Singapore’s global talent visa holders grew to 8,500 in 2025: MOM
Most employees with One Pass work in three sectors, including financial and insurance services
Add BT as a preferred sourceAnnabeth Leow
[SINGAPORE] Holders of a visa for top global talent have more than doubled in number since the Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass (One Pass) was unveiled in 2023, numbers from Acting Manpower Minister Jasmin Lau showed on Wednesday (Aug 5).
There were some 8,500 One Pass holders in December 2025, up from 6,300 in end-2024 and 3,600 in end-2023.
Seven in 10 of these pass holders worked in just three sectors, namely financial and insurance services, information and communication, and professional services.
Meanwhile, holders of the Tech.Pass visa – which was launched in 2021 and will soon be phased out – numbered a stable average of around 200 for the last three years, Lau added.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced in this year’s Budget that a new One Pass (AI and Tech), designed specially for tech sector applicants, will replace the Tech Pass from January 2027.
“The steady growth in the number of One Pass holders reflects the attractiveness of these passes to global talent,” she said in a written reply.
“They have contributed expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and biomedical sciences.”
Nominated MP Terence Ho had filed a parliamentary question asking for the profile of One Pass and Tech.Pass holders, as well as how the government assesses the effectiveness of these passes in drawing global talent to plug key skills gaps in the workforce.
Separately, 6.6 per cent of the 62,300 Dependant’s Pass (DP) holders who are married to holders of certain work passes – such as the Employment Pass (EP), S Pass and One Pass – were working as at December 2025.
Another 1.8 per cent were business owners, Lau disclosed.
Holders of the One Pass – which is valid for up to five years and can be renewed – must meet a monthly salary threshold of at least S$30,000 or have other outstanding achievements.
The growth in employees with the One Pass in the last three years outpaced a dip in EP holders for the same period.
MOM figures showed that the number of EP holders fell to 203,300 in end-2025 – or about 12.4 per cent of the total foreign workforce – from 205,400 in December 2023.
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