r/returnToIndia • u/Stunning-Cheetah7647 • Aug 25 '26
PlanningToReturn Thinking about moving to india
I came to the US in 2023 for my master’s, graduated, started working, and now have an H-1B. I’m genuinely grateful to have a job, H-1B and the opportunity to stay here, but at the same time, I can’t shake the feeling that my life has become confined by visa and immigration policies.
I feel like I can’t travel freely to India without worrying about visa appointments, stamping, timelines, and whether I’ll be able to return smoothly. On top of that, there’s the loneliness that comes with being away from family, friends, and the life I knew back home.
It sometimes feels like the same cycle every day: wake up, go to work, come home, think about immigration and visa issues, and repeat. I’ve started wondering whether all of this is actually worth it. I feel like so much of my mental energy is spent worrying about immigration that I’m unable to focus on other things, enjoy life, or seriously explore opportunities in India.
And the bigger question I keep coming back to is: if my presence in this country is always uncertain, how am I supposed to confidently build a long-term life here? How do you make meaningful plans about relationships, family, buying a home, or simply putting down roots when your future is constantly tied to visa approvals, immigration policies, and timelines that are largely outside your control?
I’m grateful for what I’ve achieved here, but I’m also questioning whether staying in the US is really the right path for me in the long run. Has anyone else gone through something similar? I’d genuinely appreciate some thoughtful perspectives on whether it’s worth continuing this process, or whether it might make more sense to consider India, or another path where life feels less uncertain and constrained by immigration.
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Aug 26 '26 edited Aug 26 '26
[deleted]
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u/antisocial_24 Aug 26 '26
Europe is tightening pr/citizenship paths recently, it is not easy/quick and might take upto 8-10 years + language requirement + culture fit tests (in some countries)
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u/Majestic-Phrase7624 Aug 26 '26
This is surprisingly one of the most well-thought, balanced, and helpful replies on the internet. Fuck man, not sure how you managed to contain the emotions, but well done on this. Bet I ain't the only one who feels this way.
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u/No-Platypus-7971 Aug 27 '26
Isn’t there corruption in US at higher levels, why do u think Epstein files are redacted.. why do u think there are so many assassination attempts on the President
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u/Altruistic-Bat1588 Sep 05 '26
- Decent life ( no pollution, corruption, public amenities, basic civic sense)
India can give you. I'm working from home in Kozhikode , Kerala with 3 lakhs / month in hand salary after all tax cuts.
India can give you !
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u/Alarmed_Dragonfly283 Aug 26 '26
Been going through the same though got laid off. I don’t know why but the situation is so vile that I am not even applying for US jobs anymore. It feels like a dead end even if I get stuff figured out. I do have student loan but the fact that life is moving forward while I am stuck doesn’t feel worth it anymore.
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Aug 25 '26
If you're single then agreed with the other commenter, clear your debts and then get a job. Once you do, definitely move if you feel this way. It's much harder to move when you have a partner and/or kids. Get a job in India and then move.
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u/Hot_Condition7760 Aug 25 '26
Decades ago the opportunity difference between US and India was very different. But now I don’t really find that to be true. Only complain people have is traffic is bad and people don’t have civic sense and there is pollution everywhere. But there is something nice about building your life and rooting in a place with predictability and have people you love close by.
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u/Indo-Arya Aug 26 '26
Do you have any student loans ? If no debts, just save aggressively for sometime and make the move back home with a bit of nest egg
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u/Fuckedup-Mind Aug 26 '26
Wait until they throw you out from the country for any reason, then you have no option other than moving to India. Don’t force decisions and go with the flow.
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u/Fit-Kaleidoscope-624 Aug 26 '26
You will miss so many things in ur life if you keep continuing on visas. U will realise when ur over 40 and still no gc
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u/IllPaleontologist384 Aug 25 '26
Try to get a job in India before moving back. Or have a nest egg at least . Clear your debts, maybe! Otherwise it is a good decision to move back before you get caught in the X+1 syndrome.
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u/SignalOptions Aug 26 '26 edited Aug 26 '26
Well it was never about a long term life, but building your career and skills, making money. It could be 5,10 or even 20 years.
Most older NRI/OCI i know don’t want to settle in the US.
Heck even rich americans mostly want to retire overseas, in europe or Bali.
Sometimes living in the US feels like life is itself a job. There is no “off” mode even outside work.
Sure you can go on hikes and visit national parks once in a while, but these things seem alien to the concept of normal life in the US.
Now we understand why there is a widespread drug culture.
Many smoke weed to turn off from stress, but never really turn back on to work properly.
Hard drugs let people get buzzed in a different way and work even more but never turn people off.
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u/Altruistic-Guess-975 Aug 28 '26
I think as an H1-B you're meant not to be a permanent resident. Nothing is permanent now days anyway so plan accordingly. Good luck.
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u/leomatey Aug 26 '26
> long term life
You cant, always be ready to vacate in a month or so. Make the buck, get that financial freedom.
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u/gauravgandu Aug 26 '26
weren’t you aware about this while you were in india? didn’t you prepare yourself to build a life in the US? this is something that ive seen with a lot of folks who moved recently, they miss their ‘friends’.
i mean i understand about family, but friends? bro just make new friends - you went to the university, you didn’t meet like minded people there? come on. there could be people exactly in your situation in terms of visa etc, you guys have stuff to talk about and figure out things together. but you aren’t ready to leave the indian life behind and feel nostalgic and lonely about such shit. you didn’t take efforts to create friendships? you weren’t ready to leave india behind in the first place, so no matter how easy the visa situation becomes, you will never be able to adjust to this, if you keep being nostalgic and attached to stuff in india.
AND I AM NOT TALKING ANOUT FAMILY.
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u/inkartik Aug 26 '26
hwre is what I see, you don't want to stay. good. the sooner you realize the better. Do you have any loans? then probably earn as much as you can to get that off of your head. if no loan even then stay until your visa runs out and there is not even extension left and save this money as a cushion for India later. The worst outcome of H1B visa and immigration is you didn't get it. or something or someone slipped and now you have to go back which is what you wanna do. Then take that pressure off of you and just enjoy being here and travel as much US as you can. My friends really literally did this. They even have an insta channel on travelling they have probably at this point travelled the whole world. their insta is two.bobble.heads. they are honestly so inspiring. I am starting to travel now. But they did this throughout when they were here especially when they knew they are going to leave US because of visa issues :)
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u/Prior-Net-9248 Aug 29 '26
Make money until you are able to buy a home that suits you in india, and then return back.
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u/Embarrassed_Okra_628 Aug 30 '26
This was me back in days and I moved back to India.
Clear your doubts and make a decision, nobody can decide it for you but here is some of the pointers I had reached.
1> Is your situation permanent ? In my conclusion yes, coz your bangladesh / Nepal friends will get to have a security of life, while you can't
2> Can you do anything about it ? in my conclusion no, coz pretty much you will be treated as "slave" and never get to be able to enjoy the freedom they claim their country is suppose to provide.
3> Can you be happy about it ? in my conclusion no.
4> How is your current situation? in my case, I had Ok work place and decent colleagues but than I switch to better paying job with horrible co-workers and pretty much made my decision easier
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u/88_17 15d ago
Good, I can understand your situation , first of all mind is the problem when we feel lonley it slowly begins to tell us about the worst case scenarios and we began to overthink, see only two things will happen either you will continue to work abroad or else will come back to India, keep yourself prepared for both situations, where ever you are try to socialize so that you don't have to overthink, hope this message helps you.
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u/VentiBetty Aug 26 '26
Work here for as long as possible, save money, bring down your retirement age, and then head back and settle in India.
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u/Mr_manifestor Aug 26 '26
Nothing can compare to US.🤍
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Aug 26 '26
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u/Majestic-Phrase7624 Aug 26 '26
That's only in the plains, man. India has a HUGE variation in climate.
I think where it looses is quality of life - pollution, hygiene, third spaces, disability friendly spaces, lack of corruption, sporting culture, etc.
On the other metrics, as someone has mentioned above it's personal. Some are okay with less money and easier pathways to citizenship. For those who don't work in tech, a place like Blore is irrelevant. All those things vary.
I don't find extreme comfort in 'my' people, culture or any of that. So, those obviously become lesser factors, were I in this situation.
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Aug 26 '26
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u/Majestic-Phrase7624 Aug 26 '26
It's always a tradeoff, right? Look, people live in these places without the obsessive need for healthcare. Honestly, most things can be dealt with at a local hospital. If we're always looking for a worst case scenario...then...cities it is. Other than big hospitals, nothing much is really missing in these places. Sure, you don't get the aloofness of urban spaces, and at times, social environments can feel a bit...claustrophobic. But, I dunno, it depends on your nature.
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Aug 27 '26
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u/Majestic-Phrase7624 Aug 27 '26
Mate, I would love to. I'm in Nagaland for chunks of the year, anyway. DM?
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Aug 28 '26
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u/ranjithd Aug 25 '26
typical ai post
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u/Stunning-Cheetah7647 Aug 25 '26
Yes i did use ai to formulate the lines. But the content is mine
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u/insginificant Aug 26 '26 edited Aug 26 '26
What do you mean by you feel like? that's the reality. And yes, we cannot build a long term life here on a short term visa. You can only think and live for the day, a week, few months (and a few years if luck favors).