changes to Employment Pass eligibility. There are two separate tests, and both are moving up. For the background to these changes, see our article on Budget 2026 EP salary changes.
The qualifying salary is the minimum fixed monthly salary a candidate must earn to be eligible for an Employment Pass at all. From 1 January 2027:
The qualifying salary rises gradually with the candidate's age, reflecting the idea that more experienced candidates should command higher pay. The starting figure applies to younger candidates, and the amount increases with each age band until it reaches S$11,500 (S$12,700 in financial services) at age 45 and above. MOM's Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) shows the exact figure for a given age.
The second test is COMPASS, the points-based framework that most EP applications must pass. Its first criterion, C1, compares the candidate's salary with what local professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) in the same sector and age group earn. MOM reviews these benchmarks each year, and the new tables apply from 1 January 2027. The current figures are on MOM's COMPASS C1 salary benchmarks page.
This is the part most employers need to get right. The dates differ for new applications and renewals, and for the two tests.
Any new EP application submitted on or after 1 January 2027 must meet both the new qualifying salary and the new C1 benchmarks.
For renewals, the updated C1 benchmarks apply to passes expiring from 1 July 2027. A pass expiring in, say, September 2027 will be scored against the new benchmarks when it is renewed.
The new qualifying salary applies to renewals a little later, for passes expiring from 1 January 2028. This gives employers an extra six months to bring existing employees' salaries in line.
Here is the timeline in one place:
COMPASS gives points across four foundational criteria. Two relate to the candidate and two to the employer:
There are also two bonus criteria, C5 for skills in shortage and C6 for strategic economic priorities. Each foundational criterion can score 0, 10 or 20 points. For the bigger picture of which pass suits which profile, see our guide to work passes for professionals.
For C1, the candidate's fixed monthly salary is compared with the benchmarks for their sector and age:
An application needs at least 40 points across all criteria to pass COMPASS. Candidates earning a fixed monthly salary of S$22,500 or more are exempt from COMPASS, although they still need to meet the qualifying salary.
So C1 matters, but it is not the whole story. A candidate who scores 0 on C1 can still pass if they score well on the other criteria, and a strong C1 score can make up for a weaker one elsewhere.
Imagine a 32-year-old software engineer joining a technology company at S$7,800 a month. The figures below are for illustration only. Always check MOM's latest benchmark tables or the Self-Assessment Tool for real cases.
Under the 2026 benchmarks, suppose the 65th percentile for this sector and age was S$7,500. The salary is above it, so C1 gives 10 points. With 20 points for a recognised degree (C2), 10 for diversity (C3) and 0 for local employment (C4), the total is 40. The application passes.
Under the 2027 benchmarks, suppose the 65th percentile rises to S$8,000. The same S$7,800 salary now falls below it and C1 gives 0 points. The total drops to 30, and the application would not pass unless something else changes.
In this example, a modest salary adjustment of S$200 or more would restore the 10 points. That is the kind of decision employers want to make before an offer goes out, not after an application is rejected. The same logic applies at renewal. An employee who passed comfortably two years ago may now sit just below a benchmark, simply because local salaries in their sector have risen. Running each case through MOM's Self-Assessment Tool a few months before renewal shows you early whether anything needs to change.
If you have offers out to candidates who will apply after 1 January 2027, check each salary against the new qualifying salary and the new C1 benchmarks. Where a candidate is close to a threshold, it may make sense to adjust the offer now. If the application can be submitted in December 2026 instead, it will be assessed under the current rules.
List every EP holder whose pass expires from 1 July 2027 onwards. For each one, note:
This short list tells you who needs attention and when.
If some employees will fall short, plan the increase into your 2027 salary review rather than making a rushed adjustment just before renewal. Annual reviews are the natural moment, and employees appreciate knowing where they stand early.
The salary you declare in an EP application is the salary MOM expects the employee to receive. MOM's October 2026 update was a timely reminder of this, highlighting cases where Employment Pass holders were paid well below the salary declared for their pass. Keeping the two aligned protects both your employee and your ability to hire on work passes in future.
As benchmarks rise, the declared salary and the actual salary should always stay the same. If the role cannot support the new benchmark, it is better to look at the other COMPASS criteria, a different pass type, or a local hire. Running payroll from the same figures you declare to MOM, and paying CPF where it applies, keeps your records consistent.
For existing EP holders affected by the renewal dates, an early conversation helps. Let them know the rules are changing, when their renewal falls, and what the company plans to do. Employees who know where they stand are far less likely to start looking elsewhere in the months before their pass expires.
C1 is not the only lever. Hiring and developing local PMETs can improve C4 for future applications, and some roles may qualify for C5 bonus points. For senior or highly paid hires, the Personalised Employment Pass or the ONE Pass AI & Tech track may also be worth a look.
If you employ several EP holders, a simple table keeps everyone on the same page. For each employee, record the name, sector, age at next renewal, current fixed monthly salary, pass expiry date, and two yes or no columns: "new C1 benchmarks apply" and "new qualifying salary applies". Add a final column for the action needed, such as "review in 2027 salary round" or "no change required".
Update the table whenever someone joins, renews or receives a raise. It takes a few minutes, and it turns a stressful renewal season into a routine one.
Applications submitted before 1 January 2027 are assessed under the rules in force at the time of submission. If a candidate is ready and the application can be completed in December, it will be assessed under the current qualifying salary and benchmarks.
This article covers the Employment Pass. The S Pass has its own qualifying salary and rules, and MOM announces changes to it separately. If you employ S Pass holders, check MOM's S Pass pages for the latest figures.
Yes. The qualifying salary, including the age-based increase, applies to renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028. When an employee renews, their age at the time of renewal is used, so it is worth checking older employees' salaries in particular.
Work pass rules change every year, and the timing of each change matters as much as the numbers. ATHR can help you:
If you are planning EP hires or renewals for 2027, speak with our team.
This article is for general information only and reflects MOM announcements available at the time of writing. The worked example uses illustrative figures, not actual benchmarks. It is not legal or immigration advice. MOM's criteria and benchmarks may change, and every application is assessed on its own merits. Please refer to MOM or speak to a qualified professional before acting on any of the information above.
The ATHR Content Team is a group of professional writers from Singapore and the Philippines, committed to delivering informative, practical, and engaging content for business owners across Southeast Asia.
