Check the rejection advisory first
The employer or submitting employment agent should retrieve the advisory from EP eService. Keep the rejection date, application details and stated issue together. A salary shortfall, qualification discrepancy and employer tax issue need different responses.
MOM allows an appeal within three months of rejection. Only the employer or authorised third party that submitted the application can make the appeal. If the deadline is missed, MOM requires a new application. These rules come from its EP appeal guidance.
Identify what has changed
Prepare a short comparison of the rejected application and the facts now available. Specify the issue, the correction and the record supporting it. For example, if qualification details were entered incorrectly, reconcile the application information with the verification record; a general letter praising the candidate does not resolve that discrepancy.
- Salary or COMPASS issue: reassess accurate candidate and employer details using MOM’s Self-Assessment Tool.
- Business or role questions: explain the actual duties and provide relevant operating records if requested.
- Inconsistent records: identify the incorrect entry and the evidence establishing the correct information.
Check salary and COMPASS separately
Meeting the qualifying salary does not automatically produce the required COMPASS points. The floor varies with age and sector; the points assessment also considers qualifications and employer data. A qualification cannot waive the salary floor. Avoid proposing a salary the employer cannot substantiate or pay.
Send documents that answer the issue
Follow the advisory rather than assembling a large unrelated bundle. MOM says supporting documents and remarks are not needed in certain cases where criteria are now met or specified outstanding issues have been resolved. Unnecessary material can slow processing. Where business evidence is requested, our guide to MOM document requests explains how to organise the relevant records.
Follow up through the submitting party
MOM states that 85% of appeals are processed within six weeks. This is not a guaranteed deadline or approval rate. The submitting party can check the appeal status in EP eService. Keep any subsequent request, response and submitted version in the same application file.
For help, provide the rejection date and a summary of the advisory through our Employment Pass enquiry. Do not upload identity documents or bank statements in the initial message. We review the issue and confirm the relevant work; licensed providers handle employment agency work.
Decide whether there is a reason to appeal
Read the rejection information and identify whether new evidence or a material correction addresses the stated issue. Repeating the original application with a more persuasive introduction is not the same as resolving a salary, COMPASS, qualification or employer-evidence problem.
- Confirm the appeal deadline and who can submit it.
- List the issue, proposed correction and supporting document for each point.
- Check whether the employer and role remain the same.
- Review any changed salary against genuine payment ability.
- Keep copies of the rejected submission and the appeal.
If the facts still do not meet the applicable criteria, discuss the missing condition rather than promising success through an appeal. A change of employer or substantially different proposal may require a different application route. Read responding to MOM queries for organising evidence; an appeal remains a separate process.
Frequently asked questions
Is an appeal just a second submission of the same documents?
It should address the rejection with relevant information or correction. Check MOM’s appeal instructions and timing.
Official sources
Related guides
Enquire about an Employment Pass
Tell us whether you are applying, renewing or appealing, along with the candidate’s age, role and proposed salary.