Employment Pass and COMPASS: A Founder’s Guide to Work Passes
Salary thresholds, the COMPASS points framework and how founders relocating to Singapore should sequence incorporation and pass applications.
The Employment Pass remains the primary route for founders and senior hires relocating to Singapore, and the COMPASS points framework now governs most applications: candidates must score sufficient points across salary benchmarking, qualifications, workforce diversity and support for local employment.
For a newly incorporated company with no employment history, several COMPASS criteria are assessed differently, and applications supported by a clear business plan, committed capital and a credible local footprint — including a genuine office address — are considerably stronger.
Sequencing matters. The company must be incorporated before it can sponsor a pass, which is why most foreign founders incorporate with a nominee resident director first, secure premises and banking, then file the Employment Pass application with the company as sponsor.
Founders should also plan for dependants early: Dependant’s Pass eligibility carries its own salary threshold, and school-admission timelines for children often end up driving the family’s overall relocation schedule more than the work pass itself.
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