Moving to Singapore to attend Duke-NUS; Possibility of getting PR for lower tuition?

[sibby_44]

I am a Canadian citizen about to graduate with a B.Sc from a Canadian university. I have always wanted to become a doctor, so I followed the standard Canadian track: B.Sc first, then MD. Then I met my Singaporean boyfriend and I began to reassess my grand plans for life. We have been talking about marriage lately, and I can see myself starting a life in Singapore with him. I don't want to give up my dream of being a doctor, but the typical Singaporean track is undergraduate medical school. That ship has already sailed for me. Singapore does, however, have an American-style graduate medical school. Unfortunately, tuition rates for international students are crippling. But rates for PRs are significantly lower.

Some things about me:
I am a 23yo female
I am a Canadian citizen
I currently live in Canada
My mother is a Singaporean citizen/Canadian PR (and my father is a Canadian citizen)
I lived in Singapore for 6 months in 2015 while attending NUS as an exchange student (Student Pass)
I lived in Singapore again for 4 months in 2017 for an internship (Temporary Employment Pass)
My boyfriend of 2 years is also a Singaporean citizen (completing a Master's at NUS)

It is no longer possible to apply for PR as the child of a citizen (age limit is 21), so the only potential routes are as the spouse of a citizen (we have been talking about marriage recently), or as an employment pass holder (need to find employment first). I don't mind delaying my enrolment by a few years if it means lower tuition and some time to work and become more financially stable.

What sorts of factors go in to the decision to grant PR? I certainly have ties to Singapore and would like to spend my life there. However, I am afraid our marriage would be deemed out of convenience (and perhaps rightfully so), causing my application to be rejected. If I am serious about moving to Singapore and eventually attending Duke-NUS, should I start by planning a wedding?

[PNGMK]

Marriages of inconvenience has been a hot topic but that should not stop you from legitimately getting married.

However the chances of this working a multiples of chances (PR, marriage success, application at duke, chances of getting scholarships yadda yadda). There's also the time issue - starting from today the earliest you can realistically get PR is 3 to 5 years away IMO. IF you have a clear pathway to doing an MBBS in Canada that is financially affordable I would hesitate to abandon it for a much riskier pathway.

I would check if you can complete a MBBS in Canada and then qualify/specialize in Singapore.

Taxico is our resident Medico and can probably give some ideas on other pathways. There are plenty of foreign doctors here so there must be a logical path for you that doesn't involve lying, cheating, subterfuge and all other other qualities we expect in a medical doctor.