COMPASS Shortage Occupation List 2026

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) uses the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) within the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS). An Employment Pass (EP) candidate filling an eligible SOL role may qualify for C5 Skills Bonus points, subject to the role, duties and additional requirements specified for that occupation (MOM, SOL guidance).

Application period and possible five-year pass

The SOL released in November 2025 applies to new and renewal EP applications from 1 January 2026. Eligible occupations may be reviewed annually and the list is comprehensively reviewed every three years; an update does not by itself affect the validity of an existing EP (MOM, SOL guidance).

Experienced technology professionals in eligible SOL occupations may qualify for a five-year EP when they also meet the additional requirements for the occupation and the application satisfies MOM's conditions. A role appearing on the SOL is therefore not, by itself, a guarantee of C5 points or a five-year pass; listing is not automatic C5 points and not automatic five-year EP eligibility (MOM, SOL guidance).

Occupation matching and evidence

The candidate should select an eligible job title in the EP application, generally matching the occupation stated in the MyCareersFuture advertisement unless an exemption applies. MOM may require relevant qualifications, relevant work experience or registration proof, depending on the occupation. The declared job duties must correspond to the SOL occupation; the list is not a general endorsement of an applicant or employer. Employers should treat the title as one input to a complete application, not as a shortcut around COMPASS, salary, advertising or other Employment Pass requirements (MOM, SOL guidance).

Applicants should not ignore occupation-specific qualifications, experience or registration requirements: these additional checks remain part of the SOL application boundary even when the job title appears on the list (MOM, SOL guidance).

How occupations enter and leave the SOL

MOM and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) create the SOL in consultation with sector agencies and tripartite partners. MOM says the selection considers an occupation’s strategic importance to Singapore’s economic priorities, the degree and nature of labour shortage, and the sector’s commitment to developing a local pipeline that can address shortages over the medium term (MOM, SOL guidance, checked 10 September 2026). This is a policy-selection process, not a direct application route for an individual to have a preferred job title listed.

Occupations may be added or removed once a year to remain responsive to market conditions, so the annual additions or removals can change future applications; MOM says the SOL is comprehensively reviewed every three years. A change to the list does not affect the validity of an existing Employment Pass. The list’s review cycle therefore describes future application rules and labour-market policy, not a retroactive cancellation of a pass already granted (MOM, SOL guidance, rechecked 12 September 2026).

The SOL is not work-pass approval: inclusion can inform an application, but MOM still assesses the complete EP and COMPASS requirements. MyCareersFuture matching, job duties and additional requirements remain part of that assessment; employers must not ignore job duties or additional requirements.

Tripartite selection is not an individual appeal route

MOM and MTI consult sector agencies and tripartite partners when deciding which shortage occupations reflect strategic importance, the degree and nature of labour shortage, and the sector’s commitment to building a local pipeline. The current MOM guidance says people may contact the relevant supporting agency to share feedback on the SOL, but that feedback channel is not an application for a personal job title to be listed (MOM, SOL guidance, rechecked 12 September 2026). A candidate’s route remains the employer’s EP application: select the eligible occupation, align it with the advertised role unless an exemption applies, provide any required qualification, experience or registration evidence, and satisfy the wider COMPASS and EP rules. This keeps policy-level labour-market review separate from case-level work-pass assessment.