The COMPASS Grace Period Is Over: What Filipino EP Holders in Singapore Face at Renewal From July 2026
From July 1, every Employment Pass renewal is scored under the full COMPASS points test. Here is what Filipino professionals should check before their pass expires.
If your Employment Pass expires on or after 1 July 2026, your COMPASS EP renewal faces the same 40-point bar as a fresh application. The grace period that let older passes skip the full test has ended.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) now scores every EP renewal under the full COMPASS points system, no matter when you first landed the job.
Your job, your flat and your kids' school all rest on that one card, so check where you stand before your expiry date.
What COMPASS measures
COMPASS stands for the Complementarity Assessment Framework. It scores you across four main areas and two bonus ones, and you need at least 40 points to pass.
Salary (C1): MOM compares your fixed monthly pay against local professionals in your sector and age group. Pay around your peers' median scores; pay below it loses ground.
Qualifications (C2): Points come from your degree. A recognised university earns more, and MOM refreshed its list of recognised institutions for 2026.
Diversity (C3): Your nationality counts in your favour. If Filipinos make up a small share of your company's professional staff, you score higher.
Local employment support (C4): This rewards employers who hire and keep Singaporean professionals. Your company controls this one.
Bonus points come from the Shortage Occupation List and from strategic partnerships your firm may hold.
Your employer works through the scoring. The risk lands on you.
The change that catches people out
Until this year, a pass granted before COMPASS took effect could renew under the older, looser rules for one cycle. That grace period is gone.
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From 1 July 2026, MOM scores your renewal against its January 2026 benchmarks, whatever year your original pass came from. Three things shifted:
The C1 salary bar rose. MOM raises its local reference figures each year, so pay that scored points two years ago may miss the line now.
The C2 qualifications list changed. A university that counted before may not count the same today.
The C5 Shortage Occupation List lost several technology roles and gained healthcare ones. If your job no longer appears, part of your buffer went with it.
A renewal that sailed through in 2024 can fall short in 2026 with nothing changed on your end.
What to do before your pass expires
Start early. MOM lets employers renew up to six months before expiry. You want that runway if a problem surfaces.
Run the self-assessment. Ask your employer to put your profile through the COMPASS self-assessment tool on the MOM website. It takes minutes and shows your projected score.
Act on a low score. Close to 40 or below? You still have time to fix it before a rejection arrives.
Check your salary band. If you sit a little under the line for your age and sector, a small raise at your next review can lift you above it. Raise it with your manager before the renewal is filed.
Confirm your qualification still counts. If your university dropped off the recognised list, professional certifications or a longer track record with the same employer can carry weight in the wider assessment.
Keep your documents current. An expired passport, a stale address, or a job title that doesn't match your duties slows everything down and gives MOM reason to query.
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If your renewal is refused
You still have options. Your employer can appeal, and you may keep a short window to sort out your status or line up another role.
Speak to your company's HR the same day you hear.
Run the self-assessment this month, fix what you can while there is time, and walk into your renewal knowing your number before MOM tells you.
