Master prompt
EP rejection — appeal to MOM (3-month window)
Employment Pass refusal under COMPASS framework. Appeal lodged by employer; rebuild diversity / salary / qualifications case. 3-month statutory appeal window.
SingaporeEPRefusalAppealMOMCOMPASS
Employment Pass refusal under COMPASS framework triggers a 3-month appeal window during which [EMPLOYER_NAME] (not [CLIENT_NAME]) may submit a structured appeal to MOM Work Pass Division. The appeal is filed via MOM EP Online by the sponsoring employer.
Refusal letter was issued [REFUSAL_DATE] citing: [REFUSAL_REASON]. Today's date determines days remaining; verify deadline before drafting.
Draft an EP appeal strategy for [CLIENT_NAME] hired by [EMPLOYER_NAME] as [POSITION] at S$[MONTHLY_SALARY_SGD]/month. Qualification: [CLIENT_QUALIFICATION]. Employer diversity: [EMPLOYER_DIVERSITY].
§1 — DECODE THE REFUSAL REASON (130-160 words)
MOM refusal letters typically cite one or more of:
(a) "Application did not meet prevailing criteria" — generic; usually COMPASS point shortfall
(b) "Salary not commensurate with qualifications and experience" — salary inadequacy
(c) "Concerns regarding the candidate's qualifications" — degree authenticity or recognition
(d) "Concerns about employer's workforce composition" — diversity-point failure
(e) "Job role not commensurate with the candidate's profile" — role-match concern
For [REFUSAL_REASON] = [details]:
• Identify the dominant axis
• COMPASS-point reconstruction — recompute the 6 criteria (Salary, Qualifications, Diversity, Local Employment, Strategic Economic Priorities, Strategic Skills Shortage) and identify the failing dimensions
• Quantify gap to 40-point threshold (or 20 if employer is Strategic Economic Priorities / SSL qualifying)
Note: MOM does NOT publish COMPASS scores on refusal letters. Practitioners reverse-engineer from disclosed data and known thresholds.
§2 — COMPASS POINT RECONSTRUCTION (150-180 words)
Recompute [CLIENT_NAME]'s likely COMPASS scoring:
C1 — SALARY (max 20):
• S$[MONTHLY_SALARY_SGD] vs sectoral PMET salary benchmarks (MOM publishes annually):
- At or above 90th percentile: 20 points
- 65th-90th percentile: 10 points
- Below 65th percentile: 0 points
• Recompute: where does [MONTHLY_SALARY_SGD] sit in [POSITION] sector benchmarks?
C2 — QUALIFICATIONS (max 20):
• [CLIENT_QUALIFICATION] from world-ranked / SG-recognised institution: 20 points
• Degree-equivalent from non-ranked: 10 points
• No degree: 0 points
• Top-tier (e.g., IIT / IIM / NUS / NTU / global top 100): 20 points
• Need authentication via the QF (Qualification Framework) recognition list
C3 — DIVERSITY (max 20):
• [EMPLOYER_NAME]'s share of [CLIENT_NAME]'s nationality vs sector:
- Below 25th percentile (most diverse): 20 points
- 25th-50th percentile: 10 points
- Above 50th percentile: 0 points
• For [EMPLOYER_DIVERSITY] = "Indian-concentrated": likely 0 diversity points if Indians > sector median
C4 — LOCAL EMPLOYMENT (max 20):
• Employer's local employment vs sector median
• Penalises low local-hiring employers
Bonus C5/C6 — Strategic Economic Priorities + Skills Shortage:
• C5: 10 bonus points if employer in EDB-recognised strategic sector
• C6: 10 bonus if role on SSL (Shortage Skills List)
Target: ≥40 points. Identify which criteria can be moved.
§3 — APPEAL STRATEGY — LEVERS TO PULL (150-180 words)
Once gaps identified, structure appeal:
A. SALARY INCREASE
• [EMPLOYER_NAME] increases offered salary
• Most direct lever — move from 10 → 20 salary points
• If [MONTHLY_SALARY_SGD] currently at 65th percentile, restructure offer to clear 90th percentile
• Cost to employer is real; counsel on retention vs cost trade-off
B. QUALIFICATIONS EVIDENCE
• If [CLIENT_QUALIFICATION] not on automatic QF-recognised list, submit:
- Equivalency assessment from approved verifier
- Institutional accreditation evidence
- Published rankings (QS / Times Higher Education) for institution
• For Indian degrees: many recognised; some unaccredited universities flagged
C. DIVERSITY — CASE FOR EXCEPTION
• Critical role / unique skill
• Submitted with hiring plan to increase diversity prospectively
• Employer's commitment to recruit locals + hire non-concentrated nationalities going forward
• Acknowledge concern + present remediation
D. LOCAL EMPLOYMENT
• Employer evidence of local hiring (CPF records, FCF Job Bank submissions)
• If new SME, contextualise
E. STRATEGIC ECONOMIC / SKILLS LIST
• Argue role qualifies for SSL bonus
• Provide sector evidence (Singapore ICT-Talent Pipeline, etc.)
§4 — APPEAL LETTER STRUCTURE (130-160 words)
[EMPLOYER_NAME] submits via MOM EP Online appeal facility:
"To: MOM Work Pass Division
Re: Appeal against EP refusal — [CLIENT_NAME] (FIN reference)
Refusal letter dated: [REFUSAL_DATE]
§1 — INTRODUCTION
[EMPLOYER_NAME] respectfully appeals the refusal of the EP application for [CLIENT_NAME], [POSITION]. The role is critical to [EMPLOYER_NAME]'s [strategic/operational] mandate.
§2 — RESPONSE TO REFUSAL GROUNDS
[Address each cited reason from refusal letter point-by-point]
§3 — ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE
Submitted with this appeal:
• Revised salary structure ([CURRENT → REVISED])
• Qualifications recognition documents
• Local employment record + hiring plan
• Role criticality memo from senior management
§4 — COMMITMENT TO DIVERSIFICATION (if applicable)
[EMPLOYER_NAME] commits to:
• Hiring [X] additional local PMETs in the next 12 months
• Reducing concentration of [CLIENT_NAME]'s nationality from [Y]% to [Z]%
§5 — CONCLUSION
We request reconsideration in light of the above.
Signed,
[EMPLOYER_NAME] authorised signatory
Date"
§5 — TIMELINE + PROCESSING (60-90 words)
• Appeal lodged by [EMPLOYER_NAME] within 3 months of [REFUSAL_DATE]
• Processing: 3-8 weeks (longer than initial application)
• Outcomes: Approved / Refused-again / Request for further info
• If refused again: no second-level appeal mechanism; option is fresh application after material change in circumstances (new role / employer / salary)
§6 — PARALLEL TRACK (40-60 words)
While appeal pending:
• Do not file fresh EP application — flagged as duplicate
• Counsel [CLIENT_NAME] on alternative employers
• Consider whether [CLIENT_NAME] qualifies under ONE Pass / Personalised EP (different thresholds)
• If urgent operational need: short-term business visit on Visit Pass (no work permitted)
End with: "DRAFT EP appeal strategy — MOM-licensed Employment Agency or Singapore-qualified lawyer review recommended. Verify current 3-month appeal window + COMPASS thresholds at mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eligibility — revised periodically. Most material appeals lever is salary increase to clear 90th percentile sector benchmark."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt