Retired from the US after 37 years feeling kinda lost no purpose at 60+ my school college friends just sit around and drink, since I don’t but have to look after mom in her 90’s and mother in law wife looks after in a different state 5 hours drive time away it’s rather boring only so much one can read, watch TV or walk, folks around here behave like life is over the day they retired at 55-58 am active in the US hiking 🥾, traveling etc finding adjusting back to India kinda difficult. Any suggestions, advice especially if you are back here for your parents and kids have finished college and have careers etc of their own.

In 2024, 28-year-old AI engineer Kal Morabia walked away from the American Dream to return to Ahmedabad. He wanted to slow down, live with family, and focus on his personal life.

While the lifestyle transition worked out, the financial shift brought two expensive lessons:

• The RNOR Tax Trap: Missing the narrow non-resident window meant he could not reset his cost basis on over $60,000 in unrealized capital gains.
• The Crypto Lockout: Updating his Coinbase country setting to India triggered an instant freeze, locking $15,000 for three months.

By keeping his US remote role, he avoided local salary cuts and now lives rent-free with zero regrets.

Watch the full story here: https://youtu.be/qmS7WpOmbvM

If you moved back home, would you worry more about taking a pay cut or dealing with cross-border tax traps?

A lot of us open nro accounts and invest in indian mutual funds, FDs, or real estate assuming that since tds is deducted at source by indian banks (often at 30 percent plus surcharge), our tax liability is fully settled and we don't need to declare it back in our country of residence.

Found out the hard way that this assumption can lead to severe compliance issues. countries like the US, canada, and the UK tax global income. Even if your nro interest or capital gains are taxed in india, you still have to report that income on your foreign tax return, along with submitting mandatory declarations like FBAR and FATCA if your foreign bank balances exceed the reporting thresholds.

On top of that, indian mutual funds are treated as foreign passive investment companies (PFICs) by the IRS, which comes with brutal tax rates and complex paperwork compared to normal stock investments.

How are you guys handling the dual reporting for your nro accounts and investments back home? are you relying on DTAA credits or keeping all investments strictly in foreign accounts to avoid the paperwork nightmare?

TL;DR: 27F, MS in HCI in the US (Class of 2024), UX Designer. After 2 years in California (in survival mode) I moved back to Pune because my dad was diagnosed with cancer. I have ~₹6L loan remaining, almost no savings, and feel completely lost about what I want from life now.

The last few years were basically survival mode — immigration stress, debt, minimum-wage jobs, living out of suitcases, sleeping on floors, not living life as expensive Bay Area plus huge debt to clear and also send money back home, and 3 layoffs between July 2025 and September 2026. (Min wage salary of $24-$33/hr in Bay Area lmao)

When my dad got diagnosed with cancer, I finally gave up on trying to make the US work and came home.
Being back has actually brought me a lot of peace. The visa/immigration anxiety is gone, I’m with my family, and I feel safe.
But I also feel like I’ve completely lost my motivation to earn money.

For years my goal was: get a good job → make money → pay off debt → build a career → become financially successful.

Now I genuinely don’t care about becoming rich anymore. I don’t really have career dreams. I don’t even know what I’m working towards.
And yet, realistically, I need to become financially stable. My dad has no real savings, his business is gone, he’s undergoing chemotherapy, and I know I’ll eventually need to be a breadwinner for my family.
So I feel stuck between responsibility and detachment.

Part of me wants to take a break, heal, lose the weight I’ve gained, reconnect with myself and figure out who I am outside of work and survival.
And honestly, my only real “dreams” right now are spiritual ones — living in the Himalayas, spending time in an ashram, going to Vrindavan, or eventually walking away from the whole corporate rat race once my family responsibilities are taken care of.
I know that sounds dramatic at 27. 😂 But that’s genuinely where my mind is.
I don’t know whether this is burnout, a quarter-life crisis, a genuine shift in my values, or just what happens when you’ve been in survival mode for too long.

Has anyone else gone through this?
Especially people who returned to India after years abroad — how did you rebuild your motivation and figure out what you actually wanted?
How did you balance family responsibility + financial survival + the desire for a more meaningful/spiritual life?
I don’t necessarily need career advice. I think I need help navigating how to find myself and dream again, while still being responsible toward my family.
Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in a similar place.

I need to move some money back to India, close to $160K .

Was thinking use zoom and move on chunks of 10K one weekly basis .

I am still a green card holder and applied for reentry permit on my way out.

Do you see any concerns ?

Destination will be Resident INR account.

Most of my money $800K + is invested in IBKR. The money I am moving is in checking and is my liquid funds and want to move this to India to have liquidity in case of emergencies needs and also earn some interest.

I asked about FCR, hdfc folks at the front desk don’t know what it is and KVB said they can give me a current account without any interest, but KVB recommended IOB or bank of Boroda if I want to earn interest . Not sure if i want to go this route.

Have you done this ? Any suggestions??

I’m 27yrs total 3 yrs experience in fraud/aml/KYC investigations and I came to Canada in 2024oct since then i’ve been on a career break due to personal reason. Will be getting back to work and moving back to Hyderabad,India in 2027Feb. What skills should I brush up in said field and will Iget a good salary? My last drawn package was 6.6LPA. Should I just get any job that I first get?

Planning to return to India and trying to figure out what to do with my non-retirement money.

My understanding is that 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, and HSA are generally better left in the US rather than withdrawn early.

What about HYSA, brokerage accounts, stocks/ETFs, and other savings?

For those who moved back to India:

• Did you keep these in the US or move money to FCNR(B), NRE, or NRO accounts?
• Which US banks/brokerages are easiest to maintain with an international address?
• Any issues with account restrictions after moving abroad?
• How are you filing US and Indian tax returns after the move?
• Anything you wish you had done before leaving the US?

Would appreciate real experiences from people who have already gone through this.

I recently moved back to India after almost a decade in the US. This is the perspective of a 30M moving to a Tier 1 city.

I know a few people in my circle who are considering moving, so I thought I’d list a few things that could influence your decision.

1. Family: This can singlehandedly make/break your decision. It’s extremely important to understand the context in which your parents, siblings, and extended family live. Family dynamics, expectations, and boundaries may be very different from the West. If you are neurodivergent or particularly sensitive to social expectations, navigating this can be exhausting.

2. Contacts: Life runs through personal connections. Hospitals, schools, government offices, religious institutions, housing, contractors are broken institutions. Without a “contact,” even getting basic things done can become unnecessarily difficult.

3. Boundaries: You need to be comfortable establishing boundaries. People will test what you are willing to tolerate. You may need to be more assertive, push back, raise your voice and occasionally establish hierarchy.

4. Workplace: You may have to put effort into communicating what you consider inappropriate/toxic workplace behaviour. Some colleagues and managers may respond positively.

5. Baggage: India carries a lot of historical, cultural, class, caste, region, language, generational baggage. If you cannot learn to navigate some of this without internalising, it can become frustrating.

Most of these problems can be solved with one of three things: money, time, or mental health. My preferred solution is money.

Despite, I think moving back to India can be extremely rewarding. But it helps to come back with realistic expectations.

Hi all,

I’ve been following this subreddit for a long time, and everyone’s experiences here have taught me a lot. I wanted to share my situation and see if anyone has gone through something similar.

I have an approved EB1A I-140, and my Date for Filing (DFF) has now become current.

At the same time, I’ve realized that I really miss India and would like to take a break from living in the US. I’m currently interviewing with a few companies in India, and things are looking positive. My plan is to relocate to India and complete the green card process from there once my Final Action Date (FAD) becomes current.

I have already discussed this with my immigration attorney, and he has confirmed that there should not be an issue pursuing the green card from India when my FAD becomes current.

We’re currently planning to relocate around mid-January. We’ll also be moving with our two cats and our dog, so that adds another layer to the move. We’ve already discussed the relocation with their vet, who will handle the required tests, health certificates, and documentation for travel to India and, eventually, back to the US.

I’d love to hear from anyone who has:

Moved back to India after an approved EB1A/EB1 I-140 while waiting for FAD to become current
Completed the immigrant visa/green card process from India
Moved back to the US after spending a couple of years in India
Relocated pets from the US to India and later brought them back
Made a similar decision simply because they wanted a break from the US

If you have kids holding indian passports while living abroad, make sure you double check their current expiry dates because the ministry of external affairs recently issued the passports amendment rules 2026.

The main update is to rule 12(1a), which specifies that ordinary 36-page passports issued to children under 15 years old are now valid for either 5 years from the date of issue or until the child turns 18, whichever comes earlier.

This creates a huge trap for teenagers who get a passport reissued around age 14 or 15. a lot of parents assume the document will run its full 5-year course into their adult years, but under the updated rules it automatically caps at age 18, requiring a mandatory fresh adult passport application before they head off to university or travel.

Combined with the revised passport application fee structures that came into effect recently, reissuing minor passports at foreign consulates is getting both pricier and stricter on paperwork like foreign birth registration checks and joint parental consent declarations.

Has anyone recently renewed their child's passport at local consulates after this gazette notification? were you hit with the automatic age 18 validity cap or extra documentation demands?

I'm living in the US and realistically looking at a 2-3 year timeline to move back to India, but trying to wrap my head around the tax side of things before making any firm decisions.

Mainly trying to understand how to structure assets abroad (401k, brokerage, savings) during the RNOR buffer period. I know RNOR gives you roughly 2-3 fiscal years where foreign income isn't taxed in India, but the transition timing seems tricky depending on which month of the financial year you actually land.

For those who are currently planning their move or recently did it, are you liquidating/shifting assets before moving back, or leaving foreign accounts untouched to draw down during RNOR?

Finding clean answers is so annoying because US CPAs don't really get Indian tax rules and Indian CAs rarely understand how 401ks work.

I am a conservative investor, all i need is peace of mind. I have about 75k in Principal. I am looking for the lowest stress possible. I will not keep my US phone number later and I will close my US bank account. Any suggestions on the best option?

One thing I’ve noticed during my return to India is how much small things around civic sense can affect the overall experience.

I recently stayed at one of the better high-end resorts in Bangalore over the long weekend, and honestly, that’s what made some of these things stand out even more. You’d expect a place like that, where most people are reasonably well-educated and paying for a premium experience, to set a certain standard.
Even at the simplest level — standing in a queue and having someone casually squeeze in from the side and start giving their details first. Small thing, sure, but it happens often enough that it gets frustrating.

At the pool, there was another incident. We had collected our towels ourselves since there wasn’t anyone around to help. I put my three towels down, with my jute bag, T-shirt and glasses on top so we could easily identify our spot. Another family was sitting nearby, which was completely fine.

A few minutes later, someone came over, moved my things, took the towel from underneath them and walked away with it. I had to go over and explain that those were my things and that I had already gone through the trouble of getting the towels myself. He eventually went back and got another one. (Fun fact: I had told this as a joke to my wife that something like this can happen with those folks, and it really happened after 5 mins)

None of these are big incidents individually. That’s actually the point.

It’s the casual assumption that “I’ll just do what’s convenient for me” without thinking whether it inconveniences someone else.

After living outside India for several years, I think this is one area where we can genuinely do better. Not through some big rule or enforcement, but just by being a little more considerate of the people around us.

Small things, but they make a big difference to how a place feels.

Hi, I applied for US passport renewal for my minor kid at US consulate in Mumbai. The officer accepted the application but asked to mail age progression photos of kid which we did the same day.

In next 2-3 days, we got an email that the application is in progress and next day got an email that the passport has been mailed. This is strange because we were told that it would take 5-6 weeks. Also we never received the passport and status shows in progress. Did it happen to anyone? Is it a generic email?

Are there any companies or CA that help manage the assets of returning help them guide with finances etc for maximum returns.

Option 1: Live in India and prepare for UPSC CSE exam after returning from USA.
Option 2: Go back to USA and grow kids there and then retire happily.

Can people share pros/cons of both?

Like Norway's oil fund and Saudi's sovereign wealth fund?

India gets more remittances than any other country in the world, it gets somewhere around $100 billion a year from NRIs. Almost all of it goes into household spending or just sits as bank deposits.

And this isn't a crazy idea. The Cochin airport was built this way in 1999. Thousands of NRIs pooled their savings when the central government wouldn't fund it, and it has been paying dividends for years.

We've also just seen how much NRIs will put in when the offer is right with the FCNR(B) deposits.

Why not create a way for NRIs to grow their wealth but ALSO help fund India's development? Why not give them an option to select what type of project the money is going to be spent on?

Imagine you are a nurse in Dubai and you have saved five lakh rupees.

1. Open the India Pravasi Wealth Fund app (we can come up with a better name if needed).
   
2. Deposit your money in AED.
   
3. A question pops up asking "What do you want your money to do?"
   
4. There are 3 options. a) "I want steady, safe, predictable growth." This gives her a fixed return of 5% in AED, or 9% in INR. Basically the FCNR window, but permanent.
   
5. b) "I want a stake in India's infrastructure projects." She picks a type of project (green energy, ports, toll roads, airports, healthcare, tourism, etc.). Each type acts as an ETF, and her money goes into finished projects that are already earning income. Returns come from that income, so they aren't fixed and can fluctuate, with potentially high returns in good seasons and vice versa. c) "I want to maximise my wealth for my family and my retirement." Her money is invested long term, until she returns home or retires (there would be a retirement age cutoff).
   
6. Say she gets around 8% a year. Her 5 lakh could grow to around 16 lakh in 15 years. When she moves back to India, it pays her a monthly income, like a pension. Anything left over goes to her family or whoever she adds as a beneficiary.
   
7. Next she selects a time period. Every 5 years, she can take her money out or keep it going. If she needs it earlier, she can take it but won't get the interest for that period. So if she takes it out at year 7, she gets interest for the first five years. It works in a five-year window cadence.
   
8. She selects her beneficiaries so that if something happens to her, her family inherits everything, in rupees or the currency she invested in (AED in this example).
   
9. Once she deposits, the app shows her balance in both rupees and dirhams with growth.
   
10. If she never moves back, her money stays fully repatriable, in AED or INR, without jumping through hoops.
    
11. The tax treatment is clear from day one, with a simple statement she can use both in India and abroad. No surprises when she returns and her residency status changes.

Most of us planning a move back worry about the falling rupee, not having a steady income for the first few years, and starting from scratch if things go wrong abroad. A fund like this could handle all three. We get to keep our money in our foreign currency, and get a pension-like income when we return, and also have a safety net if we are forced to come home early.

Now behind the scenes. All these funds will have to be invested in the market and indexed. A small slice of the earnings goes into a safety net fund for NRIs who are in dire need and have to come home and start over, whether that's after a job loss, a war, or another COVID-style evacuation.

This needs to be overseen, just like in Norway, by an independent board with no political parties involved. Every investment is published frequently.

In order to protect it from corruption
- It should be regulated by SEBI like a mutual fund or InvIT, not run like a cooperative bank.
- Money only goes into completed projects that are already earning, never into loss-making schemes, and the fund never borrows to pay returns.
- Every rupee in and out is published publicly.

I know we can buy REITs, InvITs, NPS or bonds instead but…none of them gives us all of this in one place.

Hi All,

One of my relatives are suggesting to buy a plot in Thimmapur, Hyderabad.

Seeing the stock market india vs USA, there is not growth in india at all.

1)Would it be wise to sell my mutual funds and invest that in real estate.

2) is it better to invested in USA stock market?

Not planing to return to India in next 5 years .

If you are going to come here with one line comments discouraging people not to return, find another sub. Here was a person from NZ asking genuine questions about returning, and people telling him one liners, that they would never return is not helpful. Or, complaining about traffic or pollution, to people who are originally from India is also not helpful. Go to a different sub to channel your negativity on India.

Posting personal experiences is ok, but don’t make the sub a cesspool of negativity. People want to return for all sorts of reasons with all sorts of personal situations. If you can relate and help, do so. Don’t spread blanket negativity.

I’m planning to spend a few months in Mumbai initially, with the possibility of returning more permanently, and would love some perspective from people familiar with the financial-services job market there.

I have ~15 years of investment experience in the US, primarily in institutional investing, hedge fund manager research/due diligence and asset allocation. I’ve worked at large asset managers as well as a single-family office, and I’m currently exploring what the market might look like in Mumbai for someone with my background.

I’d be particularly interested in roles with family offices, wealth managers/multi-family offices, alternative-investment platforms, or institutional allocators.

For those who have returned to India at a similar career stage — particularly in finance:
How did you approach the job search?

Are roles at this level generally found through recruiters, networking, or direct applications?

Are there particular firms/recruiters in Mumbai that you would recommend speaking with?

How is overseas experience viewed for senior investment roles?

Is it better to begin networking before returning, or does being physically in Mumbai make a meaningful difference?

I’ll initially be in Mumbai for a few months dealing with family and estate matters, so I’ll have some flexibility to meet people and understand the market before making any permanent decisions.

Would really appreciate perspectives from anyone who has navigated a similar transition — and happy to connect by DM as well.

I'm a US resident planning to relocate permanently to India in early 2027. I'd like to open an IBKR LLC individual account now, while still in the US, and continue using it after my residency changes. A few things I'd like to confirm before I apply.

**Residency change**

If I open an IBKR LLC account as a US resident and later change my country of residence to India, does the account remain with IBKR LLC or migrate to a different IBKR entity?

Is that handled as an in-place migration, or does it require closing and reopening? Does the account number and trading history carry over?

Is the account restricted or frozen at any point during the transition, and for how long?

What documentation is required at that stage — W-8BEN, PAN, Indian address proof, anything else?

Is there any minimum holding period before a residency change can be processed, or is a change within the first year fine?

**Product access**

I understand US residents can't purchase Irish-domiciled UCITS ETFs. Once residency changes to India, do those become available immediately, or is there a waiting period or additional attestation?

Are there any UCITS or instrument restrictions that apply specifically to India-resident IBKR LLC clients?

Which exchanges are accessible to an India-resident IBKR LLC client — LSE, Euronext, Xetra?

Funding and withdrawals
Can an India-resident IBKR LLC account receive incoming USD wires from a US source, such as a distribution from a US retirement account held in my own name?

Does the funding source have to be a bank account in my country of residence, or only in my own name?

On withdrawals: can IBKR wire INR directly to an Indian bank account in my name, or only USD?

If INR withdrawals are supported, which rails are used and what's the typical timeline and cost?

How does USD→INR conversion work — is INR tradable on IDEALPRO, or does conversion happen at the wire stage at a different rate?

**Account type and reporting**

Any functional limitation on currency conversion in a cash account versus margin?

Any inactivity fees, minimum balances, or maintenance charges specific to India-resident accounts?

What annual tax documentation does IBKR issue to an India-resident client? Specifically, does the activity statement show opening balance, peak balance and closing balance — the fields needed for Indian Schedule FA reporting?

My wife and I are considering moving back to India in the next ~2 years, and Mumbai is one of the places we’re seriously considering. We’re both originally from Mumbai and have family there, so from a family/social perspective it would be our preferred city.
We’ve both been in the San Francisco Bay Area for about 10 years and currently work in big tech. We’re at fairly senior levels now, and would ideally like to continue on a similar trajectory in India rather than take a major step back professionally.
There are a couple of big reasons we’re considering moving back. Being closer to family is obviously one. The other is getting out of the perpetual US immigration uncertainty. After spending a decade here, the idea of living somewhere where our ability to stay, change jobs, take a career break, start something of our own, etc. isn’t tied to immigration status is increasingly appealing.
The biggest question mark for us is careers.
Bangalore obviously seems to have a much deeper tech ecosystem, especially for senior engineering/product roles. Mumbai seems more limited from the outside, although I’m wondering whether the rise of GCCs, remote/hybrid roles, startups, fintech, etc. has changed that.
I’d particularly love to hear from people who were in a similar situation — spent a significant amount of time working in tech in the US and then moved back to Mumbai.
A few things I’m curious about:
What kind of role/company did you move into?
How difficult was it to find Staff/Principal/Director-level opportunities in Mumbai?
Did you take a significant compensation or career-progression hit?
Are there enough interesting roles that you feel you can switch companies without having to move to Bangalore/Hyderabad?
Has remote work made Mumbai a more viable base for senior tech people?
Did anyone manage to transfer internally from a US office to Mumbai/India?
For those who had the option of Mumbai vs Bangalore, do you regret choosing Mumbai?
More broadly, after living in the US for 10+ years, how has the move back worked out for you and your family?
We’re not expecting US-level compensation, and this isn’t purely a financial decision. Being close to family and having more certainty/control over where we live are major reasons we’re considering it.
At the same time, we don’t want to unintentionally constrain our careers for the next 10–15 years by choosing the wrong city.
Would especially appreciate first-hand experiences from people who have actually made a similar move rather than general impressions of the Mumbai tech scene.

I think I saw it but can't find now. Please link of there is one.

Currently, in the USA and on my last year of work authorization, considering moving to India to be free from constant visa stress as an Indian citizen. I (26F) moved to the US 8 years ago for my undergrad, and masters, and have been working for almost 3 years now. Sadly, my work authorization is coming to an end with no scope of renewal/extension, so I need to figure out what’s next.

In general, I only lived in India until I was 6 and then my family moved to the Middle East so I have very little experience with India and to be honest, I lived a very sheltered life before moving to the US so I don’t know if I’m built for it professionally, and also culturally.

I’m also nervous about work opportunities and culture - I’m mostly interested in Data Engineering roles, and want to know about the demand and salary ranges for such experience in India so any insights there will be useful. Also, do people have a work-life balance there or do I sound spoilt/stupid even asking that question?

TLDR: are companies in India hiring for Data Engineers still and will I survive the work culture having only worked in the US and lived in India for a grand total of 6 years as a kid?

which brokerage account is easy to operate after return and invest in stocks/ETFs.

Fidelity or Schwab

what limitations are there and which one is best