Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS)

The Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) is a structured, points-based evaluation system introduced by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore, to assess applications for the Employment Pass (EP)—a work visa for foreign professionals, managers, executives, and technicians (PMETs). Implemented from 1 September 2023 for new applications and 1 September 2024 for renewals, COMPASS aims to ensure that foreign professionals working in Singapore complement the local workforce and contribute to the nation’s broader economic goals.

Background and Objectives

Singapore’s workforce policy has traditionally sought to balance two key priorities: remaining open to global talent while protecting local employment opportunities. As the economy evolves and competition for skilled labour intensifies, the government introduced COMPASS to modernise its talent admission framework.
Before COMPASS, the Employment Pass approval process relied largely on salary thresholds and educational qualifications. However, this approach did not fully capture other important aspects such as workforce diversity, local employment support, and strategic contributions to national priorities. COMPASS was thus designed to provide a transparent, data-driven, and holistic evaluation framework that assesses both the individual candidate’s merits and the employer’s workforce practices.

Key Features and Structure

COMPASS operates as a points-based system, with a minimum of 40 points required for approval. The framework comprises six assessment criteria, divided into four foundational criteria and two bonus criteria. Each criterion is scored on a scale of 0, 10, or 20 points depending on whether the applicant or firm meets, exceeds, or falls short of expectations.

Foundational Criteria

1. Salary Criterion
   • The applicant’s fixed monthly salary is compared to that of local PMETs in the same sector and age group.
   • Higher relative salaries earn more points, as they indicate that the foreign professional brings skills and expertise comparable to or exceeding local market standards.
   • This ensures that foreign hires are truly specialised and not substitutes for local workers.
2. Qualifications Criterion
   • Educational qualifications are assessed based on the global and institutional recognition of the degree or certification.
   • Candidates with strong academic or professional credentials, such as degrees from reputable institutions or industry-recognised certifications, earn higher points.
   • This criterion reinforces Singapore’s focus on attracting highly skilled, qualified professionals.
3. Diversity Criterion
   • This assesses how hiring the candidate impacts the nationality mix of the employer’s existing PMET workforce.
   • Companies with a more diverse workforce (i.e., not overly concentrated from one nationality) earn higher points.
   • This encourages firms to cultivate multicultural teams and avoid over-reliance on a single foreign talent source.
4. Support for Local Employment Criterion
   • Evaluates the proportion of local PMETs employed by the firm compared to industry peers.
   • Firms with a higher ratio of local professionals relative to their sector receive more points.
   • This incentivises employers to develop local capabilities and invest in the domestic workforce while hiring foreign talent.

Bonus Criteria

1. Skills Bonus (Shortage Occupation List)
   • Candidates filling positions listed on Singapore’s Shortage Occupation List (SOL) receive additional points.
   • The list identifies roles that are critical to Singapore’s economic transformation but face local talent shortages (e.g., in areas like technology, sustainability, and advanced manufacturing).
   • This encourages firms to hire foreign specialists in fields where domestic supply is limited.
2. Strategic Economic Priorities Bonus
   • Firms that participate in approved government programmes supporting national goals—such as innovation, research, internationalisation, or workforce transformation—gain extra points.
   • The aim is to align Employment Pass approvals with Singapore’s long-term strategic and economic development objectives.

Scoring and Evaluation

To pass COMPASS, an application must achieve at least 40 points across the six criteria. The framework allows flexibility—strong performance in some criteria can compensate for weaker scores in others. For example, a candidate with a modest qualification level but a high salary and an employer with strong diversity and local employment scores may still meet the threshold.
For smaller firms with fewer than 25 PMET employees, certain adjustments are made to ensure fairness, particularly for the diversity and local employment criteria, which may be more challenging for small enterprises.

Exemptions from COMPASS

Certain categories of Employment Pass applications are exempt from the COMPASS framework, including:

• Candidates earning above a fixed high-income threshold (e.g., S$22,500 per month).
• Overseas intra-corporate transferees under international trade obligations.
• Applications under specific free trade agreements or government-to-government arrangements.

These exemptions acknowledge that some roles, by virtue of their seniority or nature, fall outside standard evaluation parameters.

Implementation and Application

• New Employment Pass applications have been assessed under COMPASS since September 2023.
• Renewal applications are subject to COMPASS from September 2024.
• The Ministry of Manpower provides an online COMPASS Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) for employers to pre-evaluate candidates and understand how each criterion affects eligibility before applying.

This transparent and predictive tool allows both employers and foreign professionals to anticipate outcomes and make informed hiring decisions.

Implications for Employers and the Labour Market

1. Enhanced Transparency: The clear scoring system helps employers understand how each component—salary, qualifications, and workforce structure—affects the application’s outcome.
2. Encouragement of Local Development: Firms are incentivised to build a stronger base of local PMETs and invest in training to maintain a favourable profile under COMPASS.
3. Diversified Workforces: The diversity criterion encourages multinational teams and reduces overdependence on particular nationalities, promoting inclusiveness in workplaces.
4. Alignment with National Strategy: The bonus criteria link manpower policy directly with national objectives, ensuring that foreign hires contribute to Singapore’s long-term competitiveness and innovation.
5. Higher Quality of Foreign Hires: By setting higher standards for salary and qualifications, COMPASS ensures that foreign professionals bring distinct value and expertise to the local economy.

Challenges and Criticisms

While generally welcomed for its transparency, COMPASS presents certain challenges:

• Complexity for Small Firms: Smaller enterprises may find it harder to meet the diversity and local employment standards.
• Administrative Burden: Firms must maintain updated data and understand changing benchmarks for salaries and workforce ratios.
• Dynamic Adjustments: MOM may periodically review and update salary benchmarks, the Shortage Occupation List, and bonus criteria, requiring firms to adapt regularly.

Nonetheless, the framework remains a proactive step toward structured manpower planning and balanced talent mobility.

Significance and Broader Impact

The introduction of COMPASS marks a pivotal shift in Singapore’s employment policy—from focusing merely on individual eligibility to evaluating the collective impact of foreign talent on the local economy and workforce composition. It reflects the government’s long-term vision of creating a complementary, collaborative, and globally competitive workforce.
Through COMPASS, Singapore seeks to maintain its reputation as an open economy that values both global expertise and local opportunity. It ensures that the inflow of foreign professionals continues to support—rather than displace—Singapore’s resident workforce, aligning manpower strategy with national growth, inclusivity, and innovation.