Apply for PR Now or Later?

[SrimanVo]

My background:

Will graduate from Local Medical School in June after 4 years studying
Starting work as 1st year Doctor in July with EP (P2)
Salary ~3500
I have a bond with MOH for 5 years
I am South Asian (not Indian)

Wife
Worked in SG since March 2013 in consulting firm
EP P2
MBA from US
My wife is Vietnamese

We don't have kids.

My Dilemma:
Option 1: Was thinking of applying as soon as possible since we want to settle here long term (as of now, that would be about September 2014 for availability).


Option 2: Alternatively, I was thinking of waiting until next year July when I have a higher salary (~4500/mo) and also full registration as a doctor. We may have one child by then as well.

The issue is that we don't want to "waste" a whole year either if we can apply earlier.

We are caught in a dilemma as when to apply of these two options.
What do you think our chances are for option 1 vs 2? And if we get rejected in option 1, does it hurt our chances when applying in option 2?

Thank you all very much for your help!

[the lynx]

The sooner you apply, the higher is the chance for rejection.

Try staying for 3 years (or get three years of tax assessment) then apply. So your option 2 is actually better than option 1 because you will have higher salary (but I'd advise you to stay longer to prove that you're here for long term.)

[PNGMK]

Don't apply. Being a PR limits your salary and expat benefits.

[taxico]

singapore med school + doctor job + MOH bond + potential full registration & hospital residency makes for a compelling case for ICA's approval, imo.

the fatal flaw being... you have a rather portable degree from duke... (i assume it's identical to having completed med school in NC?)

does ecure have any opinions on this?

p/s: congrats on finishing med school!

pp/s: welcome to hell!

[midlet2013]

I suggest you apply.

I think if you study in SG and have a good profession with bond, lack of tax assessments and salary wont matter.

[x9200]

There have been people posting on this board studying in SIngapore with bonds to MOE and they did not get work passes approved not to mentioned PR.

[midlet2013]

I agree that is possible.

In this case, I feel studying Medicine is critical. Someone studing Medicine with bond is not the same as studying Engineering or Economics. Again, people in Engineering try to go for jobs in Sales/Finance which ICA/MOM may not like.

Medicine is highly country specific and some one who commits 10 yrs in Medicine in a year (study + bond) shd be given PR. Its not that easy for Medical people to migrate as it is in other professions.

I still think that in this case, there is a higher chance of acceptance than rejection.

I got my PR recently. I am an Indian, have only 6months of job before I applied. However, I have phd form singapore and work in a high skill high demand area.

There have been people posting on this board studying in SIngapore with bonds to MOE and they did not get work passes approved not to mentioned PR.