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ANLIAN GROUP

Services · Work Visa · Tech.Pass

Tech.Pass — administered by EDB, not MOM.

Tech.Pass is a work pass for senior tech operators relocating to Singapore. It is administered by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) — not the Ministry of Manpower — which means a different evaluation framework, a different lodgement channel, and a different renewal mechanic from EP, ONE Pass, and other MOM-administered passes. Anlian Group prepares Tech.Pass applications under MOM Employment Agency licence EA20C0327: candidate diagnostic against EDB criteria, scale-up evidence assembly, Singapore activity narrative, and lodgement coordination with EDB. Approval rests with EDB.

Eligibility criteria

Tech.Pass requires both a salary threshold and a scale-up tenure threshold.

  • Salary: last drawn fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500.
  • Scale-up tenure: lead role at a tech company that meets at least one of:
    • Company valuation of at least US$500M;
    • Funding of at least US$30M raised within the past 36 months from a reputable VC or PE fund;
    • A product with at least 100,000 monthly active users.

EDB evaluates the totality of the candidate's tech credentials, not a checkbox sum. The narrative — what the candidate built, what they will build in Singapore — is as important as the numerical thresholds.

What an engagement covers

  1. Candidate diagnostic — career history, last-drawn salary, scale-up tenure evidence (valuation, funding, MAU), Singapore activity intent.
  2. Scale-up evidence assembly — funding documentation, valuation references, MAU data sources, role-and-responsibility evidence at the qualifying company.
  3. Singapore activity narrative — what the candidate intends to do in Singapore, who they will hire, what they will build. This narrative is closer in spirit to a venture pitch than to a corporate work-pass file.
  4. Application packet preparation and lodgement via EDB's Tech.Pass channel.
  5. Clarification responses through the EDB decision window.
  6. Post-approval — Singapore presence setup, accompanying Dependant's Pass packaging.
  7. Renewal preparation — initial pass is 2 years, renewable for an additional 2 years subject to substance evidence at renewal.

Common confusions worth clarifying

Tech.Pass is not a MOM pass. It is administered by EDB through a separate scheme. The issuing authority, the evaluation criteria, and the renewal mechanics differ from MOM-administered passes. The Tech.Pass holder still has Singapore work-pass rights, but the supervising regulator and the renewal evidence base are EDB's, not MOM's.

Salary threshold is necessary, not sufficient. Meeting S$22,500 is a gate. Without verifiable scale-up tenure (valuation, funding, or MAU evidence at a qualifying company), the salary alone does not establish Tech.Pass eligibility.

Tech.Pass vs ONE Pass is a real decision. Some senior tech operators qualify for both. The choice depends on intended Singapore activity, employer mobility needs, and family situation. We map the trade-off in the diagnostic call.

Read more

For the Tech.Pass-vs-ONE-Pass decision specifically, see Tech.Pass vs ONE Pass: Which Singapore Visa Should AI/Tech Founders Apply For?. Parent pillar: Work Visa Hub. Sibling pages: Employment Pass (EP) and ONE Pass.

Next step

Schedule a Strategy Call → or Request a proposal →