Singapore opens new entry path in bid to lure AI and tech leaders

The country announced plans to introduce a new AI and Tech track of the Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass (ONE Pass), to replace the existing tech pass that was introduced in 2021 to draw foreign technology workers to Singapore.

The new track, which will take effect from January 2027, will have a five-year duration rather than the two-year span of the old tech pass, bringing it into alignment with the broader work permits for other high salary workers.

This new track is intended to attract even more experienced professionals across a broader spectrum of technology and digital industries. While the previous two-year tech pass required applicants to earn a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500 (approx. US$17,500) per month, the new system imposes a higher threshold of no less than S$30,000 per month for the 12 months immediately preceding the application.

The salary requirement is applied with greater flexibility as it expressly recognises varied compensation structures common in the technology sector - such as stock options and other equity-based remuneration - which may also be taken into account in meeting the salary criteria for the new ONE Pass (AI and Tech).

Other requirements to qualify for the new track of the ONE Pass include enhanced criteria relating to the applicant’s employer, with applicants required to either be currently, or have recently been, employed by a technology company or venture capital firm whose employer meets at least one of the following thresholds: annual revenue of at least US$200 million; a valuation market capitalisation of US$500 million; or a minimum of US$500 million in managed assets.

In addition, applicants must have accumulated at least five years of experience in senior technical or C-suite roles within the decade preceding the application.

Mayumi Soh, an employment law expert with Pinsent Masons in Singapore, noted that the new approach would bolster the republic’s goals of attracting top talent – but warned it may also introduce new challenges for both employers and prospective applicants seeking to qualify for the new ONE Pass (AI and Tech).

“Employers structuring compensation packages for ONE Pass (AI and Tech) candidates must get the vesting schedule, cliff periods and exercise mechanisms right in their employment agreements,” she explained.

“If the non-cash component is partly what qualifies the employee for the pass, any clawback or lapse of that component could have unintended immigration consequences, which adds a layer of complexity for those applying for it.”