If you are a professional from mainland China planning to work in Singapore, the COMPASS framework Singapore introduced for Employment Pass (EP) applicants is something you will want to understand early. COMPASS stands for the Complementarity Assessment Framework, and it is the points based system the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) uses when deciding whether to grant or renew many Employment Passes. Knowing how it is structured helps you and your prospective employer prepare a stronger application, even though the exact criteria and thresholds are set by MOM and can change.
This guide explains the shape of the framework and the thinking behind it. It does not quote specific point values, salary figures or pass marks, because those numbers are reviewed by MOM over time. Always confirm the current requirements on the official MOM website before you or your employer submit anything.
What COMPASS Is Trying to Do
Singapore is a small country with an open economy that welcomes foreign talent, but it also wants to make sure that hiring from overseas complements the local workforce rather than simply replacing it. COMPASS was created to make that assessment more transparent and predictable. Instead of a single salary cut off deciding everything, the framework looks at a candidate and the hiring firm together, awarding points across several areas.
The word “complementarity” is the key idea. The system asks whether bringing you in adds something to the workforce, whether that is a skill in short supply, experience from a different market, or diversity that a team currently lacks. For a newcomer from China, this is actually encouraging, because it means your particular background can count in your favour rather than being treated as interchangeable with a local hire.
COMPASS generally applies to new EP applications and to renewals, though MOM sets out specific exemptions, for example for candidates above certain salary levels or in roles that are hard to fill. Because these exemptions and the way they are worded do change, treat the MOM website as the single source of truth.
The Areas the Framework Considers
Rather than listing numbers, it is more useful to understand the categories COMPASS weighs. Broadly, the framework combines factors about you as an individual with factors about the company that wants to employ you.
The individual attributes typically look at things such as your salary relative to the local market for your profession and age, and your qualifications, including how well recognised your awarding institution is. The firm related attributes look at the make up of the employer’s existing workforce, such as how diverse the professional team is by nationality and the share of local employees in skilled roles. There are also elements that reward hiring firms supporting national or strategic priorities.
A candidate can also earn points through bonus criteria, for instance where the role sits on an official shortage occupation list, or where the skills are assessed as being in demand. This is why two applicants with similar salaries can end up with different outcomes: the surrounding context matters.
The table below sets out the general pillars in plain terms. It is illustrative only and is not a scoring sheet.
| COMPASS pillar | What it broadly considers | Who it depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Salary | Pay compared with local peers in the same field | You and the employer |
| Qualifications | Standing of your degree awarding institution | You |
| Diversity | Nationality mix of the firm’s professional staff | The employer |
| Local workforce | Share of local employees in skilled roles | The employer |
| Bonus criteria | Skills shortage lists and strategic priorities | Role and national needs |
What This Means for a China Applicant
Because part of your score depends on the employer, your choice of company matters. A firm with a very concentrated nationality mix among its professionals may find it harder to score well on diversity, which can indirectly affect your application. A more balanced employer, or one actively hiring locals into skilled roles, may present a stronger overall profile. This is worth discussing candidly with a prospective employer during the offer stage.
On the individual side, keep your documentation clear and verifiable. Make sure your qualifications can be checked, and be ready to have your degree assessed if asked. If you graduated from an institution in China that is well regarded but less familiar overseas, an independent qualification assessment can help. You may also need to have some China issued documents notarised or legalised before they are accepted, so factor that time in.
Salary should reflect the genuine market rate for your role and seniority in Singapore, not simply the minimum. Underpaying relative to local peers can weaken an application, quite apart from being unfair to you.
Preparing a Strong Application
Start by asking your employer whether the role falls under COMPASS or one of the exemptions, and what the company’s current standing looks like on the firm level factors. Employers can check their own workforce profile through MOM’s tools. From there, focus on the parts you control: an honest, competitive salary, clean and verifiable qualifications, and complete paperwork.
Give yourself a realistic timeline. Gathering academic records from China, arranging any notarisation or apostille, and having documents translated all take time. Rushing at the end is where mistakes happen.
It also helps to understand that the framework was designed to reward transparency on both sides. Because you can broadly see which pillars are being weighed, you can have a more informed conversation with your employer rather than treating the outcome as a black box. If a role is genuinely hard to fill, or your skills appear on an official shortage list, that context can lift an application that might otherwise look marginal on salary alone. Conversely, if the firm is aware its workforce profile is a weak point, it can take steps over time, such as hiring and developing local talent, that improve its standing for future applications including yours at renewal.
Renewals deserve a word of their own. Because COMPASS can apply when an EP comes up for renewal, it is worth keeping an eye on how the framework and your employer’s profile evolve during your first term, rather than assuming a renewal is automatic. Staying in a role where your pay keeps pace with the market, and where the employer is investing in its local workforce, tends to make renewal smoother. If your circumstances change, for example a promotion, a pay rise or a move to a shortage role, note how that might affect your standing.
Finally, remember that COMPASS is one part of a wider system. Meeting the framework does not by itself guarantee approval, and MOM retains discretion. Treat this guide as background understanding, and rely on the official MOM guidance and your employer’s HR team for the current criteria, points and any figures.
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