Singapore Post-Study Work Options & Graduate LTVP Guide 2026
Updated August 2026 guide to staying and working in Singapore after graduation. Covers the 1-year graduate LTVP, current EP salary and COMPASS rules, S Pass thresholds, work restrictions and MOE Tuition Grant obligations.
Statutory Overview & Academic Framework
International students who complete an eligible course at an Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) in Singapore may have a pathway to remain in Singapore while looking for employment. Completion of a Student's Pass course does not automatically convert the Student's Pass into a work pass. Upon completion, the Student's Pass must be cancelled and the former student may be granted a Short-Term Visit Pass for up to 89 days. A graduate from an ICA-listed IHL who wants a longer period to look for employment can apply for a 1-year non-renewable Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) under ICA's graduate-seeking-employment category. ICA's current LTVP application page allows eligible graduates to apply through the non-Singpass option of the ICA e-Service; the application is assessed by ICA and is not an automatic entitlement merely because a person graduated. The LTVP itself does not authorise ordinary employment. Once a graduate receives a qualifying job offer, the employer must apply for the appropriate MOM work pass, such as an Employment Pass (EP) or S Pass, and the graduate may only start work when legally authorised under the relevant pass. For new Employment Pass applications in August 2026, the Stage 1 EP qualifying salary is at least S$5,600 per month outside financial services and S$6,200 in financial services, with higher age-based thresholds for older candidates. An EP applicant must also pass COMPASS unless exempt; COMPASS requires at least 40 points. Under current Criterion 2 rules, degree-equivalent qualifications from Singapore's Autonomous Universities can receive 20 C2 points. The original page was too narrow in stating that only NUS and NTU receive 20 C2 points: MOM's current top-tier C2 treatment also covers Singapore's Autonomous Universities as a category, including NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, SIT and SUSS. A recognised foreign top-100 university can also receive 20 C2 points, subject to MOM's current list and verification requirements. The S Pass qualifying salary for new applications in August 2026 starts at S$3,300 outside financial services and S$3,800 in financial services for candidates aged 23 or below, and rises progressively with age. A graduate's qualification does not guarantee an EP or S Pass because the employer, salary, COMPASS, job, quota/levy and other applicable MOM requirements must also be satisfied. Graduates who accepted an MOE Tuition Grant may separately have a 3-year service obligation in a Singapore entity; that obligation is a separate education-subsidy contract and does not create a special work-pass exemption or streamlined MOM approval. This page therefore separates immigration status, job-search stay, MOM work-pass eligibility and MOE Tuition Grant obligations instead of presenting them as one automatic post-study pathway.
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Post-Graduation Immigration & Visit Pass Rules
Upon course completion, the Student's Pass must be cancelled.
After cancellation, ICA states that the former student may be granted a Short-Term Visit Pass for up to 89 days.
This short-term stay is not the same as the 1-year graduate LTVP.
ICA currently lists a graduate from an Institute of Higher Learning seeking employment in Singapore as eligible to apply for an LTVP.
1 year
Non-Singpass option through the ICA e-Service.
ICA assesses LTVP applications based on the applicable immigration framework and individual circumstances.
The original phrase 'graduates from all six Autonomous Universities can apply for a 1-year STVP' was wrong. The relevant pass is an ICA Long-Term Visit Pass, not a one-year STVP, and eligibility extends to the broader ICA-listed IHL category.
The original page limited the graduate pathway to the six Autonomous Universities. ICA's current IHL list is broader.
The S$30 Multiple Journey Visa fee applies where applicable.
The 1-year graduate LTVP should not be described as a universal S$135 mandatory cost because the S$30 visa fee is conditional.
Work Restrictions & Pass Conversion from LTVP
The graduate LTVP is a stay/job-search status, not an automatic employment authorisation.
A graduate who wants to take up employment must have the appropriate MOM employment authorisation before starting work.
The prospective employer applies for the relevant work pass, such as EP or S Pass, where the graduate meets the applicable eligibility criteria.
The original page was correct that a graduate should not simply start working while holding only the job-search LTVP, but it incorrectly framed the pathway as though an EP or S Pass were guaranteed once a qualifying job offer existed.
MOM Employment Pass (EP) & 2026 Salary Thresholds
S$5,600 per month for a candidate aged 23 or below, increasing progressively with age to S$10,700 at age 45 and above.
S$6,200 per month for a candidate aged 23 or below, increasing progressively with age to S$11,800 at age 45 and above.
The original page described S$5,600 and S$6,200 as one universal graduate salary threshold. MOM's current EP qualifying salary increases progressively with age.
Meeting the EP qualifying salary is a separate Stage 1 requirement. A candidate cannot compensate for failing Stage 1 merely by scoring enough COMPASS points.
Degree-equivalent qualifications from the current top-tier institution category, including the top 100 universities based on QS World University Rankings, Singapore Autonomous Universities, and certain highly recognised institutions endorsed by relevant agencies, can receive 20 COMPASS C2 points.
Other degree-equivalent qualifications comparable to a UK bachelor's degree, and qualifying recognised professional qualifications, generally receive 10 C2 points where they meet MOM's stated conditions.
Where C2 points are needed, the employer must submit the candidate's qualifications and verification proof with the EP application.
NUS is included in MOM's current C2 top-tier institution list.
NTU is included in MOM's current C2 top-tier institution list.
Singapore's Autonomous Universities as a category are included in the C2 20-point treatment, subject to the current MOM rules and qualification verification.
Singapore's Autonomous Universities as a category are included in the C2 20-point treatment, subject to the current MOM rules and qualification verification.
Singapore's Autonomous Universities as a category are included in the C2 20-point treatment, subject to the current MOM rules and qualification verification.
Singapore's Autonomous Universities as a category are included in the C2 20-point treatment, subject to the current MOM rules and qualification verification.
The original claim that 'top 100 global universities like NUS and NTU' alone determine C2 points was incomplete. MOM explicitly includes Singapore's Autonomous Universities in the 20-point C2 category.
COMPASS is an employer-level assessment as well as a candidate-level assessment. C3 and C4 depend on the employer's workforce profile.
Eligible roles on the Shortage Occupation List or eligible firms/programmes can receive additional COMPASS bonus points under the applicable criteria.
COMPASS exemptions exist, including candidates with fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500, certain overseas intra-corporate transferees and roles of 1 month or less.
A degree from a highly ranked university does not guarantee EP approval.
MOM S Pass & 2026 Salary Thresholds
The qualifying salary increases progressively with age, reaching S$4,800 at age 45 and above for new applications under the current schedule.
The qualifying salary increases progressively with age, reaching S$5,650 at age 45 and above for new applications under the current schedule.
The original S$3,150 S Pass figure was outdated for new applications in August 2026. The current new-application threshold is S$3,300 outside financial services and S$3,800 in financial services for candidates aged 23 or below.
Transitioning from Student's Pass to Work Pass
| Step | Title | Desc |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Complete your course and cancel the Student's Pass | After course completion, the Student's Pass is cancelled. ICA may grant a short-term stay of up to 89 days. |
| 2 | Apply for the graduate LTVP if you need longer job-search time | Eligible IHL graduates can apply to ICA for the 1-year non-renewable graduate LTVP. |
| 3 | Search for qualifying employment | Use the graduate LTVP period to seek employment. The LTVP itself does not create ordinary employment rights. |
| 4 | Employer applies for the appropriate work pass | Once employed, the employer submits the relevant EP or S Pass application and must satisfy all MOM requirements. |
| 5 | Start work only after lawful work authorisation | Do not commence ordinary employment merely because the employer has submitted an application. Follow the MOM approval/issuance requirements. |
| 6 | Maintain the correct immigration and work-pass status | After the work pass is issued, the work-pass terms govern the employment. If the graduate's stay status changes, follow the applicable ICA and MOM procedures. |
Tuition Grant Service Obligation
The MOE Tuition Grant service obligation is separate from EP/S Pass eligibility.
Singapore Permanent Residents and International Students who accept the applicable Tuition Grant generally have a 3-year service obligation in a Singapore entity after graduation.
Completing the Tuition Grant service obligation does not automatically streamline, guarantee or exempt the graduate from MOM work-pass requirements.
Recipients should use the current MOE Tuition Grant & Scholarships system and the applicable institutional/MOE process to update employment details and manage service-obligation matters.
Approved deferment can affect when the service obligation is served, but deferment is not automatic merely because a graduate enters another course of study.
Liquidated-damages calculations can depend on the amount of Tuition Grant received and the portion of the service obligation already completed.
tgs.moe.gov.sg Online Portal & Admin Process
ICA's current graduate-LTVP page allows eligible graduates to apply through the non-Singpass option of the ICA e-Service.
The current ICA graduate-LTVP listing does not state that a Singapore Citizen or PR sponsor is universally required for this category.
ICA's general LTVP page states that most LTVP applications are processed within 6 weeks when documents are complete, although some applications may take longer.
The graduate LTVP is non-renewable.
The employer or employment agent applies to MOM.
A graduate cannot independently convert the LTVP into an EP without an employer-sponsored MOM application.
The employer applies for the S Pass.
A graduate cannot self-convert the graduate LTVP into an S Pass.
Required Documents & Application Checklist
A generic 'STVP extension slip', mandatory degree scroll and TGOnline registration form should not be treated as a universal post-study document bundle. Requirements depend on the pass and application involved.
Common Misconceptions & Application Pitfalls
Practical Action Checklist
Key 2026 Academic Updates & Policy Context
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
1 January 2026 | MOM's current EP salary thresholds for new applications are S$5,600 outside financial services and S$6,200 in financial services at age 23 or below, with progressive age-based increases. |
1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026 | The S Pass qualifying salary for new applications is S$3,300 outside financial services and S$3,800 in financial services at age 23 or below, with progressive age-based increases. |
24 August 2026 | The current graduate LTVP remains a 1-year non-renewable ICA pass for eligible IHL graduates seeking employment, while MOM's EP and S Pass salary and COMPASS rules apply independently. |
1 January 2027 | MOM's announced EP minimum qualifying salaries rise to S$6,000 outside financial services and S$6,600 in financial services, with higher age-progressive thresholds. S Pass new-application minimums also rise to S$3,600 outside financial services and S$4,000 in financial services at age 23 or below. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Official Statutory Sources & Verification
Becoming a Long-Term Visit Pass Holder
Current official graduate-LTVP eligibility, application channel, fees and general LTVP rules.
Student's Pass Holder Post-Course Completion
Official confirmation that after Student's Pass cancellation a former student may be granted up to 89 days of Short-Term Visit Pass and can apply for a 1-year non-renewable LTVP to seek employment.
Institutes of Higher Learning — Student's Pass
Current official list of eligible IHL categories, including six local universities, five polytechnics and specified offshore institutes.
Eligibility for Employment Pass
Current EP Stage 1 qualifying salaries, COMPASS 40-point pass mark and Criterion 2 qualification rules.
List of top-tier institutions under COMPASS Criterion 2
Current MOM list showing NUS, NTU and Singapore's other Autonomous Universities within the current top-tier C2 framework.
Eligibility for S Pass
Current S Pass qualifying salary by age and sector and other eligibility requirements.
Foreign Workforce Policy Announcements
Official 2026 announcement of future EP and S Pass salary increases taking effect in 2027.
Tuition Grant & Scholarships
Current MOE Tuition Grant administration and service-obligation information.
Statutory Benchmark Metrics
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