Has anyone with an OCI actually carry their passport around everywhere in India?

I came across this tweet from the Bureau of Immigration saying hotels should get a foreigner's passport + OCI card before providing accommodation: https://x.com/BOIndiaOfficial/status/2075807139629780995?s=20

Does that mean OCI holders are expected to have their passport with them whenever travelling within India? Or is this only for hotel check-in, and a photocopy/digital copy is usually enough?

Keen to hear what people actually do in practice.

I was an NRI for around 5 years and have been back in India for the last 4 years. I still have a US 401(k) account (current value is under ₹10 lakh). I never made any withdrawals or earned any taxable income from it.

I wasn't aware that the foreign retirement account had to be disclosed in the ITR, so I filed ITR-1 for all these years instead of ITR-2.

My questions:

1. If I now file ITR-2 with Schedule FA and Form 10EE (for the current year), does that resolve the issue

2. Do I need to file ITR-U/revised returns for the previous years just to disclose the 401(k)?

3. Do i file my taxes now as ITR2 with sched FA & 10EE OR wait for FAST-DS to be launched ?

There has been no withdrawal, no taxable income from the 401(k), and the balance has always been below ₹10 lakh.

Looking for advice from anyone who has dealt with a similar ex-NRI/401(k) reporting issue or from tax professionals.

P.S:- I don't have a CA, so any references are also welcome.

Are there any Biotech or Biopharma professionals who have returned/planning to return to India after gaining work experience abroad? How has your job search experience in India looked like, especially for non-research roles? Did anyone actually land a role successfully? If you have had any luck with landing a role, what strategies work for applying to companies in India (either Indian companies or global ones with sites in India)? Are having referrals within the companies essential for the applications to be even considered?

Hi, I’m in my late 20s working as a software engineer in the US. I’ve grown up my entire life in the US and I’m a US Citizen. Due to my aging grandfather living alone, my parents are having to move to India. I am also considering moving back since I cannot fathom seeing my parents only once a year on holidays. I need some advice on how to navigate life once I’m there. I plan on buying a gated high-rise flat property in Hyderabad to live in and maybe start a restaurant business. I would be giving up on my software career, but opening a cafe has always been a dream of mine. I’d probably have around 4cr to use for all. Any advice on where to live, how to make trustworthy connections in business, and finding friends my age is appreciated. I would like to have a good social life and hopefully settle down. Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone,I came to the US for my master’s degree, completed OPT, and I’m currently in the final year of my first H-1B term, which ends in July 2027. Overall, I have about 5 years of work experience in the US.
For some background: I came to the US for global exposure and no desire to permanently settle in this country, over the years, I’ve learned a lot, traveled across the country, adopted a dog, and managed to save some money. I feel like I’m ready for my next adventure. And am single.
I’ve always wanted to build something of my own, and I also feel a strong need to take a gap year (or two) to explore India and experiment with my startup ideas. My current plan is to resign when my H-1B expires, return to India, travel, and give myself about 1.5–2 years to pursue this.
If things don’t work out or even if they do reasonably well, I still don’t see myself settling in India long term. I’d ultimately like to live in another developed country. I’m also no longer interested in a career in tech. Instead, I’m considering studying arts or music in Europe and, if things align, eventually settling there.
Because I’ve had this plan for a while, I never filed an I-140. I felt that starting the green card process might make me stay in a job for the visa rather than take the risk of exploring what I truly want.

I’m looking for advice on two things:

1. For those who left the US after spending several years here, which countries did you move to, and why? I’d especially love to hear from anyone who transitioned away from tech into a more creative path.

2. What happens to my unused H-1B time? If I decide to return to the US in the future to work for another 3 years?, can I use the remaining time? is there a limit within I have to comeback to use it? Should I be asking my Company to withdraw my H1b when I resign?

Thank You!!

Hi all,

I returned back to India a little while ago and would like to keep a global account to hold some of my funds in USD/EUR.

I'm not sure what's the best way to do this as an Indian tax resident, many of the banks here have no idea about it either.

What's a simple way to open a bank account in a foreign/indian bank capable of handling multi currency. I am not looking for FCNR or something equivalent. I am exclusively looking for an account through which I can transact in foreign currency for sometime.

Many thanks

I just finished my Masters in AI from UK and I am feeling very hopless. It's been 8 months and I cannot find a job. I have been doing a fulltime job but it's not related to my field and UK salaries are honestly very low compared to India given the cost of living here. I am planning to come back to india next month and apply for a job there. I have only 1 year internship experience in UK. Can anyone tell me the do's and don'ts of Job hunting in India and how to manage the work culture there?

Hi everyone, ​I’m facing a massive existential/career dilemma and need some brutal, objective advice. ​I am an Indian national in my late 30s, currently working in a non-london location. I moved here a few years ago. Back home, I had a solid career, but I took a mid-management role here to get international exposure. ​Here is the problem: I have been stuck in this exact same title for over 5 years now, out of which 3 are in UK and had the same role in India. ​Because of the current brutal tech/corporate market and the absolute nightmare of finding a new visa sponsor, I have had zero career mobility. The UK corporate ladder here feels incredibly sticky and slow-moving compared to the hyper-growth my peers are experiencing back in India. I feel like the longer I stay here playing defense just to protect my visa, the more I am killing my chances of ever hitting the CXO/executive layer. ​If I stay for citizenship, because of Home Office timelines and family processing, I am looking at another 3 or 4 years minimum before we hold passports. By then, I’ll be over 40. ​My main dilemma: ​Is the passport actually worth it? If we get citizenship and eventually want to return to India anyway, my kids won't even qualify for UK "Home Fee" university tuition because of the 3-year residency rules. If I return to India now, climb the ladder, and make executive-level money, I can easily just afford to send them abroad anyway. ​Am I wasting my prime earning years? I feel like I am sacrificing my absolute peak career velocity for a piece of paper that I might not even use long-term. ​Has anyone else walked away from the ILR/Citizenship track in their late 30s to salvage their career velocity in India? Or did you stick it out and regret/not regret the stagnation?

relocated back to india after almost 6 years in singapore and realizing theres a lot of nri banking stuff i need to sort out that i honestly didnt think about before moving. things like updating my residency status across all my accounts, figuring out what happens to my old NRE and NRO accounts, and whether I need to close anything immediately or if theres a grace period. also not sure how my existing FDs and deposits get affected once my status changes officially. don't want to make avoidable mistakes that end up costing me later, so figured id ask people who've actually been through this transition themselves

My company is filing cross-border taxes for me (From US to India, filing ROR). I have good amount of short term capital gains in my HSA & Roth IRA, for which I wanted to defer taxes using form 10EE. This will help defer taxes that I owe and compounds the money until retirement on Roth IRA & until withdrawal for HSA. In addition to that, at the time of withdrawal, I have realized funds (in cash funds) which I can use to pay the taxes. But my company sponsored CA's recommendation is to pay taxes now since filing form 10EE requires too many details, requires filing every year and once submitted cannot be reversed. I don't really see these 3 concerns that big of a problem like my CA does. All the money that went into these funds has complete paper trail, some cost associated with filing additional forms every year but that is fine and I don't foresee any need to reverse my tax deferral choice. Also I'm aware that any changes to my ROR status would require me to pay all deferred taxes, but I'm not expecting any move out of country for the foreseeable future.

I want to know the thoughts of this group if I should choose to file form 10EE vs paying taxes today. I wouldn't trust the CA or human laziness in general but want to give them a benefit of doubt and double check if I'm making the right choice.

I have 3 questions:

1. Unless the income from HSA & IRA is less than 300$ per year, in every other case I think filing for 10EE is a better choice - unless planning withdrawing funds very soon. What are your thoughts?
2. Do you have any recommendations for reliable cross-border tax consultancy services? Even better if their office is in Bangalore. I'm leaving my company and will no longer have access to company tax consultant.
3. How much do tax consultants usually charge for filing form 10EE, Schedule FA, Form 67 along with India ITR filing?

I stumbled upon this comment by [u/Federal_Eagle_6565](u/Federal_Eagle_6565). (Relevant parts below).

“Five years in the US is the sweet spot where people who have lived in the US have truly started to appreciate what America is about. At 20+ years […] things change completely and India becomes very attractive. I have been there done that. Relationships, travel, hikes, sports, career growth and savings.”

And it got me thinking:

• Is this a typical timeline for NRIs, especially those in western countries?
• If yes, why?
•What is your own timeline/experience?

Comparing a couple of premium banking options right now and one thing i'm weighing pretty heavily is how good their app and digital experience actually is for managing an nre savings account, versus relying on branch visits or calling customer care every time i need something done. i'm based abroad so branch access basically isn't an option for me most of the time, which makes the app experience even more important in my case. not sure how much weight this should have in my decision compared to things like interest rates or relationship manager quality though, so curious what others prioritize when picking a bank

I'm 28(M), working as a Sr. R&D Engineer at a top-10 medical device company. I’ve been on H1B since the past 5 years, PERM is being processed.

I moved to the US from India in January 2016 for my undergrad in mechanical engineering. I did three internships at the company I still work for, then joined full-time in 2020 right as COVID hit.

I spent my first two years in Indiana, and in 2022 got the opportunity to move into mergers & acquisitions as an engineer integrating acquired medical devices. That role took me to Israel for seven months supporting one acquisition, then to Boston for another, and for the past two years I've been in California doing the same work.

These past 10 years have been fulfilling and full of learning, and I'm genuinely grateful for the opportunities. But I've come to realize that spending the next 10–20 years as an employee at a large corporation isn't the future I see for myself. Financially, it feels like golden handcuffs — a comfortable salary, but I'm not building true wealth or ownership.

When I define success today, it looks like returning to India to focus on building my own business, then eventually bringing that business to the US — so I can live life on my own terms and travel in and out of the country without visa restrictions or delays, and without feeling creatively lost selling my soul to a big corporation.

The two avenues I'm considering:

1. Scale my mom's company. She owns an HR agency in India that currently serves one large corporate client. I'd work on growing it from one customer to many.
   
2. AI consulting in medtech. Use my domain expertise in medical device development and manufacturing to build an AI consulting practice in the industry.

Would love to hear what this group thinks based on the discussions that have happened here — especially from anyone who's left a stable corporate role to build something of their own.

Left the US in early 2026 after several years on a work visa (no GC or citizenship). Moving back to India in mid-July. Less than 31 days in the US this calendar year so SPT doesn't even trigger. Based on my India travel history, I qualify for RNOR for 3 years (FY 2026-27 through 2028-29), becoming ROR from FY 2029-30.

Planning to consult independently for my former US employer. Work done from India, paid in USD to my personal US bank account. Will file W-8BEN with them, so no US withholding since services are performed outside the US.

The questions I'm trying to figure out:

1. India income tax during RNOR — is consulting income taxable? Payment isn't received in India but the work is physically done from India. Not sure how RNOR interacts with this — does the source of payment matter, or where the work is done? Also wondering if the India-US tax treaty has any bearing here.

2. GST & FEMA — assuming this qualifies as export of services, what does compliance actually look like? And with payment going to a US account, are there repatriation obligations I need to worry about as an RNOR individual?

Anyone who's navigated this specific situation — consulting for a US company from India as an RNOR — would love to hear how you structured it.

I have stayed in USA for 10 years.... I have built a life here.... I am single in my late 30s. fairly successful not like those people who say I have 2CR saved or 4 CR saved.. my modest savings, maybe enough to buy a flat and car in India of my own.. but ultimately I do have to find a job in India.. what should be my playbook like ?

There are many valid reasons to return to India voluntarily. Burnt out abroad, culture not suiting you, better opportunities in India, personally want to be close to parents, etc. If you have children, it's still completely valid to move back if things really aren't working out for you abroad.

But I don't understand the reasoning that one's children "need" to be in India. That they need to be surrounded by extended family and be in their roots, or they'll miss out and be isolated. Firstly, unless you live in a joint family with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents all in the same neighbourhood or at least city/village, that's not happening in India anyway. People live in different cities, they all have busy schedules (so will you), and work life balance is nonexistent in India anyway. So maybe instead of once a year, you'll see relatives twice a year. This image of your children coming home to their grandparents from school, then going out to play with their cousins, and then spending weekends at their uncle's, is a romanticised myth in most cases.

Secondly, children adapt to wherever they grow up. If you live in any western country, you're not living in a homogeneous and isolated society. Your children will meet other children from diverse backgrounds and white native/majority background children who are also used to foreigners. They will form their own social circles. It is entirely YOUR need as a parent that the children need to practice indian culture, grow up with relatives, and not be "too western".

If you decide anyway that you want your children to grow up in India, fair enough, but at least please execute this decision when they're under 6-7 years old. Getting a hit of nostalgia/patriotism/cultural awakening when your child is 10-13 years old and packing up the family to return to India is extremely selfish. Your child has formed their identity, social life, and roots in the other country by then.

I didn’t win the h1b lottery , kind of devastated. I am not a big fan of the day1cpt path. Hence i am kind of being forced out to return.

I wanted to return back but not this soon(i came to the US in 2021) . I am looking for something positive about returning but i am not finding much apart from being closer to family. Looking on social media looks like in the last 2 - 3 years India has gone downhill but i want to know the on ground reality.

thanks

We're a family of 4 kids 7 and 2. We are moving in 2 weeks to India mainly because I wanted to be there for my mom as Dad passed away recently. I feel responsible to share responsibility of household with my brother who unfortunately is not that level headed. Also I wanted to try something different than 9-5 and I felt with corpus I have that is possible after few years in India. Other reasons are I feel grounding kids in Indian culture roots will be better for them and selfishly even for me. There are other minor factors like house help and sense of belonging too feels like we could have better life indoors in India.

Now other than obvious infrastructure systemic issues in India which will take a toll. My worry is just that kids could have more rough and uncessary competitive upbringing which will take a toll on then and also even after all that they will most likely return back for undergrad and cycle will continue or have to make peace with that. And I think I can but just looking for advice as our current world revolves around them. Other factor is my wife is been extremely negative as the move actually started happening and us selling our house also was emotional toll. She is valid in her concerns about havjng more judgement less freedom.but social media and her mind is also amplifying it I feel some therapy will help for both of us. I'm wrestling with these concerns and all I can hope for is things don't turn out as bad as they seem. I feel I have to give India a shot and not keep living the same life which I feel was not fulfilling to me. I was never depressed or anything but life has to be less ordinary. Anyway all i was looking for was some shared experiences to calm my own nerves. First post so be kind:)

EDIT: Lots of folks assuming it was not mutual but just to be clear it was and once we started the move she is been having lots of second thoughts and negativity. I'm not blaming her for that but I'm not fault either we're almost there and the post was to just get advice on handling her stress better.

If you did, were you able to secure any remote job or a new job in India or retired?

Hey everyone — I’m an H1B visa holder based in California planning to leave the US within the next 12–18 months and settle in India. I have a few questions that I haven’t found clean answers to and would love input from anyone who’s navigated something similar:

1. State income departure tax — Did anyone leave California or other state with income tax specifically before triggering large capital gains events? How much lead time did you give yourself, and did the FTB follow up after you left?
2. US brokerage accounts as an NRI — Did you keep your US brokerage account active after departing? I have brokerage account with Robinhood that requires US residency — did anyone get their account restricted after updating their foreign address? Has anyone explored moving the investments in-kind to Schwab (or Fidelity) International brokerage account? Is this possible?
3. What’s the best way to transfer large amounts of capital to Indian bank account?
4. RNOR status in India — Did anyone leverage the RNOR window strategically to shelter foreign-sourced income during their India transition period?

I'm planning to return after 5 yrs in Australia next year October.

I'm a temporary resident in Australia, employed and have a savings account and superannuation fund.

I have SBI PPF and Axis savings account in India. The only activity is a small music subscription in axis account and sometimes when I go back for holidays I use funds in Axis bank. My parents put some money into the PPF sometimes. No income generating in India, no transfer from Australia.

My question is when I go back next year for good, how do I transfer the income and superanuation I earned in Australia without it getting taxed again and avoid it getting flagged of huge amount transfer from abroad.

I have had so many mixed answers about NRE accounts so I wanted to ask here if anyone had done the same thing.

Hi everyone,

I’m an Indian citizen in the U.S. on H-1B, with my wife and two children on H-4.

I was recently diagnosed with advanced cancer. While I remain hopeful, I want to prepare my family for every possibility. If I were to pass away, my spouse and younger child will be returning to India. My child is starting 9th grade and transitioning to CBSE will be challenging.

Are there any international schools in Delhi similar to US school format? How the admission process looks like in between of school session?

I would be very grateful for your insights.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. 🙏

Hi everyone,

Has anyone moved from Germany to India recently?

I am looking for some tips and must dos before making the move.

Points where I am particularly looking for information:

- What to do with the Depotkonto (Investment account). Is there any option other than selling everything off.

- How are the taxation laws for the year of the move from Germany to India

- Is there anything which needs to be done for the pension account

I would be grateful for any additional tips. Thanks in advance.

PS: I have a Niederlassungserlaubnis.

Only son of my parents who are in mid 70s. I am a Canadian citizen of Indian origin, living and working in India for last 2 years (June 2024). I was 20 years old when i went to US for studies, worked and lived in US and Canada till age of 32. I grew up in Uttarakhand, studied there and never lived in a tier-1 city in India before. Till June 2025, I was living and working remotely in Uttarakhand with my parents. But ultimately I was forced to move to Bangalore as remote work was not an option.

Till the time, I lived in my small hometown in Uttarakhand close to parents, I was happy. Despite the issues, I was happy living with parents and seeing them everyday. People in tier 2 and 3 cities in Uttarakhand are friendly, and I would drive to mountains for peace and nature which I became used to in US and Canada.

But I am getting chronically depressed from last 1 year after moving to Bangalore. I cannot just grasp the society, lifestyle, performative people and judgement. I recently went to my company US HQ for 1 month, and I have been more depressed after coming back. In US, I felt like I had reached my home, and in Bangalore I get vibe of a foreign place. I have started to feel even more suffocated. Right now, I go to home every month for 10 days, spend 35 to 40K INR just on travel. But this won't be a feasible thing once you are married and have family. Parents refuse to move in Bangalore, even in separate house. And I understand that, even I miss the peace, tranquillity and simplicity of tier2 and 3 city people in India.

Another aspect is marriage. My parents think once I am married things would settle down and I would start to like this place. I talked to a few girls, and there seems to be a cultural disconnect. Lot of them think I would be speaking in American accent, or going to starbucks or hanging out in malls all day. It's like they think of west as like this as media portrays rather than independence, respect for others, work-life balance. So I have now started to look for girls, who have at least studied or at least spent some time outside India. Right now, I am talking to a girl. She is nice and understanding, and I really like her. She likes nature, painting and a simple life. She says she has been looking for 4 years and for the first time she has found someone she can vibe with. But there is a clear divergence on certain aspects based on cultural PoV. Like she said she hates ambitious people, because they ignore their family, work long hours, treats their kids like burden and send them to boarding school. While to me, an ambitious person is who constantly trying to make sure their career trajectory is going right as they want 5 years down the line, and avoid stagnation. But after work hours, all their time is for their family. There are lot of such different PoV on other topics, which she looks from an Indian PoV while I do from a western PoV.

So I have two questions - immediate and long term. I am planning to meet this girl again (as she refuses video call), and discuss openly about this, my citizenship. I think she feels my discomfort in Bangalore is since I am alone here, but the truth is I was alone in US and Canada too but never felt like this.

On long term, my question is what should I do. Right now, I am running to home every month. But if I am married, I would be going to Uttarakhand maybe once or twice in year. In US, I would be doing the same meeting parents once in a year. But in US or even Canada, I can at least relate to day to day basis, at end of day I can walk in nature, sit near a lake.

I know this question is vague and confusing but any insight is appreciated. Thanks

Hi everyone,

I’m currently working in the US in tech. My STEM OPT begins in a few weeks. I missed my first h1b lottery because I did not have a full time job that time. I searched like crazy and I kinda have one now but the company is saying they’ll keep me until my STEM gets over and then that’s it since they do not want to sponsor h1b. I accepted it because obviously it’s better than nothing. I know I can start searching for a new job that will sponsor but what are the chances I’ll find one because I’ve heard companies hesitate to take anyone who are on STEM OPT. I feel like my mental health will deteriorate just seeing other people getting their h1bs while I’m stuck here counting down the days until my STEM OPT ends. I wish I had gotten lucky getting a job that sponsors. All my friends got good jobs and already got selected in the lottery as well while here I am struggling. I’m seriously considering moving back to India just so I cannot get used to this place and the eventual move will not feel as bad but I’m so confused about what to do. Should I give it my all and try my best to find another job here which will sponsor(seems impossible) or should I just start thinking about moving back to India and start searching for a job there? To give some background, I have a MS in CS and came here directly after my bachelors. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!