Singapore EP Application Education Requirements and Education Verification Requirements

When applying for Singapore EP Employment Pass (EP), education/degree is a key factor in the COMPASS system scoring. Applicants can earn points by meeting specific education requirements, thereby increasing their application approval rate. However, to ensure the authenticity of degrees and meet Singapore's assessment standards, education/degree verification is an important step in the application process. This article will detail the education requirements in Singapore EP applications, verification methods, and how to complete education verification through officially recognized channels.

Education Requirements in Singapore EP Application

According to Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) COMPASS system, education is included in the scoring assessment. Different education levels or degrees can earn corresponding points. The following are the education scoring criteria:

Education/Degree Category	Points
Top-tier Institutions (e.g., QS World University Ranking Top 100 universities, Singapore autonomous universities, etc.)	20 points
Bachelor's Degree Equivalent (e.g., assessed as equivalent to UK bachelor's degree through internationally recognized institutions)	10 points
No Equivalent Qualification	0 points

1. Top-tier Institutions – 20 points

Applicants who graduated from the following categories of institutions can earn 20 points:

QS World University Ranking Top 100 Universities: If the applicant graduated from a world top 100 university (such as Oxford University, Harvard University, etc.), they can earn the full 20 points.
Singapore Autonomous Universities: Such as National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), etc., also fall under this category.
Highly Recognized Institutions in Specific Fields: For example, institutions with high reputation in certain professional fields can also earn full points.

2. Bachelor's Degree Equivalent – 10 points

If the applicant's education is assessed as equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree, they can earn 10 points. MOM refers to standards from internationally recognized institutions (such as UK ENIC) to confirm whether foreign qualifications are equivalent to UK bachelor's degrees.

3. No Equivalent Qualification – 0 points

If the applicant's education cannot be certified as equivalent to a bachelor's degree, this item scores 0 points. Even if the qualification is from an MOM-recognized institution, if it is not assessed as equivalent to a bachelor's degree, no points can be earned.

Singapore EP Application Education Verification Requirements

To ensure the authenticity of education and degrees, applicants must submit education proof through designated verification methods. Since September 1, 2023, MOM requires applicants to verify their education through the following channels:

1. Background Check Company Verification

Applicants can verify their education through third-party background check companies. These companies are responsible for contacting the applicant's institutions to verify the authenticity of education information. The following are common background check companies:

These companies provide global education verification services to help ensure the authenticity of degrees and education certificates.

Background check companies that can verify qualifications in selected countries/regions:

GPC Gateway (Japan)
Verity Intelligence (Australia, Malaysia, UK, USA)

2. Government/Awarding Institution Verification Portals

Applicants can verify through verification portals provided by governments or degree-awarding institutions. For example:

USA: National Student Clearinghouse – Provides online verification services for degrees and courses.
UK: UK ENIC – The UK's national agency for the recognition of international qualifications and skills, providing assessment and verification services for international qualifications.
Australia: AEI-NOOSR – Australia's qualification verification agency, providing qualification inquiry and verification.
China: For Chinese applicants, education verification needs to be done through CHSI (China Higher Education Student Information). CHSI provides inquiry and verification services for Chinese university degrees and academic certificates, and is China's officially designated education verification portal.

Contact our customer advisors to receive a free China Education Verification CHSI operation guide.

3. OpenCerts Portal

OpenCerts is Singapore's open platform specifically for verifying degrees and certificates issued by local educational institutions. Through the OpenCerts portal, applicants can submit education verification information, and the system will automatically verify its authenticity. OpenCerts is particularly used for education verification of degrees issued by Singapore local universities, polytechnics, etc.

Summary

Education verification in Singapore EP applications is a key component of the COMPASS system. By completing education verification through background check companies, government verification portals, or the OpenCerts platform, applicants can ensure the authenticity of their education and earn corresponding COMPASS scores. However, even without earning points through education, applicants can still obtain sufficient points to apply for EP through other means (such as salary, job fit, etc.).

If you have questions or need help completing education verification and EP application, please feel free to contact our professional team. We will provide personalized support to ensure a smooth application process.