Singapore will roll out a new visa track for top artificial intelligence and technology professionals in January 2027. The new pathway will come under the Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass, also known as the ONE Pass. It will replace the existing Tech. Pass, which was introduced in 2021.
Manpower Minister Tan See Leng announced the move in Parliament on March 3 while sharing the Ministry of Manpower’s spending plans. He said the aim is to attract “pinnacle talent” in critical and emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
Income and Experience Requirements
Under the new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track, applicants must have earned at least S$30,000 per month in the past year. This follows the existing ONE Pass income requirement. At least S$22,500 must be fixed monthly salary. The rest can come from vested non-cash components, such as employee stock option plans and employee share ownership.
The Ministry of Manpower said this recognises that top artificial intelligence and technology talents may be paid partly through such non-cash benefits.
Applicants must also have at least five cumulative years of experience in a founder or C-suite role, or in a technical position such as senior software engineer. This experience must have been gained within the past 10 years from the date of application.
Their current or last-held job must be in a technology company, a technology division within a company, or a technology venture capital firm. The company must meet certain financial conditions. It must have a valuation or market capitalisation of at least US$500 million, or annual revenue of at least US$200 million, or at least US$500 million in assets under management. Technology companies that have raised at least US$30 million in funding will also qualify.
Replacing Tech. Pass
The Tech. Pass required a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500 in the past year. Non-cash components were considered on a case-by-case basis. As of the end of July 2022, about 250 unique Tech. Pass applications had been approved by the Economic Development Board.
The Tech. Pass is valid for two years and can be renewed once for another two years if the criteria are met. In comparison, the ONE Pass is valid for five years and can be renewed for another five years each time.
The ONE Pass was introduced in 2023 and is meant for top talent across sectors such as business, arts and culture, sports, academia and research. Dr Tan said more than 8,000 people are currently on the ONE Pass. He said, “We will continue to remain globally connected and open to talent that can complement our skilled local workforce, while reducing reliance on foreign labour where there is scope to raise productivity.”
At a briefing on February 27, a Ministry of Manpower spokesperson said the aim is for ONE Pass (AI and Tech) holders to generate new activities that create not only economic growth and business opportunities, but jobs for Singaporeans. The spokesperson also said that no target number of visas has been set and approvals are not expected to be large due to the high eligibility thresholds.
Other countries have also introduced new visa schemes for technology talent. China launched its K visa for young graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. South Korea introduced a “top-tier” visa to attract professionals in high-tech industries such as semiconductors and biotechnology.
