Foreigners and firms face tougher scrutiny under new EP application policy

Applicants will now need to pass a points-based evaluation and meet a higher qualifying salary.

Securing an employment pass (EP) in Singapore has always been “cumbersome,” which is why it would not be surprising if firms—especially those looking to hire more foreigners for niche jobs—would have a negative reaction to the imposition of stricter rules for work permit applications. But according to Drew & Napier LLC’s Co-Head of Employment, Kelvin Tan, the new rules hold several advantages for employers.

Tan told Singapore Business Review that there will be two main changes to EP applications: 1) an increase in the qualifying salaries which will be benchmarked to the top 33% of local professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET) by age; and 2) the introduction of the new points-based Complementarity Assessment (COMPASS) framework.

“Raising the qualifying salaries for EP applications goes towards ensuring that EP holders are comparable in quality to the top one-third of our local PMET workforce,” said Tan.

Changes in salary and evaluation