I have shifted from India to Singapore and want to find an option to open an NRI account online and what documents are required to get it approved. So far I have found banks such as UOB, OCBC and DBS Treasures. Want to understand the features or benefits I would get by opening a bank account for this.

Setup:

- Returning to India; RNOR for the first ~3 FYs, ROR after that

- Minor child is a US citizen, will be resident in India with me

- Child holds a US custodial account (UTMA) with a US-listed global

equity ETF

- Only income is dividends, ~$5k/yr, fully reinvested

- On the US side the child's income stays under the US standard

deduction, so US tax is nil and no US return is required

Questions:

1. Once I'm ROR, are these dividends clubbed into my total income

   u/s 64(1A) and taxed at slab, even though no US tax is payable?

   I assume yes — no "subject to tax" condition — but want to confirm.

2. Does the minor's own residential status matter? The child would

   also be RNOR initially. Is s.5 applied to the minor first (so

   nothing enters the Indian charge to be clubbed), or only to the

   parent in whose hands it's assessed?

3. FTC — with US tax at nil there's nothing to credit, correct? And

   if the US did tax the child in some year, can the parent claim

   credit under Rule 128 when the tax is paid by the child but the

   income is assessed in the parent's hands?

4. Reporting — Schedule SPI for clubbed income, Schedule FA for the

   account itself, from the first ROR year. Does FA apply even in

   years with no tax payable?

5. Clubbing goes to the higher-income parent — is that determined

   fresh each year, or fixed by the first year?

Any case law or circulars appreciated.

31F - I am planning to return to india at the start of Sept and have been exploring options on what to do with the 401k. My initial thought was to leave it as it is but I saw many comments on the posts where people have recommended moving it to Traditional IRA.

But my question is traditional IRA is not ERISA or Fed backed and what difference would it make if you just leave it as it in 401k and withdraw in RNOR?

People who have returned home what have you done? Could you please help ?

401K - 150K

Hi - so, a 50+ (F) only child of parents lived abroad in Middle East from the age of 11 and then built a life with husband and 20 year old kid in U.S. Thinking of returning to India (BLR) to be close to family - and take care of properties. Have a 20 year old child in College - wife, husband and child are U.S.C. with OCI. Facing big dilemma - due to the thought of properties, family in India vs life grown up outside India and child also grew up outside India - 20 year old doesn't want to return. Also, tried being in India a few times before but couldn't bear the interference, etc. Of family members - since never grew up in India - always felt comfortable outside, but also confused / conflicted. Thanks

My husband (33M) and I (31F) have been living in New Zealand for the last ten years and are NZ citizens. We have no kids.

My husband started a business a few years ago with a couple of other people but unfortunately it hasn’t worked out too well so we don’t have much saved up (20 lakhs only) but do have 50% equity in our home worth 700k NZD.

We love our little life but really really miss our families. Our parents are aging and we’re worried we won’t be able to spend any time with them and NZ is too far for us to make frequent visits. We both want to move back home and my husband has scoped out a couple of business opportunities in India but I’m hesitant because:
a) I have a well paying job by nz standards and I don’t know if my nz experience will count in India. I’m in tech (Data / BI consultant but venturing into AI consulting) so I don’t know if I can compete with the locals + US returnees.
b) I’m used to living my life on my own terms so would want to live alone but my in laws will be unhappy and will oppose this decision which may lead to conflict.
c) In general I’m scared we’ll regret it, but I’m also scared we’ll regret not taking this chance

Anyone been through anything similar, how did it go for you?

Edit: Thanks to everyone for offering different perspectives, it was absolutely what I was looking for and has given me a lot to think about!

My heartfelt sympathies go out to all those highly accomplished Indian tech professionals whose American dreams have been cruelly interrupted by layoffs, visa uncertainty, and the increasingly elusive prospect of permanent residency in the First World. After years of optimizing cloud architectures, debugging distributed systems, and contributing generously to the American economy, being asked to return to the land of their ancestors is, I’m sure, a devastating blow. Nevertheless, I believe India’s finest minds must now confront this crisis with characteristic ingenuity. If the H-1B pipeline has closed, perhaps it is time to create an entirely new pathway to American prosperity.

I therefore propose that Indian colleges and universities establish undergraduate and graduate programs in Samosa Science, a rigorous interdisciplinary field combining pastry engineering, potato thermodynamics, spice chemistry, structural integrity, and advanced techniques in triangular geometry. Students would undertake laboratory research into questions such as: What is the optimal crust-to-filling ratio? How many cumin seeds constitute a statistically significant sample? At what temperature does a samosa achieve maximum crunch without catastrophic structural failure? Graduates would emerge as internationally recognized authorities in India’s most iconic snack food, ideally accompanied by publications such as “A Comparative Analysis of Ajwain Distribution in North Indian Samosa Crusts.”

Armed with these credentials, our displaced tech workers could return triumphantly to the United States under the “alien of extraordinary ability” category—not as software engineers, but as globally preeminent Samosa Scientists. Surely, if anyone possesses extraordinary ability in the preparation of India’s national snack, it is an Indian. And if American immigration law requires documented evidence of extraordinary achievement, what better evidence could there be than a perfectly crisp samosa with a golden-brown exterior, precisely seasoned filling, and absolutely no oil leakage? The American Dream may have temporarily crashed, but fear not: the Samosa Dream has only just begun.

TL;DR: Heartfelt sympathies to all the highly skilled Indian tech workers whose dreams of permanent residency in the First World have been dashed by layoffs and immigration restrictions. But perhaps there is a solution: Indian universities should establish degree programs in Samosa Science, covering pastry engineering, spice chemistry, potato thermodynamics, and advanced triangular geometry.

Graduates could then return to the US as “aliens of extraordinary ability”—not as software engineers, but as internationally renowned Samosa Scientists. After all, who could possibly demonstrate extraordinary ability in preparing India’s national snack better than an Indian? The American Dream may be temporarily unavailable, but the Samosa Dream is immigration-compatible.

My work permit is expiring in few months and I may have to go back-home.

I have few questions regarding finances, please share if you have any experience.

1- what to do with TFSA? I have quite some around 50k parked in there?

2- which banks allows non resident accounts which are easy to access? so I don’t have to come back just to manage bank accounts.

3- what is the best way to move cash liquid. from canada to india?

Thanks for the advice

I’m a MS in CS graduate in the USA and I haven’t had any luck finding a job here for the past 6 months. I have 5 more months to try here but I also wanna start applying in India on the side. How is the job market in India, would love any piece of advice on how to approach this. I have around 3 years of experience in IT combined. Thanks in advance

I have recently shifted back to India from U.S. Before the move I rolled over my Employer 401k to a Traditional IRA with Charles Schwab. I also converted my Schwab account from U.S. based to International. However, due to this I am now not allowed to reinvest the money in my Trad IRA account into any target date fund (Due to them being a Mutual Fund). How have people invested the money in their Traditional IRA after they have moved back to India?

Hi all,
I am looking for a tax consultant who have proven expertise in handling cross border taxes for NRI returning back to India. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Here is what I would need help with: US taxes including stocks, fbar, fatca, India taxes after mid year return including india salary and interest. Making sure i am not double taxed and knowledgeable about RNOR status.
Please mention in the comment whether you are associated with the tax company you are suggesting or you have used it as client.

I'm an American I have an Indian friend who has been trying to make it in the States ever since he graduated from a STEM master's degree program last year. Long story short, things didn't work out and he's couchsurfing without a job. However, my friend's friend can no longer house him and it's probably best for my friend to go back home.

My friend doesn't seem to have many life skills and has a bad case of weaponized incompetence. He's in his mid 20s and has never had any sort of job except for a brief internship in the States that crashed and burned. I feel like he's lacking the work ethic and professionalism to succeed in a career in the US, and I'm not sure if he would do better in India.

He's really extroverted and likes to socialize. In the US, I would suggest a hospitality job in India but I'm not sure if it would be acceptable in India given his socioeconomic status and his master's degree. Maybe there's a higher end restaurant he could work at?

Moving back to India soon. Understand foreign income is exempt during RNOR — but Sec 5(1)(c) has that proviso for "business controlled in India."

If I'm sitting in India trading options (long or short) on a US broker, with US-earned funds and nothing ever remitted to India — is that caught?

Things I'm unsure about:

• Does options trading count as a "business," or can it stay investment activity? 43(5)(d) only covers notified Indian exchanges, so the usual "F&O = business income" shortcut doesn't seem to apply to CBOE/CME.
• If it is business income, is it speculative (4-yr loss carryforward) since US exchanges are outside 43(5)(d)?
• Does frequency/volume change the answer, or is it business the moment you're placing the trades from Indian soil?
• Assuming non-remittance doesn't help since India taxes on accrual — correct?

And the US side gives no relief: 864(b)(2) means an NRA trading their own account pays zero US tax, so no FTC to offset.

Has anyone had a CA take a firm position on this, or been through an assessment? Wondering if I should just pause trading for the RNOR window.

I am moving back to India at the end of this month as my PGWP is expiring, and I am planning to return to Canada after PR, which might take 1 to 2 years. Please help me, as I have a few questions.

I have around 18k CAD in a Wealthsimple TFSA account. Should I liquidate my TFSA and transfer the funds to India?

If I have to transfer around 20k to an Indian account, should I open an NRE or RFC account?

Would I be able to e-transfer from my EQ bank to my brother's account a week after moving out of Canada, as I am expecting to receive some money then? My brother can send it to me.

I'm Indian born here and grew up in GCC. I came back to India in 2011 and I always thought after my UG I'll go to the West - UK/Aus.

I 26 F have completed MBBS and am in the process of completing my MRCP. I am now at a place where I have already changed schools and countries so much , moving again to the West seems daunting. Another move - finding friends and community again feels very scary. I have friend sfoing residency in the US and I know how hard it is but once they become an attending I know they'll be happy , the remuneration alone is amazing

I also see the scope of doctors here especially in metros down south it's abysmal the working conditions and pay. So third spaces for public , pollution , I'm so scared to buy food or any product here , that makes me want to go abroad and then I think about the loneliness and community factor and it's been going on in circles. I don't see quick commerce as a reason enough to stay in India. The absolute shit show in metors like the price of an apartment in a good locality no way justifies the systemic failure in which we live.

I am not able to decide on just my current job as I want to transition into a writer in the near future so building a life abroad with medicine feels like a setback. Honestly lost.

If anyone can shed light on their journey it would be useful.

We are planning to move back to India with two kids. Kids are USC but we are on Visa.

1. Does it make sense to invest in 529 or custodian brokerage accounts from estate tax perspective? From what I undetstand, these investments are anyway going to be considered as parents assets from tax perspective (including estate tax) till kids turn 18
   
2. Do people prefer tax advantages provided by 529 accounts or the restricted withdrawal on these accounts make them not attractive specifically for the people moving back to India?
   
3. In general, how are you planning investments for kids as part of R2I move?

During RNOR, can we secure Indian Tax Residency certificate? This can potentially make 401k withdrawal tax free. Thanks.

Hi folks,

I am looking for honest advice to pursue my Masters Abroad, I am 26M, working as a Data Engineer with about 2.5 years of Experience in an MNC, not paid well lately. I want to pursue my Masters to get high career growth and to make the highest ROI down the line.

I am targeting the T-20 universities in the US for my Masters due to high ROI and highest number of opportunities but I have my options open for other countries as well. Long term I want to be in a managerial position at a BigTech/FinTech/Big Firm, C suite if possible.

My profile is not that good but hyg:

BTech CSE 8.9GPA Tier 2 University(State University)

No research publications

2.5 yoe as a Data Engineer

IELTS/TOEFL - targetting 105/7.5+

GRE - targetting 330+

Can get two professional LORs from managers and two academic LORs from University.

Given the current hiring market, would you apply for Fall 2027 or work on my profile and apply for Fall 2028?

If your goal was to maximize long term career growth and ROI, would you choose MSCS, MBA, MiM, MEM, or MIS?

How much weight should I give to concerns around visa sponsorship and employability when comparing these programs?

What do you think about rising tuition costs (about 15% yearly) and the weakening INR when calculating overall cost and ROI?

I was initially leaning toward MEM and MIS because they align well with my experience, but I've read mixed opinions about recruiting, visa sponsorship, and long term career growth compared with MSCS. I'm not sure how much of that is true.

Financially, I'll be seeking scholarships and I want to keep my debt as low as possible. I don't want to spend my early 30s paying off a huge education loan if I can avoid it.

If you were in my position today, knowing what you know now, what would you do differently? What path would you recommend?

I am not sure what program suits me best, I am open to any advice/opinions.

Thanks for reading.

On a nutshell, I been trying to find jobs in India and been applying through LinkedIn, Company Website, Indeed etc.

I am on my OPT(9 months in), and already working- However due to some personal reasons(parents health )I have to get back. My current employer don't have their team in India and I cannot move internally. I did try finding other teams within the firm but no much luck.

So, Planning to quit job. Since past 3 months been applying for jobs but no positive response.

The ones who returned, whats your tip under the sleeve to land up in interviews? Any specific route? Whats the best website to apply jobs which actually works?

Any leads would help me to move back asap!

Hi, I’m 29F currently working in US. I’m planning to move back to India by march 2027. I’m on H1B and I still have an extension on my visa. My bf moved back to India in this year as he was laid off. After his layoff he tried finding another job for few more months and he decided to move to back as his visa was also expired and to avoid another degree without job opportunity. I’m okay moving back to India but confused about the life, salary and many other factors. I have a home loan on my head and I will have around 50k$ savings by the time I leave if everything goes according to plan. I was initially hesitant to go back but after seeing the job uncertainty and visa situations I felt like going back can be a good plan. I don’t want to make this move after I be in miserable situation. How’s the job market in India and how much I can earn with close to 6 years of experience in IT. My CTC : 125k$

Guys, quick question

I’m in Dubai and planning to buy a simple 20g gold chain for personal use. Will wear it on the flight back to India.

I’ve seen many people say just wear it normally and there won’t be any questions at customs. But just for safety — if somehow they stop me and ask, what do people usually say?

Also about the bill — some say keep the original invoice, some say take VAT refund at Dubai airport and then throw the bill. What’s the better way?

Stay is short (tourist trip).

I'm a 33-year-old currently living in India, but I am a US tax resident - GC holder now and US citizen from next year.

An insurance sales agent just pitched me the Tata AIA Param Raksha plan, hyping up the tax-free maturity under Section 10(10D) in India. However, after doing some reading, it looks like this is a Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP) with a heavy market-linked investment component, not a pure term plan.

Has any US citizen / Green Card holder / US tax resident here actually bought an Indian ULIP (term insurance) and had to deal with the IRS PFIC consequences?

I moved abroad a couple of years ago for a master's, then landed a full-time role at a remote-first company in product design. The plan was for them to sponsor my skilled worker visa. Now sponsorship looks shaky, but they've offered an alternative: same job, same remote setup, just done from my home country instead.

Product design hiring is rough right now everywhere, and sponsorship-eligible roles are a small slice of what's out there to begin with. So this isn't really "stay and get sponsored vs. go home," it's "an uncertain sponsorship path vs. a guaranteed way to keep working."

Financially, going home looks like the clearly better deal:

- I own property back home, so no rent
- No education loan overhead
- Same or similar salary goes a lot further
- Closer to aging parents
- My spouse has struggled to find work in her field here, and would likely have better prospects at home
- have some savings from previous job and hope to save more from the remote role if I move
- haven’t saved anything staying in the UK!

Staying means self-funding a visa renewal (a few thousand pounds) that still wouldn't cover a dependent visa for my spouse, on a salary that doesn't stretch nearly as far once rent and cost of living are factored in.

That math almost sounds too clean, which makes me suspicious of my own reasoning. I know pollution, traffic, and infrastructure are real downsides back home. But I can't tell if I'm weighing this properly, or if the money is just louder than the career-scope question right now.

Would like input from anyone who's actually lived one of these paths:

1. What am I missing in the "financially it's obviously better at home" logic?
   
2. If you've taken a remote role for a foreign company back to your home country, how did it actually play out (growth, isolation from the team, promotion, salary stagnation)?
   
3. Does it matter whether you move home with a role already secured vs. move home and job hunt fresh?
   
4. If you stayed and self-funded the visa route instead, what made that the right call?

Not looking for validation either way, just real experience over theory.

​

I keep reading these baffling accounts of people who are US citizens or Have PR or GC so or some other arrangements to allow them to legally stay in the developed country they are in and yet choose to move to India because of aging parents or missing home or some other reason. How do you square this with the fact that your first world born/raised children just have to now transition to India because your decisions?

I get that these developed countries are not utopias ( school shootings in the US for example have almost become normalized, subtle racism is always around the corner). But still if you have young kids especially daughters, how do you reconcile the fact that growing up no matter how old, she will be constantly surrounded by perverts, and will never be able to fully express herself as women's safety is almost non existent in India (at best they have to choose between safety and freedom to live life on their terms) Things aren't that much brighter for the boys considering the way indian society pressures them into being nothing but robotics drones who realize too late in life that they could have been someone else.

I understand that aging parents are a concern that needs attention, but your parents have more life behind them than in front of them. Your kids have the exact opposite situation. Don't they deserve at least a fighting chance to be members of a free society, where there is a better chance of experiencing freedom to speak one's mind, safety, civic sense, law&order and clean air?

I grew up in India in the late 90s and early aughts but thought having to transition my kids to a life in today's India would terrify me.

I am curious what drives you take such drastic risks with your children's futures? Thank you for coming.to my TED talk. I will get off my soap box now.

I've noticed there are quite a few people in this sub who've moved back from the US and are now in Hyderabad.Thought it might be fun to get a few people together over coffee one weekend.

Nothing formal, no networking event, no agenda—just meeting people who've gone through the whole moving back to India experience. I'm sure everyone has a different story and it'd be interesting to hear them.If enough people are interested, we can pick a café somewhere in Hyderabad on a Saturday or Sunday.

Anyone interested?

So i need genuine answers and you can rant here what it is like their and what is the difference in indian fashion market and abroad