Singapore: COMPASS Lists of Educational Qualifications and Awarding Institutions Updated
November 25, 2024
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At a Glance
- The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has released a new list of educational qualifications and awarding institutions available for selection under the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS), the points-based evaluation system applicable to all Employment Pass (EP) applications.
- The recently released lists of qualifications and institutions will apply to initial and renewal EP applications from January 1, 2025.
- The qualifications criterion (Category C2) of the COMPASS system awards points to candidates based on their qualifications, which must meet specific criteria in MOM’s updated educational qualification and institution list. Candidates without these qualifications will not be awarded points under the C2 criterion. While they could still pass COMPASS, they would have to earn points under other COMPASS criteria to qualify for an EP or EP renewal.
The situation
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has released a new list of awarding institutions which may earn 10 or 20 points under the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) criterion C2 for qualifications. The updated 20-points institutions list and 10-points qualifications list will apply to initial and renewal Employment Pass (EP) applications from January 1, 2025.
Background
COMPASS is the points-based evaluation system introduced by MOM in September 2023 for initial EP applications and in September 2024 for EP renewal applications. It assesses candidates on multiple criteria, including salary, qualifications, and diversity contributions.
A closer look
- Points under the qualification criterion. The qualifications criterion (Category C2) of the COMPASS system awards points to candidates based on their qualifications, which must meet specific criteria in MOM’s updated educational qualification and institution lists as follows:
- Points based on qualifications from reputable institutions. EP candidates can earn 20 points if they have a bachelor’s degree or above qualification from an eligible institution. The updated list of institutions from January 1, 2025, can be found here.
- Degree-equivalent qualifications. EP candidates can earn 10 points if their qualification is deemed comparable to a bachelor’s degree in the UK system or if they have a professional qualification from institutions listed on MOM’s updated professional qualifications list. The updated list of professional qualifications recognized as “degree-equivalent” from January 1, 2025, can be found here.
- Notable changes. New institutions have been added to the list of reputable institutions that earn 20 points. Meanwhile, several institutions have been removed from the current list, and qualifications from these institutions will now earn 10 points under category C2, provided the usual verification proof is submitted. Additionally, the professional qualifications list has been significantly expanded, with new supporting sectoral agencies such as the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) now included.
Impact
Candidates without a degree or degree-equivalent qualifications per the MOM’s lists will not be awarded points under the C2 criterion. While they could still pass COMPASS, they would have to earn a minimum of at least 40 points from other criteria to qualify for an initial or renewal EP.
Looking ahead
The MOM typically releases new qualifications and institution lists annually.
It is also expected that MOM will continue to refine the COMPASS framework to align with Singapore’s strategic workforce goals.
Fragomen will report on relevant developments.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
