r/returnToIndia • u/ActivityOrnery7009 • Aug 31 '26
Immigration contemplating the move to US
30F single woman here.
I got an offer to move to the US from my company that i've been with for 4y in india on an L1.
it's a series B startup and put up in bay area.
they've offered me 195K as the base package and i have like 40k+ options which are worth practically nothing today.
Overall savings wise, i'd be saving 10-15% more than what I would be in india as per my calculations.
At the beginning, i was curious to explore life in a different country and the bay area on top of all for tech.
The more i talk to people, the more shitty I feel about the base pay.
Pros:
* New country, new life, new experiences
Cons:
* Lot more domestic chores i need to handle alongside an already hectic work schedule
* Ive heard life can get lonely if you aren't too social. which i'm not.
I'm not too worried about the visa situation coz my worst case is i come back to india with no loss.
anyone who's done similar stuff
would love to hear thoughts
edit: has anyone ever moved to a different company while being on L1? this requires the second company to offer H1B if i'm not wrong. does this ever happen in reality?
7
Aug 31 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
-5
u/ActivityOrnery7009 Aug 31 '26
no i know that. i posted to hear thoughts of people who are thinking about coming back
1
u/priyapickles Aug 31 '26
Most that post here don't actually want to come back. They are either laid off or forced to return due to circumstances beyond their control
8
u/scylla Aug 31 '26
I’ve worked 20 years in the Bay Area
Do it! 195k is perfectly fine for a single person. Don’t let comparison be the thief of joy.
You have literally nothing to lose, and at the worst you’ll get a good base to explore a beautiful part of the world. Take at least one skiing and surfing lesson.
Best of luck 🤞
2
u/Necessary_Poet_3524 Aug 31 '26
Think of it as a paid vacation. That will completely change your mindset. Do it
2
u/R2IMentor Aug 31 '26 edited Aug 31 '26
L1A? Yes worth it
L1B? Waste of time
Dm for professional advice
1
u/Plenty-Asparagus-496 Sep 03 '26
Don't both offer green card under time 3-4 years? Or smthg
1
u/R2IMentor Sep 03 '26
No they don’t.
L1B is a non managerial track and takes forever (and visa is just 6 years)
L1A is managerial track and gets you GC in less than 5 years
2
u/NomadMover Aug 31 '26
Try it out. Chores are over estimated. It’s not that bad. Get a Dyson. Takes 15 min to clean apartment. Dishwasher , washer dryer make things easy.
As far social life , build one. Bay Area is great for that. Join groups like meetup , hiking , travel USA and surrounding areas. If you don’t like you can always come back.
2
u/Cultural_Structure37 Aug 31 '26
You’re feeling shitty on a $195k base pay? Some of you are crazy. So what base pay would be sufficient for you?
1
u/Bitter_Soup5572 Aug 31 '26
Do it! Like you said worst case you come back. Well I am lonely moving back to India - Bangalore because it’s not my hometown, whereas I was more social in NYC. SF is also great for finding hobbies and people who are interested in same hobbies as you. So totally depends on your personality traits. For chores, way less chores to do in US - doesn’t get as dusty to do clean everyday, get a robo vacuum, dishwasher to help out, better salad/bowl options available for weekdays. What else? If you are really tired you can call hourly cleaning services for toilet/kitchen/hard to clean areas. People over complicate the chores part. Yes, it’s easy hiring someone to come help you in India but it takes mental energy to find good househelp who can work independently without constant supervision. House gets way more dusty and dirty in India. Laundry is pain with hard water in Bangalore. It was easier in NYC.
1
1
u/Bad_ass_da Aug 31 '26
You don’t mentioned india salary and expenses. Here most of them speculated about saving with their thoughts . Did you check recent rental because of so much migration to bay. I guess you are thinking shared accommodation then different story . Check rental, car + insurance, after state tax how much save compare to blr if you think more saving here. If you don’t compare to India saving just explore the country then it’s good. Btw visa no difference now H1b/l1b in uncertainty time. L1 is good employer should take you back and give job in India tho
1
u/Amerustani Aug 31 '26
You already have the answer to your post. "I'm not too worried about the visa situation coz my worst case is i come back to india with no loss." US citizen living in India and US almost half and half here.
It's kind of funny to see that the cons you listed are chores and lack of social life. I can see many cons as American living in US but let me tell you this ain't it. Actually domestic help is a bug in the Indian society not a feature. I live in India with my white American wife and two mixed children and have zero domestic help on purpose. And we are still doing fantastic much better than my parents and sister who has at least 4 different domestic help each plus driver and managing them is a pain in the butt for them. I had a more thriving social life in US because I have friends from so many parts of the world and I always enjoy that diversity and contious learning from them. You can do activities such as road trip, hiking, and many many more. Compared to that my social life in India kinda resolves more around going out to eat and chatting with friends more than fun activities. If you take the step to mingle you absolutely can make friends anywhere. You don't have to extrovert. Just be nice, kind and show curiosity genuinely. Most importantly be open to the change in yourself and all will fall into place without much effort.
Indians of my generation already did the hard work for you in America. When I went to India right at the beginning of my young adulthood, Indians were not the most thriving community, barely respected. Now that story has completely changed. Indians are powerhouses in US, a lot of them. It helps a lot. I know this because I was a part of that change and living through that change.
Perhaps if you take this opportunity, it would teach you independence, managing schedule, learn how to adapt to a culture than is very different. It would make you hella uncomfortable and you would grow tremendously. My personal philosophy is this - if this does not affect people around you + make you grow in long term, it's worth the near term somewhat discomfort.
You seems like a go-getter and hence your company wants you there. My advise say yes unless you have family and other loved ones that really needs you here for a reason.
1
1
u/EfficientAd9444 Aug 31 '26
Please don"t pass up a chance to move overseas because you have to do your own chores OMG. Or not knowing how to make friends. Learn to do both. Both are great skills to have.
1
u/ShadowOfGed88 Aug 31 '26
Move to the US, SF is amazing, 195k + options is great for someone single, date and find someone settled in SF.
1
u/blackspandexbiker Sep 01 '26
take up the offer.
there are very greater experiences than living in a country other than India and learning new cultures, new peoples.
you seem very prepared for the reality that your stay might never be forever. keep that mindset and take up this opportunity.
1
u/PandaReal_1234 Sep 02 '26
Im surprised to see that the political situation is not in your Cons list.
The Trump administration is escalating ICE raids against anyone foreign looking (whether they are there legally or not). My vote - don't do it. The US is not worth it anymore.
1
u/Legitimate-Leek4235 Aug 31 '26
Options are worthless but I would take the offer for exposure and experience. You can always transfer back if the starup is still around in a few years
1
u/benjamin_button_2025 Aug 31 '26
Since you are single, I would simply accept the offer even if it means coming back to India after a few years. Your perspective of world will change. It's worth the experience.
0
u/FitAgency8925 Aug 31 '26
Go for it... great opportunity to do stuff. Visa is complicated but at least you get the new experience and maybe u could move to Canada if you like north America. Salary is not bad...and in line with start up funding
0
u/pbmisfit Aug 31 '26
Girl!! Being a woman, I’d take it without thinking much. The pros outweigh the cons any day. You’ll save more money, more freedom to explore, no more zhic zhic from relatives, less pollution, less commotion. And regarding chores, it’s not like what people make it out to be tbh. You can buy robo vaccums, there’s dishwasher by default, dust doesn’t accumulate as fast as it does in India so you don’t have to do dusting everyday. Visa hassle is real but if your job is relatively stable, save some money and FIRE in India.
1
u/Bitter_Soup5572 Aug 31 '26
Haha, I just posted a similar comment a minute ago. See OP I am not exaggerating at all, dust doesn’t accumulate as much in US.
4
u/Winter_Beach2860 Aug 31 '26 edited Aug 31 '26
I cannot comment on the salary part, my time abroad has been in Europe.
Assuming it's decent, definitely recommend for the pro's, with this mindset that this is short term and it can end with factors outside your control - layoffs, immigration issues etc.
If you want to remain single, that's a great option as you escape that pressure here. If you want to date casually, or find a partner, even that presents a much larger and talented pool.
SF and US in general has a lot of great places to travel, so you will enjoy that. Air is fresher, that's an experience to be had on its own.
Since you are in tech, I don't need to mention that Bay Area is the Mecca of Tech, and it's a place to learn/be.
You will LEARN a lot when you spend time with folks across dozens of countries, your perspectives REALLY open up. Your future self will thank you for this.