COMPASS Framework: MOM Announces List of Companies to Verify Educational Qualifications of Employment Pass Applicants

On 30 June 2023, the Ministry of Manpower (“MOM“) announced that 12 background screening companies have been selected to provide services for employers to verify educational qualifications of their Employment Pass (“EP“) applicants.

By way of background, the Complementarity Assessment Framework (“COMPASS framework“) requires EP applicants to obtain a minimum of 40 points under six criteria. Where a new EP applicant relies on points earned under criterion C2, which relates to the applicant’s qualifications, employers must provide verification for diploma-level and above qualifications. This can be obtained through the methods set out on MOM’s website, namely:

1. The 12 background screening companies;
2. Online verification portals of countries’ government or educational institutions; and
3. Digital certificates issued by educational institutions and verified through the OpenCerts portal.

The COMPASS framework, and therefore the verification requirement, will come into effect on 1 September 2023 for new EP applications and on 1 September 2024 for renewals. More details on the COMPASS framework are set out in our March 2022 Legal Update titled “Key Changes to Policies for Foreign Workforce, Lower-WageWorkers”.