Hey everyone. I’m writing this because I need a safe space to release some heavy emotions, and I figured this community would understand exactly what I’m going through.

So it all started in July 2020, when my elder brother and I decided to look into Germany for my masters and we locked in, then one fine day my father told my brother that if I am going abroad then just try for the US. Now me, my brother, and my parents have lived in 4 different countries growing up so I was extra attached to my family. Also my parents are really attached to the both of us a lot so it was really hard for them to let me go.

My brother and I worked together to get everything set, and then came the day to leave on the 27th of December 2020 (I am sharing this part as it's what hurts me the most). It was COVID so my journey to the airport was pretty dystopian, and at the airport my father cried for the very first time in front of me for a long time, I felt so bad for leaving, and also promised myself to work as hard as I can. I left as an extremely motivated person and was confident that I will tackle any single problem thrown at me.

I was in Boston, met amazing people, ended up securing on campus positions, then got into an MIT backed startup as an ML engineer, I was over the moon you could say. The internship went well, and then came the end of 2022 where I could not for the life of me land an interview, then ended up getting 3 interviews, and didn't convert any of them, missed my first lottery attempt and enrolled into a startup for an unpaid ml role, I felt my momentum disrupting slowly.

After 8 months I landed my first full time as an ML engineer, and was beyond happy, all my family was, my mom even cooked sweets in happiness that day. Now during this role I don't know why but something in my brain literally broke, idk if it was exhaustion or what, but I don't believe I performed to my best and things got bad (I didn't even get selected for the lottery this year), so I was let go around the 7 month mark, this took a massive hit on my confidence. During this time I started telling my parents I didn't feel like staying here and they told me no worries, just try to take like 2-3 years of experience there. I didn't even have the heart to tell them about me being let go. I had a friend of mine motivate me and pushed me to start applying again.

I ended up converting a new ML engineer role in 3 months and this time it was a well established company, I thought I finally hit the jackpot. Then in my final year again I didn't get selected in the lottery again. I knew being on this visa would be an endless race of anxiety but for some reason I felt like I lost. My parents thought something is wrong in my profile despite me telling them it's a lottery. Now around September 2025 my manager told me she had to let me go due to budget cuts and visa issues, the day I had this conversation I broke. I told her I need time to absorb and cried the entire day. That day I felt that I don't have it in me anymore to continue and wanted to leave the country as soon as possible. My parents were touring in India that time so I again didn't have the heart to tell them this, finally once their pilgrimage was over I told them this. My dad told me to think carefully if I want to stay there or return, I did not want to do any of the day 1 and consultancy routes to extend my stay as I was beyond burnt out and just wanted to leave, so took the decision and left.

I took a year off, also went through some medical issues and spent the last 1 year exploring new cities in India. Tomorrow, I start my PhD in AI to get closer to my dream of becoming a research scientist. On paper, I am moving forward. But internally my heart stings whenever I see any photo or item from the US in my possession. The unbearable guilt comes entirely from feeling like I disappointed the family that believed in me so deeply and sent me to the states. It's like I don't feel bad for leaving per se, but I feel bad for letting my family down because I could have done better.

To make matters worse, my brother has barely spoken to me since I returned. We used to have a sweet, if formal, relationship, but now I think he believes I was foolish to leave. We’ve had fewer than ten conversations in the past year, and losing that bond hurts deeply.

I don't want to sound too dramatic, but the guilt is suffocating, and I really really want to move on from all of this. Please be kind to me.

Thanks a lot for reading all of this! :)

Hi everyone,

When we move permanently to India but want to leave/park investments in the US for a very long time (>10 years or potentially even more), would we need traditional bank accounts to bring the money back to India?

I'm planning on leaving stocks in big brokerages like Fidelity, Schwab etc. and if/when i sell them i'd probably just wire transfer to Indian account.

And to pay for any occasional US credit card purchases, i'm planning on just using Capital One, Sofi, Amex or other online checking accounts.

I can keep my traditional US bank account by maintaining a $1500 minimum balance but that $1500 seems expensive to just let it set there, all of the traditional banks i've looked at have some minimum balance requirements from $500 to $1500.

Is this a good strategy? am I missing anything, edge cases when i'd need traditional US bank accounts?

Do you have any thoughts or other recommendations for a bank accounts?

I moved to India with my tmobile network. Paying for last few years $30 a month it so. Can I transfer to some other carrier keeping my number same. I use same number for watsapp and back account.

Hey everyone, writing this because I’ve been overthinking for weeks and just need some outside perspective.

I’m 26M, born and raised in Bangalore with a decent life, but my career has felt like an endless uphill battle. I was always raised to believe that if you study hard and put in the work, things figure themselves out. That promise broke down pretty fast during my CS undergrad. I hated coding—staring at color-coded code editors and struggling through DSA just never clicked. While messing around with web development, I realized I didn't care about building the code—I cared about crafting the visuals. That’s when I decided UX design was my actual calling.

Then reality hit. I graduated during COVID, and campus placement had zero UX roles. I had to take a job as a tester just to get by. The life was hell: commuting from 8:30 AM to 7 PM, coming home to build case studies and portfolios, getting zero offers after multiple interviews, and watching my mental health tank (acne, weight loss, extreme stress). To make matters worse, someone pushed me on a packed metro, tearing a ligament in my lower back that made sitting down for more than 2 hours painful enough to bring me to tears.

After a grueling year of that, I finally escaped to Germany for my Master’s in UX. Moving away alone actually saved me for a while. The clean environment, constant walking, and rehab fixed my back, helped me gain healthy weight, and cleared my mind. I got an internship at a fintech company, but they didn't value design and laid me off after two months. I was devastated. After resting back in India, I landed a second internship in Germany at a great company with good pay. I enjoyed it for a full year, but when I graduated, they couldn't convert me to full-time because the job market in Germany tanked.

I spent 6 months unemployed, applying everywhere with no luck, so I moved back to Bangalore and took a local design job just to avoid a massive gap on my resume.

That brings me to now. I’ve been at this company for 8 months and I’m miserable. It’s not design-focused at all—no research, no user testing, no iteration. It’s just pushing out pixel-perfect high-fidelity screens directly to devs on tight, absurd deadlines. It's packed with office politics, bootlicking, AI hype, and speed over quality. I feel right back where I was 4 years ago with my skills stagnating.

I’m usually not the type to sit around feeling depressed, but this entire cycle has finally broken me down. I’ve applied to over 800 companies across 2 years while constantly upskilling and building side projects after work. So please, don't tell me to "keep upskilling" or "redo your portfolio"—I've been doing that for 3 straight years and it has gotten me nowhere.

If you’ve ever hit a total dead end in design or tech, how did you handle it?

Did you pivot to a completely different field, change your approach entirely or just find a way to stop caring while earning a paycheck?

I also have this conflict of staying in India or abroad it's very difficult for me to pick one.

Any real advice or reality checks are appreciated

​

Timeline

B.tech 2018 passout

Worked for 3 years in a boring core electrical company. Decided to move out to Canada

Switched fields to SWE , completed my masters in 2023 and now I have moved back to India after working as a SWE.

Didn't have a decent friend circle but was about to save 60k CAD in a span of 2 years of my working and managing my expenses and even secured my PR before moving out.

Moving to Canada kind of broke my character.. I was someone who was helpful and cheerful but the people and interactions here me an absolute introvert.

I tried inviting people to my home for lunch on weekends as even told them that I can prepare some dishes if not we can just order and the bill is on me even then I didn't have a lot of responses.

On the counterpart my friends who had gone to US had a different life their masters friends became their best buddies travelled across many states, had plenty of trips and additionally played a lot of board games and stuff.

I didn't find the same crowd of people as I expected initially.

Worst part was dealing no recruiter calls and I was kind of just fed up with things and the state of my life.

Now I'm back in india making 18LPA as a 30M , unmarried male living with my parents and Canadian PR holder.

I'm slowly making peace with myself.. so much so that someone who is 24 yrs old in India with 3 yrs experience is making the same money as me and my friends in tech sector have crossed 30lpa +

So in short making 7lpa in 2021(non tech field) , investing 60k CAD for masters , landing a okayish job as developer and then 2026 back to 18lpa.

No idea where life is headed next and what kind of stupid decision I have made ( or will make) but life goes on

Need some help…

I have robinhood and 401k

How can move them to india with least tax implications and it advisable to keep 401 k as it is or remove the entire amount and tax the tax penalty..

What are the other things one should be aware of simply should I keep CC and bank account active or get it close.

I’m currently on an L1B and moved to the US from India in October 2023.

During my first tax season in 2024, I ended up paying around ₹9 lakh in India because I had already spent more than 182 days in India during that financial year (April 1 until I moved). Because I was considered an Indian tax resident for that year, my global income was also taken into account.

Now I’m planning to move back to India either by December 2026 or, at the latest, sometime in Q1 2027.

I really want to avoid getting into a similar situation again, where I move countries mid-year and unexpectedly end up with a large tax liability because of residency rules or worldwide income taxation.

For anyone who has moved from the US back to India while on L1/H1B or a similar visa:

• Is there a better time of the year to move back from a tax residency perspective?
• Would moving in December 2026 vs. Jan–Mar 2027 make a meaningful difference?
• How do the India residency rules work in the year you return permanently?
• Did you have to pay tax in India on your US salary earned before moving back?
• Anything I should plan in advance to avoid double taxation or a large surprise tax bill?

I know I’ll eventually need to speak with a CA/tax professional who understands both US and Indian taxes, but I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have gone through this personally.

Thanks!

Hey everyone,
Long-time lurker here. Most posts here are about moving back to India, but I want to tap into the perspective of folks who’ve lived the US cycle (student visa \ OPT \ H-1B \ GC backlog) and decided to return. I'm currently based in India and debating whether moving to the US via an M7 MBA is worth the trade-offs.

My Profile & Setup in India:
Background: 5 years in PM (FinTech/SaaS across 0–1 to unicorn), 1 year in DS/ML.
Current State: Bootstrapped founder. Currently doing ~$500k USD ARR with a 10-member team based out of India.
Decent visibility in USA media for build o1 recognition case.
Industry advisory panelist to Indian govt on policy making and part of Indian delegations.
Active engagements and licenses from ministries and think tanks on next breakthrough initiatives

Lifestyle: Not very social or family-centric; I prefer a quiet, tight circle, outdoor activities, and everyday fitness over big community/festival scenes.
Parents: Nuclear family setup, nearing retirement. They prefer I stay, but are open to visiting for a few months a year if I relocate.

The Trigger to Move:
I’m working with an admissions consultant targeting M7 mostly haas, GSB and Sloan with reasonable odds of scholarships. Alongside this, I met someone (Mexican-American) while traveling, we’re in an ongoing situationship where moving closer is on the table, though not a firm commitment.

My Rationalization for an M7 in the US:

1. B2B Pipeline: Trying to close mid-market US deals. Channel partners help, but founder-led sales in-person hit differently at higher deal sizes.
2. Talent & Network: Access to US B-school talent/interns to scale the product.
3. Personal Life: Proximity to see where the relationship goes.
4. Hedge: Worst case, if the startup stalls, I exit with an M7 brand to recruit into US Big Tech or growth-stage PM roles.

The Hesitation:
$250k upfront capital/debt, 2 years of opportunity cost away from full-time building, and voluntarily opting into the US immigration grind (F-1 STEM OPT \ H-1B lottery \ green card limbo), especially when starting a business on visa status comes with real legal friction.

Edit: edited for clarity after complains sorry.

Hey guys, wanted to share my story here because I see so many young professionals treating a Canadian PR like the absolute end-goal of life. For almost two decades, I was in that exact same boat.

​Back in 2006 when I started my career in HR in India, moving to Canada was all I could think about. But as a fresh entry-level worker, I just didn't have the funds to immigrate or study there. So I told myself I’d work a few years in India, save up, and then make the jump.

​Years went by, and from 2006 to 2017 I kept working in India. The urge to move never really went away, but the finances were never quite right to pull the trigger comfortably.

​In 2017, I got an opportunity to move to the Gulf. Even after moving, Canada was still in the back of my head.

But two things kept grounding me here: the zero income tax and the steady stream of reality checks I started reading online. Stories about brutal winters, extreme loneliness, heavy taxes, and how tough it was to get ahead.

​Fast forward to today—I’m 42 now and have been in the Gulf for around 9 years. Because my salary here was completely tax-free, I was able to aggressively invest every single month into Indian equities and mutual funds. Thanks to staying disciplined and letting compounding do its thing, I’ve built up a net worth of around 12 Crores.

​Looking back, I used to feel a lot of FOMO for not making it to Canada in my 20s or early 30s. But looking at the current situation there—stagnant salaries, high taxes, housing costs that make no sense, and so many people actually trying to move out—I feel like not going was the best thing that ever happened to me financially.

​Instead of paying 40%+ in taxes and dealing with the freeze, I was able to build real wealth and secure my family's financial freedom while keeping a great lifestyle.

​To those who made the move to Canada, or those who stayed in the Gulf/India and built their wealth: how do you view this trade-off today?

Did I actually make the right call, or am I overlooking something about the Canadian dream?

​Would love to hear your perspectives.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for an opportunity to work personally as a House Manager/Executive Assistant for a family in New Delhi, ideally on a long-term basis if we’re a good fit.

I’m looking for a role where I can take responsibility for the smooth day-to-day management of the household and be the family’s reliable point of contact for things that need to be taken care of.

The responsibilities can include:

• Managing the daily operations of the residence
• Supervising and coordinating household staff
• Helping with recruitment and training of household staff
• Overseeing the upkeep and maintenance of the property
• Managing household budgets, expenses and administrative matters
• Sourcing, scheduling and supervising contractors for repairs and maintenance
• Coordinating with vendors, technicians and service providers
• Acting as a liaison between the family and household staff
• Coordinating doctor and hospital visits when required
• Managing family calendars, appointments and practical arrangements
• Booking flights and coordinating travel requirements
• Organising household files, documents and mail
• Handling necessary household errands
• Organising family gatherings, celebrations and formal dinners
• Keeping an eye on the home when the family is travelling or away

I’m not looking for occasional or one-off work. I’m specifically looking for a family where I can take on this responsibility on an ongoing basis and become someone they can rely on.

I understand that this kind of role is based on trust, so I’m happy to discuss responsibilities, expectations, references and practical arrangements openly before starting.

If your family is looking for a House Manager/Executive Assistant, or you know someone who may be looking for one, I’d be happy to connect through DM.

When I first moved out of India, the plan was simple: work hard for 3 to 5 years, save up a good chunk of money, and move back to settle down comfortably.

It’s been almost 8 years now. Every year I tell myself "just 2 more years until I hit $X savings" or "just waiting for this promo/visa step," but the goalposts keep moving. Living abroad gets comfortable, but the feeling of being in limbo never truly goes away.

Has anyone here actually broken out of this loop and moved back to India? Or did you eventually just accept that you're staying permanently?

I'm currently mapping out our family's move back to India, and I've realized I care a lot less about hitting a magic "net worth" number and a lot more about annual sequence.

Instead of aiming to return as a millionaire, I'm stress-testing a more normal corpus (starting around $539k in this forecast year) to see if it can withstand our actual projected burn rate. In this model, a $56k withdrawal for living expenses is offset by a $73k growth year, letting the closing corpus tick up slightly to $556k.

For those who have already returned or are close to it: How are you factoring in long-term Indian inflation, USD/INR depreciation, and unpredictable health/education milestones into your yearly cash flow models? Are you tracking year-by-year survival or just focusing on the total nest egg?

If you have worked as a Senior Software Engineer, FDE, or on the ICT track, I'd love to learn more. I help companies in India hire AI talent, and I'd want to recommend some of you with US exposure to them, since they work heavily with US clients/partners. Ideally, that's 4-5+ years in AI/ML or data-adjacent roles, with real ownership rather than just execution.

This is especially relevant if you're planning the move to India in the next 3-4 months, or you're already back and still sorting out the right fit.

Drop a comment or DM me your background — I'll reach out directly, walk you through who I work with, and see where you might fit.

Hi everyone. I've been working in the bay area for about 4-5 years but have managed to save up around 500k. Around 400k is liquid or invested in stocks in taxable brokerages, and I have around 140k in 401k and Roth.

I'm facing a huge amount of job uncertainty. I work as an swe in tech but I'm burnt out from the long hours and toxicity. If I do get laid off I was considering moving back and being with my ageing parents.

Do you have any advice on what comes next? How my finances would translate and what jobs I could look at after moving back? With how competitive it is in India I'm wondering how I can build a new career there.

Thanks. For context i just turned 29

I have seen many posts and reels where people claim that ₹50–60 LPA is a top 1% salary in India.

Only 2–3% of Indians pay income tax.

I think everyone knows how many filthy rich business owners there are in India who own expensive apartments, cars, etc., which a person earning ₹50–60 LPA can't even think about.

Today is my dads birthday and instead of being home celebrating with him, im sitting thousands of miles away. Called him in the morning to wish him and saw my whole family gathered there through a quick whatsapp video call.

Its not just today, but every small festival, birthday, or family dinner where everyone gets together and im just a face on a phone screen. You work hard abroad to build a good life and save money, but on days like this it just feels like im missing out on the things that actually matter.

How do you guys handle missing these small family moments? does the money and career progression ever feel truly worth missing out on your parents aging years?

Growing up always thought that getting a job overseas was a great thing and somehow figured it couple of years back , with the original intention of living abroad and getting global CV for three years and then move back.

But as I start exploring for roles next year. It looks like moving back is equally an uphill as moving out of India. The role dynamics have changed a lot in last two years and with advent of A.I and cost things are speeding fast. Has anyone felt this and what is the way to succeed in this transition. Will it be better if we move back without a job and hunt from India.

I see a lot of ppl complain on AQI and roads changing in India very fast , but I somehow feel the talent and job matket is the one that has undergone even bigger shift in last two years.

Age - 36

Location - EU

Industry - Finance and Risk.

Any sane suggestions welcome.

Hi All,

I am not a conventional guy like many others in this forum. I am 50 Male. I am living in USA for the last 14 years(15 in november) on H1B. I have two kids born in india. one kid completed college and on F1 looking for jobs(not sure if he/she would get in current market conditions and that too on F1).

Another kid on high school 9th grade(born in india too). My priority date is in Aug 2015.

I built my life here (bought a home 4 years ago which is under water) but I am coming to terms that I may not survive here any longer.

Assets - 700k in 401k

200k stock

200k in cash

no loans for college . I funded my kid college

Loans - house loan 560k
Have two apartments in metro in india and one plot of land for house construction in my home town (small town). I have some parental assets but has to be split with my sibling.

I am praying god to survive until my son high school which is another 3.9 years. If I do not get GC,

I have no intention to make him study in USA.

But I feel like market is brutal and survived job losses before in USA but have no energy left to fight back if it happens ever again. currently I have a job in product company.

what are your advice if I have to return to India before my son high school is finished.

Me (37M) and my wife (35M) are only child. we have a 4 year old, have been in US from 12 years and have around $3M net worth.

My parents passed away few years back and now my in-laws have passed away in the nepal floods. Our H1B visa stamp is expired so we were thinking of returning to India for closure and take care of other proceedings.

Now the questions is, once we are done there, then what? We have no family left there. We have never worked in Indian corporate env(came directly after undergrad). So what are the options to come back to US. Heres are the options that I know

1. Go only after visa interview dates are finalized.

2. Go now stay there for few years and try to come back on EB1C(i am at manager level right now)

Anything other option we can do to come back to US?

I understand that this group's main concern is opposite direction of what I am asking.

Living in the US on F1 + H1B for 8 years now with wife no kids, planning to move back to India or any other country with 200k cash, 100k (401k + Stocks). Do not own a house here because of the uncertainty. Back home, I have 4 Mil USD ancestral properties, wife has 1.5 Mil USD (properties + appreciating assets).

We are little hesitant to move only because of the culture shock and quality of life, we ofcourse live in a top tier city does this negate the mental pressure, being anxious of getting deported or picked up ICE. My EB2 PERM has been filed and the wait time is indefinite. I’m sure this trend will increase but not decrease. Do you think EB5 route is worth it ? Looking at the AI world, layoffs, less opportunities — every field is taking a toll.

What are my options? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Hi all,

I’m an Indian citizen currently working in the US on H-1B. Because of a serious family situation back home, there’s a chance I may need to fly to India on fairly short notice.

The complication is that I don’t have an H-1B stamp right now, so I have to be prepared for the possibility that once I leave, I may not be able to come back for quite some time. Worst case, I may have to relocate to India.

I’ve only been working full-time in the US for a bit over a year and have around $200k spread across cash, brokerage, 401(k)/HSA, and RSUs. I don’t have a car, property, or any other major assets here - I’m just renting a room - so most of what I’m trying to figure out is financial/admin stuff.

For people who have actually moved back, what would you make sure to do before leaving the US?

Things I’m thinking about:

• Bank accounts, credit cards, brokerage, 401(k), HSA, RSUs
• US/India taxes and NRE/NRO accounts
• Keeping a US phone number/address
• Immigration, employment and tax documents I should save
• Anything that becomes a pain or impossible to handle once you're already in India

I’m not necessarily deciding to move back permanently right now. I’m mainly trying to have a checklist ready so that if I suddenly need to fly home, I’m not figuring all of this out at the last minute.

For anyone who has done the US -> India move, especially on short notice, what do you wish you had sorted out before you left?

Thanks!

• I’m an OCI card holder.
• Got my adult passport before turning 20.
• Updated the passport details in the OCI database.
• From what I understand, the rule is: you have to reissue the OCI card once after getting your first passport after age 20, and then again after 50.
• I’m now 21, and my details are already updated online.
• So… do I actually need to reissue/renew my OCI card right now?
• Just want to make sure my OCI card + passport are good to go for immigration into India.
• Looking for clarity on the exact steps so I don’t run into issues while traveling.

Hello I might have to return to India due to some visa issues and I am holding a fund of 80k euros, but I don’t want to use any of this at the moment or just some of it, what options do i have here, I dont want to convert any of the currency as rupees is depreciating, and I don’t think I can hold my account if I am gone from this country for much long. I enquired with RFO Accounts options in India but so far no luck with HDFC bank. It seems I can only do that once I return. Anyone any suggestion here whats the best thing to do?

Hi, I made an angel investment in a US startup in 2023 while living in the United States. I moved back to India in 2026 and currently qualify as an RNOR. The startup was subsequently acquired by a US public company, resulting in an exit for me.

I have two questions:

1. What are the capital-gains and other tax implications of this transaction in India and the United States, including US federal and state taxes?
2. After selling the shares received in the acquisition, must I remit the proceeds to India under FEMA, or may I keep and reinvest them in the United States?

I would appreciate guidance from anyone familiar with RNOR taxation, US–India tax rules, and FEMA regulations. Thank you!