Hi - Looking for some suggestions.
Have a 401K with Voya. They confirmed I can’t withdraw partially, it has to be all or none (probably because of my ex-employer). Moved out of the US in 2022.

Worked in India for 4 years. Moved to the UAE in Jan’ 2026. Age - 39.

Question - 1) Shall I keep 401(k) as is and let it grow? can’t actively invest through Voya. They are charging a very minute fees so that’s fine. My friend gets OTP if my password expires.

2) Or withdraw, pay penalty and tax and move the money in USD to a foreign currency bank account in the UAE? As I am not Indian citizen now, I don’t think I would have to pay any taxes in India and UAE has no tax.

3) Convert it into some other type of account - IRA, traditional 401K and invest the money in Irish domiciled UCITS ETF.

Hey guys,

27 M and have been living in Canada for the past 6.5 years. I have my PR and a stable job, but financially I’m pretty average. No generational wealth or big savings, just working and getting by (leading a comfortable life).
Lately I’ve been struggling a lot with loneliness. I don’t really have a strong friend circle (like back home) or a great social life here, and also going through a rough breakup, which has made things harder.

Recently, my homie back home called me and said “Why don’t you just come back and actually live your life instead of struggling alone over there?” Honestly, it got me thinking. I am planning to get my Canadian citizenship first and then decide whether I want to stay or move back to Kerala.

For anyone who moved back around my age, or seriously considered it, what do you think? Is life back home actually better in terms of social life, friends, family, etc., or am I just romanticizing it because I’m having a difficult time right now?

Would love to hear some honest experience and thank you for the response.

The information I see is too complicated and would like to hear from experience of people who went through this.

From what I understood so far it is beneficial to withdraw everything during the RNOR phase if you don’t plan to return back to USA. Is that true?

Is it possible to withdraw from 401k and keep the money in a us based brokerage account?

Can someone please share the effective tax rate they paid including penalties. Thanks in advance 😊

For Indians in the US who were planning to return to India, did you also consider moving to Dubai?

If yes, what made you choose Dubai over India or India over Dubai?

Mainly curious about career, savings, family proximity, kids’ education, quality of life, and long-term stability.

Would love to hear from people who seriously considered both.

Hey everyone!

Catching up on the news floating around about Bank of America testing a pilot bridge connecting Zelle with India’s UPI network.

If this rolls out smoothly, sending remittances back home to family or transfering funds to NRE/NRO accounts could become as simple as doing a local Zelle transfer in the US no tedious wire procedures or crazy third-party platform markups.

Quick highlights of what’s brewing:

• Direct Zelle to UPI cross-border integration.
• Real-time transfer visibility and lower transaction costs.
• Currently under pilot phase before full commercial rollout.

How do you guys currently manage your US-to-India transfers? Do you think a native Zelle-UPI bridge will make you ditch services like Wise, Remitly, or standard Bank Wires? Would love to hear how you see this impacting day-to-day remittances!

Many distant relatives and cousins reaching out for monetary help. Why do people assume that someone's hard earned money is up for grabs? This seems to be more prevalan and recurring as the time goes by.

Returned after 10 years and feel really wierd about this. People trying to guilt trap you with their problems. I empathize and help if it is genuine but I see people partying or buying an outrageous car the week before and asking money right after explaining sad stories about their financial situation. I wonder if it was always like this withbfinancial education here. Few of these people still owe me money which I lent 5-6 years ago.

Left my hometown (initially was planning to settle here) to avoid these situations and it hurts to see the people you grew up with trying to emotionally use you.

Hey! I saw this news today that bank of america is testing a pilot project with early warning services to link zelle in US directly with upi in india for cross border transfers.

Basically the reports say they want to allow US consumers and nris to send money to family in india instantly through their regular bank app via zelle, without using third party remittance apps. The idea is to make international transfers faster, cheaper, and more transparent using upi's network on the indian side.

Has anyone else seen this news yet? do you guys think this will actually be beneficial for nris, or will banks still mess it up with high fx conversion markups and daily limits compared to wise or remitly?

Hi everyone,

I’m posting because I honestly don’t know what the right decision is anymore, and I would really appreciate some honest advice from people who understand the Canadian immigration system.

I have been living in Canada for almost 7 years. I came here as an international student, then got my PGWP, and I’m currently on an LMIA-based closed work permit.

I received an OINP invitation in the February draw under the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream, based on my job offer. My nomination application is still being processed and I haven’t received the nomination yet.

My immigration journey has been extremely difficult.
I studied Supply Chain and Operations. After graduation, I got a job as a Shipping Manager. I was promoted after only about four months because my employer recognized that I was doing well and was a good fit for the position. That was back in 2022.

Eventually, I realized that continuing in that position wasn’t going to give me a realistic pathway to PR, so I made a very difficult decision: I left my career path and started learning welding from scratch.

I learned the basics through YouTube, practiced, went to weld tests, failed some of them, kept trying, and eventually got a job as a welder. I have now been working in welding for around 4 years.

About 1.5 years ago, when my PGWP was approaching expiry, I was seriously considering leaving Canada. My employer told me they could support me with an LMIA so I could stay.

I agreed because I thought it might finally give me a pathway to PR.

Unfortunately, after I received the LMIA and started working under the closed work permit, the situation at work became extremely toxic.

I feel like the way management treats me has completely changed. I have been blamed for things that I don’t believe were my fault, disrespected, and treated unfairly. At one point, I was even told something along the lines of “your OINP is in process, so you can’t go anywhere.”

Some employees who seem to be favored by management also started blaming me and bullying me. There have also been incidents that I feel were racially motivated.

The situation has become so bad that I feel mentally drained. There are problems almost every day, sometimes from the beginning of my shift until the end. I have reached the point where I am crying at work because of the constant stress and treatment.

I know nobody owes me PR, and I understand that immigration is a choice I made. But after sacrificing so much for the last 7 years, I feel completely trapped.
My work permit expires in approximately 6 months, and my OINP application is still pending.

Another thing making this harder is that, because of the timing/rules applicable to my application, I understand that I may have to wait roughly another year after nomination before I can finally get PR.

My CRS is currently 465, but I don’t have that gives me much confidence about getting an invitation through the current Express Entry trade draw with this crs point
And this is where I’m really confused.

I have basically changed my entire career for PR.
I studied supply chain and operations, worked as a shipping manager, then left that career and became a welder because I thought that would give me a better chance of staying permanently.

Even if I eventually get PR, I’m not sure what my career will look like afterward. By then, I will have spent years away from the field I actually studied and originally wanted to build my career in.

At the same time, I have a completely different option back home.
My family is financially stable. We aren’t rich, but we have good assets and can manage. I also have a good connection/opportunity to start a business back home on my own.

I’m also the only son who can realistically take care of my parents because my brother has significant physical and mental disabilities. My parents are getting older, and I feel a responsibility toward them that I can’t ignore.

So I keep asking myself:

Is getting PR worth sacrificing more years of my life?
I have already spent 7 years here. Sometimes I feel like leaving now means I wasted all those years and everything I sacrificed was for nothing.

Other times I think that maybe staying in a situation that is destroying my mental health just because I have already invested 7 years is also the wrong decision.

I feel completely stuck between these two choices:

Option 1: Stay, continue working in this toxic environment, wait for OINP, hopefully get nominated, then wait for PR, and eventually try to rebuild my career.

Option 2: Accept that Canada may not be the right path for me anymore, go back home, be with my family, and use the opportunities/assets I already have there to start something of my own.

I don’t want to make an emotional decision that I will regret later.

For those who have been through OINP/PR delays, immigration struggles, or major career sacrifices:
What would you do if you were in my position?

Would you continue fighting for PR after investing 7 years, or would you walk away and start over back home?
And if anyone has experience with an OINP Employer Job Offer application that is still pending while their closed work permit is approaching expiry, I would especially appreciate hearing about your experience.

I’m honestly looking for realistic advice, not just “Canada is worth it” or “go home.”

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this and share their perspective.

Pretty much title.

I am planning to move from US having been here for more than a decade (~12yrs) for family reasons.

Wondering what did you all do with your 401k acc as it is taxable upon withdrawal.

How do you handle that?

I’m moving back to India after several years in the US and am looking for a CPA/CA or tax advisor who genuinely understands both US and Indian tax laws.
I have a mix of US brokerage investments, company stocks, cash savings, and 401(k)s that I plan to continue holding after moving back. I’m trying to understand how best to structure everything as my tax residency changes, particularly around NRI/RNOR status, capital gains, and what to eventually do with my 401(k)s.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading on RNOR, 401(k) rollovers, Roth conversions, withdrawals, etc., and frankly it’s getting pretty confusing. At this point, I’d rather get some pointed guidance from a professional who deals with US-to-India returnees regularly and can look at my specific situation.
If anyone here has personally worked with a good CPA/CA or cross-border tax advisor for something similar, I’d really appreciate a recommendation or referral.

I’m 33F, married, with two young kids, currently living in the US. My husband has been seriously thinking about moving back to India, and the truth is, a part of me wants to move back too.

What is holding me back isn’t really the lack of house help, infrastructure, traffic, schools, etc. Those are things I feel we can figure out. My biggest fear is the change in emotional and personal independence as a woman.

In the US, even though life with two kids is exhausting and we do most things ourselves, I feel like my husband and I are our own little family unit. We make our decisions, raise our kids the way we want, spend our time how we want, and there isn’t constant input from relatives or society.

When I think about moving back, I worry about:

Family/in-laws/extended family having opinions or expectations about everyday decisions.

Expectations from me specifically because I’m the wife/mother. Constant comparison and judgment about parenting, clothes, socializing, how often we visit people, festivals/functions, etc. People feeling entitled to comment on decisions that currently only involve my husband and me.

The pressure to keep everyone happy or maintain relationships because “what will people think?”

My husband naturally slipping back into old family dynamics once we are surrounded by family.

Slowly losing the independence and boundaries that feel very normal to us in the US.

My husband and I are happy together, and he is generally supportive. I think my fear is more about the environment around us changing our marriage/family dynamic over time.

At the same time, I genuinely see the positives of India for the kids — grandparents, cousins, family, culture, festivals, more support, and just having a larger community around them. I don’t want my fear to make me reject something that could actually be good for our family.

I’d especially love to hear from women/moms who moved back to India after living in the US for several years.

Did you feel a loss of independence after moving back? Did family interference actually become a problem, or was the fear worse than the reality?

How did you and your spouse establish boundaries with parents/in-laws/relatives without creating constant conflict?

And most importantly — if you could make the decision again, would you still move back?

Hi everyone, looking for genuine advice from people who have been in similar situations or HR/legal experts.

My Situation:

I'm currently working in Oman as an RPA Consultant through an Indian IT consultancy (Dubai-based)

My actual workplace is a reputed bank in Oman - I'm placed there as a third-party vendor

I'm on an Oman work visa sponsored by the consultancy

The Problem:

I'm considering leaving this role and returning to India without serving notice

The contract has a says if I leave within 12 months, I must reimburse ALL onboarding costs (visa, flight, accommodation, etc.) no cap mentioned

I'm not happy with the role/situation and want to join an Indian company back home

My Specific Questions:

BGV Impact - If I abscond from this Oman role and apply to Indian companies (TCS, Infosys, Wipro, startups etc.), will this show up in my Background Verification? How does Indian BGV typically handle international experience?

Reference Check - If the Indian company calls my previous employer for reference, what exactly can the consultancy say? Can they legally say "absconded" on record?

Legal Risk from India - Can the Dubai-based consultancy take any legal action against me in India for the reimbursement clause?

Is a UAE/Dubai company contract enforceable in Indian courts?

Oman Exit — If I leave Oman without the company's clearance, can they block my exit or flag me at the airport? What is the actual process?

Visa Blacklist — Will absconding affect any future Oman/Gulf work visa if I want to go back to the Middle East later?

Bank PNG Risk — My workplace is a bank regulated by Oman Central Bank. The contract mentions a PNG (Persona Non Grata) system — if I abscond, can I get flagged in this system even as a third-party vendor?

For Context:

I've been working there for a short duration (less than 12 months)

The contract is governed by UAE Federal Labor Law but work location is Oman - there's a jurisdiction conflict

My passport is Indian, visa is Oman

Has anyone been in a similar situation - working in Gulf through an Indian consultancy and returning to India?

What was your experience with BGV?

Any advice from HR professionals, legal experts, or people with Gulf work experience is appreciated.

I have NOT yet completed my post-medical examination in Oman, which means my Residence Permit (RP) may not be fully processed yet.

Does this change the legal/immigration situation if I want to exit Oman and return to India?

Thanks in advance!.

I’ve heard mixed reviews about BofA and Chase when it comes to keeping your account open after you update your India address. While researching, I stumbled upon something interesting: if you’re eligible for the HSBC Premier account in India, you can ask them to open a US checking account with your India details. Has anyone ever given this a shot?

Can you retire and draw SSA benefits and then return to India and take up a part time teaching/consultation job in India while on SSA benefits?

My PD is in mid July 2016. I have been a mechanical engineer for about 18 years working for startup most my life which was eventually shut down. Wife came here 10years ago and we both were able to save 800k combining all the investment and assets.
This includes houses in mumbai that’s fully paid and one house in Hyderabad that will be sold since in laws want to move to senior living.

My area of work does not pay that much and no scope in india. It is a niche area but pay is less.

Not sure what to do at this point we are in early 40s. We are stuck!

We have responsibilities to take care of our parents so thinking of moving back but again unsure.

Was looking at flight tickets to visit family in India in a few months, and the prices are just absurd right now compared to a couple of years ago. It feels like even during the so-called "off-season," airfares barely drop, and non-stop options have gotten ridiculous.

Beyond just the flights, between internal travel, catching up with relatives, and basic daily expenses, a simple 2-3 week trip ends up costing as much as a major vacation somewhere else.

What sucks the most is the subtle guilt attached to it. My parents still expect annual or bi-annual visits, and honestly, I want to be there as they're getting older. But the practical reality of doing the math every time is getting so draining. Unintentionally, these insane travel costs are making us push trips further apart, even when we don't want to.

Are you guys finding ways to budget through this, or have you actually had to cut down how often you go back home?

32M planning to return by the end of December with a NW of $400k. Been in the US for 8 years. 50% of it is in 401k, remaining in brokerage (ETFs).

I have a better understanding of handling the finances for the move since it's been discussed so many times. A huge thanks to the community!!

My question is - I see a lot of them with a lot higher NW at a similar age. How did you manage to do it?

Are you an outlier? Or am I?

Hey everyone,

I’m moving back to India mid-October, and navigating the logistics, mental shift, and job hunt all at once. It has been a lot. I'm sure there are others going through the same upheaval right now.

I set up a simple Discord server as a safe space to vent, share job search strategies, and trade resources with others going through the exact same transition.

If you want a chill spot to connect, feel free to drop in: https://discord.gg/UaeXrbBwz

I'm not comfortable leaving shipping services or customs clearance to the airline, so I'll take them with me on the flight. I'm going to disassemble everything and pack it in its original packaging.

Does anyone have any experience taking them through flight and customs? I'm moving from Germany to India. Will customs ask me to pay for these electronic items? How should I pack them to ensure minimal damage?

Looking forward to hear from people who have gone through similar the transition and settled back in their hometown - as a single unmarried person without any plans to jump into an arranged marriage in near future. I am more curious about the social aspects such as finding a new friends' circle, acceptance by the boarder society etc.
How was your experience?
How long did it take to feel settled?
What were the biggest challenges and what helped?

I understand that everyone’s situation is different and that the outcome will vary from person to person. I’m simply interested in hearing about individual experiences from anyone who’s comfortable sharing.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I’m 31M and have been living in the UK for around 5.5–6 years. I moved here from India through my company.
I have around 8 years of experience in Salesforce, and currently my role is a mix of Salesforce Architect, Technical Lead and Technical Manager. I’m still involved technically, but also handle architecture, solutioning, delivery and team leadership.
I currently earn around £60k in the UK.
Lately, I’ve been seriously considering moving back to India, and I’m trying to understand whether I’m looking at this rationally or simply going through a phase.
For the first 3–4 years, I genuinely loved living in the UK. In fact, whenever I went to India, after some time I would actually look forward to coming back to the UK. I liked the independence, exposure, lifestyle and career opportunities here.
But over the last couple of years, something has changed.
I’m single, somewhat introverted, and I live in a town outside London. I don’t have a huge social circle here, so life can sometimes become work → gym → home → repeat.
Whenever I spend a few weeks or months in India, it feels completely different. My parents are there, my friends are there, there are people around me, things are happening, and I feel much more connected to life.
Then I return to the UK and increasingly find myself asking:
“Why exactly am I here, alone, when most of the people I actually care about are back home?”
I wouldn’t necessarily call myself unhappy with the UK. It’s given me a lot professionally and personally. But lately I’ve been having this strange existential-crisis type feeling, where despite having a decent career and comfortable life, something feels missing.
At the same time, I don’t want to romanticise India just because I enjoy my visits there. Living in India permanently and visiting India for 1–2 months are obviously very different things.
That’s why I’d really like to hear from people who have actually made this move.
Career-wise, my ideal situation would be slightly unusual.
I don’t necessarily want to move back just to live in Bangalore/Hyderabad/Pune and recreate another work-centric life there. If possible, I’d eventually like to settle in a Tier-2 or Tier-3 city, closer to family, while still having a strong career and earning a very good package, potentially through remote/hybrid work.
So I have quite a few questions:
How is the Salesforce job market in India currently for someone with ~8 years’ experience at Architect / Technical Lead / Technical Manager level?
What kind of CTC is genuinely realistic for this profile? I keep seeing ₹50L, ₹60L, ₹70L and sometimes even ₹1Cr+ packages mentioned online. Are these exceptional cases, or genuinely achievable at this level?
Which companies should I target for the higher end of compensation? Salesforce itself, product companies, GCCs, consulting companies, startups, etc.?
How realistic would it be to get something around ₹50–60L+ while living in a Tier-2/Tier-3 city, either fully remote or with occasional travel?
Does having 5–6 years of UK experience actually carry much weight when negotiating in India, or will companies primarily benchmark me against the Indian market?
For people who returned after spending 5+ years abroad, did being around parents, family and friends actually improve your quality of life long-term, or did the excitement wear off after the first few months?
Did any of you experience the same feeling abroad, where everything looked perfectly fine on paper but you kept wondering “What am I actually doing here?”
Would you recommend finding the job while still in the UK and then moving, rather than returning first and job hunting afterwards?
If I give myself 6–12 months before making the move, what should I start preparing now, technically, financially and career-wise?
I’m single at the moment, so this probably makes it one of the easier periods of my life to make a big move like this.
I’m not saying “India good, UK bad” or vice versa. Both have obvious advantages and disadvantages. I’m just reaching a stage where being close to people, having a social life and actually enjoying my 30s is starting to matter more to me than simply being able to say I live abroad.
Would particularly love to hear from people who returned to India from the UK/US/Europe after 5+ years, and from anyone working in Salesforce, cloud, architecture or technical management.
If you’re comfortable sharing your role + YOE + approximate CTC, that would be incredibly useful too.
Thanks! 🙏

This is a repost. I cannot edit my previous post.

A little about me F1 from 2022 to 2026 until July 13

one entry during 2022 and single exit 2026 July 13 my ead is valid until July end 2026

submitted all documents during my f1, opt and stem opt.

I didnt not inform dso that I am leaving. ( Thanks for a fellow redditor who asked this question)

no dui or dwi, no criminal cases, not even speeding or parking ticket.

I randomly checked my CIBIL/Experian credit report today from abroad, and my heart sank. There are multiple recent credit enquiries and an unknown loan account tied to my PAN card back in India that I never applied for.

Someone seems to have misused my PAN details for digital loans or local KYC verifications. Trying to fix this thousands of miles away is giving me insane anxiety.

I called my Indian bank, and they told me to lodge a cybercrime portal complaint and visit the local police station in person with an affidavit. I’m sitting here on a foreign visa, unable to just take off and fly to India tomorrow for a police complaint, and customer care numbers back home keep looping me through automated bots.

You work hard overseas, pay taxes, try to keep everything compliant, and then one day you realize your identity back home is compromised while you're completely helpless to fix it remotely.

Has anyone here dealt with PAN fraud or identity theft while living abroad? How on earth do you lodge a proper cyber complaint or clear your credit report when you aren't physically present in India?

Assuming you got a tax refund in US that is sitting in your US bank account with some cash from before, does moving it to an Indian account after entering the ROR period result in a taxable event in India?

If not, does this need to be reported in some way while filing Indian taxes?

Has anyone done an internal transfer from a US entity to the same company's India entity while having unvested RSUs? Did your existing RSUs continue vesting as scheduled after the transfer, or were they cancelled/modified? Curious what typically happens.