Study in Singapore Student Visa 2026

This spoke covers the Singapore student visa path. For the full country guide, see Study in Singapore.

What Happens After Graduation? (No Dedicated Post Study Visa)

Unlike Germany, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Ireland, Singapore does not offer a dedicated post study work or job search visa. Graduates who want to stay and work must secure a job offer and transition directly into a work pass, most commonly the Employment Pass:

• Employment Pass minimum salary (2026): SGD 5,600 a month for non financial sectors, SGD 6,200 a month for financial services, with confirmed increases to SGD 6,000 and SGD 6,600 respectively taking effect from January 2027
• COMPASS points system: since 2023, salary alone isn't enough. Applicants must also pass a points based assessment (COMPASS) evaluating qualifications, salary relative to age, and the employer's overall workforce diversity and local hiring record
• S Pass (a lower tier option): for mid skilled roles, requiring a minimum salary of SGD 3,300 a month for general sectors, SGD 3,800 for financial services as of 2026, rising to SGD 3,600 and SGD 4,000 respectively from January 2027, though this comes with employer quotas and a monthly levy
• The MOE Tuition Grant bond: if you accepted the tuition subsidy, your 3 year work bond with any Singapore based employer runs independently of, and generally alongside, whichever work pass you secure

This is a meaningfully different model from the rest of this guide. There's no buffer period to job search freely without a work pass already lined up, so building your job search timeline into your final year of study matters more here than in countries with a dedicated graduate visa.