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:
(a) The 12 background screening companies;
(b) Online verification portals of countries’ government or educational institutions; and
(c) 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-Wage Workers”.
Administratively, employers should note that:
(a) In general, each verification check will cost between S$30 and S$60 and take one to two weeks to be processed, depending on the country the qualification was obtained from. When planning their hiring timeline, employers should allow sufficient time for the verification checks to be completed.
(b) An applicant’s qualifications need only be verified once, as verification checks are not required for subsequent EP renewals.
(c) MOM will accept verification proof obtained from the selected screening companies before 1 September 2023.
Ahead of the implementation of the COMPASS framework, MOM has launched the enhanced Workforce Insights tool on the myMOM portal to ascertain their firm’s scores on criteria C3 (diversity) and C4 (support for local employment). MOM is also developing a COMPASS guide to assist employers on the EP application process.
For any queries on the COMPASS framework, please contact our Employment Law partners.
Click on the following links for more information (available on the MOM website at www.mom.gov.sg):
- MOM Press Release titled “12 Background Screening Companies Selected to Verify Educational Qualifications in Employment Pass Applications”
- Rajah & Tann Singapore April 2023 Legal Update titled “Updates for Employers of Foreign Workforce: COMPASS Bonus Criteria, Enhanced Mandatory Medical Insurance Coverage”
