Working in Singapore After Graduation: Employment Pass and S Pass Options for ASEAN Graduates
By Muntasir • Published Jun 06, 2026 • Updated Sep 27, 2026 • Career Planning, Study in Southeast Asia
To stay and work in Singapore after graduation you need an Employment Pass or S Pass, and both got more expensive to qualify for in 2025. Employment Pass applications also need to score 40 points on Singapore's COMPASS system, not salary alone.
💵 Employment Pass minimum salary: S$5,600/month general, S$6,200/month financial services, from January 2025
📩 COMPASS: applications need 40 points across salary, qualifications, and other criteria
🎓 S Pass minimum salary: S$3,300/month general, S$3,800/month financial services, from September 2025
Earn S$22,500/month or more and you skip COMPASS scoring entirely
⏱️ Both thresholds rise again from January 2027
Employment Pass: The Main Route for Degree Holders
If you graduate from a Singapore university and want to work in Singapore rather than return home right away, the Employment Pass (EP) is the standard route for degree-level jobs. From January 1, 2025, the minimum qualifying monthly salary for new EP applications rose to S$5,600 in general sectors and S$6,200 in financial services, according to the Ministry of Manpower . Meeting the salary floor gets your application considered, but salary alone no longer secures approval.
Your employer, not you, lodges the EP application through MOM's online system once they have made you an offer. If you are converting from a Student Pass after graduation, start this process as soon as you sign an offer, since you need a valid pass in place before your student status runs out.
The COMPASS Points System
Every EP application also has to pass COMPASS, the Complementarity Assessment Framework, a points-based scoring system layered on top of the salary requirement. You need 40 points to pass.
| Criteria | What it scores | Points available |
|---|---|---|
| C1: Salary | Your salary against local professional pay benchmarks | 0-20 |
| C2: Qualifications | Degree from a top-tier institution scores higher | 0-20 |
| C3: Diversity | How common your nationality already is in the firm | 0-20 |
| C4: Local employment support | How much the hiring firm employs local professionals | 0-20 |
| C5: Skills bonus | Shortage occupations, with diversity considerations | 10-20 |
| C6: Strategic priorities bonus | Employer participation in eligible economic programs | 10 |
As a fresh graduate, your strongest levers are C1, since a higher offered salary scores more points, and C2, since a recognized university degree counts toward qualification points. If your fixed monthly salary reaches S$22,500 or more, you skip COMPASS scoring entirely and only need to meet the base salary rule.
S Pass: The Route for Mid-Skilled Roles
If your job offer sits below EP salary levels but still calls for a diploma or specific technical skill, the S Pass is the relevant category. From September 1, 2025, the minimum qualifying salary rose to S$3,300 in general sectors and S$3,800 in financial services, up from S$3,150 and S$3,650, per MOM . Both figures increase on an age-progressive scale, reaching up to S$4,800 in general sectors and S$5,650 in financial services for candidates in their mid-40s.
S Pass also carries a company-level quota limiting how many S Pass and Work Permit holders a firm can employ relative to its local workforce, so approval depends partly on your employer's existing headcount mix, not only your own qualifications.
Rates Are Rising Again in 2027
Both thresholds are set to rise further. From January 1, 2027, the EP minimum salary moves to S$6,000 in general sectors and S$6,600 in financial services, with COMPASS updates affecting renewals from July 1, 2026. The S Pass minimum salary rises to S$3,600 in general sectors and S$4,000 in financial services from the same January 2027 date. If your graduation and job search fall close to these dates, check the exact figures on MOM's site before you negotiate a salary, since an offer that clears today's threshold might not clear next year's.
What This Means for Your Job Search
Negotiate your starting salary with these thresholds in mind, since even a small gap below the EP floor pushes your application into S Pass territory with a lower pay ceiling and a company quota attached. If your offered salary sits near the EP minimum, ask your employer directly whether they plan to support a COMPASS-scored application, since qualification and firm-level criteria affect approval as much as your paycheck.
Remember that a pass approved under one year's criteria can face updated criteria at renewal, so track MOM's published rates each time your pass comes up for renewal rather than assuming the numbers you first qualified under still apply.