r/returnToIndia

I moved back to India almost four months ago after living in Ireland. Returning wasn't really part of my long-term plan, but due to the changing immigration and work visa policies, I eventually had to make the difficult decision to come back.

I genuinely believed I'd be able to rebuild my career fairly quickly once I returned. I've been applying consistently for Product Manager and Customer Success roles, but despite hundreds of applications, interviews have been few and I still haven't been able to secure a job.

What's been even harder is readjusting to life here. I never expected reverse culture shock to hit me this hard. The traffic, noise, lack of personal space and privacy, and the overall pace of daily life have been overwhelming after spending time abroad.

The combination of unemployment and struggling to readjust has started taking a toll on my mental health. I'm finding myself feeling more anxious and low as the weeks go by. Some days I wonder if I'll ever feel settled again.

I'm posting here because I'm hoping to hear from others who've been through something similar

. If you've moved back to India after living abroad, how did you cope with reverse culture shock? How long did it take before things started to feel normal again? And for those who had to restart their careers after returning, what helped you get back on your feet?

I'd really appreciate any advice or experiences you're willing to share.

I stumbled upon this comment by 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?

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.

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:)

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 ?

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.

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

I'm currently working in the US as an ML/DL researcher at an Ivy League university. I've been in the US for over 5 years now, and for about 3.5 years in this job. I'm currently on H1B, and my EB1A I-140 was approved earlier this year, so staying in the US long-term is a realistic option.

Professionally, things are going really well. I enjoy my work, the pay is good, and the work-life balance is excellent. Personally, for a few reasons, I'm seriously considering moving back to India by the end of this year

I'm trying to understand how my profile would be viewed in the Indian job market.

For context:

• B.E. in Computer Science from India
• M.S. in Data Science from the US
• 3 internships during undergrad (2 startups, 1 fintech)
• Summer internship at a Fortune 10 company in the US (received a PPO but chose research instead)
• 3.5 years of full-time experience as an ML/DL researcher in academia (healthcare AI)

A few questions:

1. I know research roles like mine are relatively uncommon in India. If I switch to industry as a Data Scientist or ML Engineer, how do recruiters generally value academic research experience?
2. Most of my work has involved building ML systems, publishing research, and deploying models in a research environment. I have relatively little experience with large-scale production backend systems. If I start learning backend technologies over the next few months, how difficult would it be to transition into industry AI/ML deployment roles?
3. I'd ideally like to relocate to Bangalore. Given my background, what kind of compensation range should I realistically expect at good product companies?
4. I have multiple publications in reputed journals, conference presentations, and a decent citation count. Do these actually matter during industry hiring, or should I keep my resume focused on projects and work experience?
5. For people who have returned from the US, how are candidates with US research experience generally perceived by Indian recruiters and hiring managers? Is it viewed positively, or does it not make much difference?

Any other advice from people who've made a similar transition would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Family of 3 - 33M, 30F (GC holders), 3Y (USC). We’re originally from a Tier 1 city in India.

We recently took a vacation to India to attend a family event, and it was wonderful reconnecting with relatives and friends after missing so many milestones as NRIs. It’s really got us thinking about moving back - to spend time with our aging parents and let our kid grow up surrounded by family instead of in isolation.

What really struck a chord: our kid didn’t recognize most of our relatives and wasn’t comfortable engaging with my and my wife’s siblings, their kids, or even our own parents(though we made frequent video calls). That hit hard and made us question whether staying abroad is really worth it.

Of course, there are real benefits to life in the US - good air, a strong lifestyle, world-class infrastructure. But our hearts keep pulling us back to India, to spend the rest of our lives there and raise our kid within the extended family.

Curious if others feel this “reverse pull” after a vacation home, and how you’ve dealt with your kids missing out on time with close family.

I (33M) have been living outside India (5 in US, 6 in EU) for 11 years - 2 as a student and 9 as a working professional. I have worked in mechanical engineering (R&D Testing in automotive field) for all of those working years. Recently, my mother started demanding that I return to India to be near my parents, who live in Pune.

I am a naturalised citizen in an EU country because I thought I will be spending at least 15-20 years there. I bought a home there as well. But life gives you surprises and my mother wants me to sell the home, rehome my pet, and come back to stay with her.

I am looking for experiences of other mechanical engineers who returned back to India after significant time outside. How did you find the job? Do you like the job? Is the job doing justice to your educational qualifications? Was the pay good? Did you find something in the city where you wanted to live?

Also, is it worth leaving everything and just showing up in India and starting a job search from scratch? How do employers look at US + EU work experience? Is a US Masters degree worth anything?

At the moment I am a bit lost on how to even commence this job hunt. All advice and suggestions are appreciated.

Just curious to hear the perspective

Just graduated with a BS in CS from a public flagship in the Midwest. Fortunate enough to have had a full scholarship so no loans, but the job market has been brutal.

Right now I'm doing an IT support internship — checking laptop warranties, closing help tickets, prepping PCs for new hires, fixing DisplayPort issues, Tier 1 support. Repetitive, boring, and feels like a dead end. No return offer or extension coming because there's another intern who's been there a year longer and basically functions as full-time staff. He's in client meetings. I'm just freeing up time for him and the senior IT staff. Third wheel is exactly how it feels.

I wanted a software internship. My resume is solid but my school is a state public flagship and big tech simply doesn't recruit here. Applied to a bunch, heard nothing back.

So I have two options and I genuinely don't know what to do:

Option 1: Stay and do a master's at the same school
I missed the application cycle for better programs so it would be here. Hoping the local network I've built carries me into the next recruiting cycle. But honestly — I'm exhausted. I cannot go through another round of spamming 600 applications into the void and grinding leetcode for interviews that never come. I dread it and I think it'll genuinely destroy my mental peace.

Option 2: Return to India
The problem is Indian hiring runs on campus placements. I'd be coming back mid-cycle with just a bachelor's and zero SWE experience — I can't just drop into that pipeline. Realistically I might stagnate at home, jobless. And there's a personal layer to this too: relatives who came during the 2015 tech boom are doing well in the US. Going back empty-handed means being the "failure" in that circle. People will talk. That weighs on me more than I'd like to admit.

I'll be honest — I'm jealous of people with the same background as me who got lucky enough to get an interview and land something. I'm not less technical than them. I know people who are less skilled than me who have jobs and interviews, and it stings. Fate and timing just haven't been on my side. If I'd gotten the interview, that could've been me.

Has anyone navigated something similar the India vs. stay decision, or the non-target school wall? What would you actually do?

(Used Claude for framing)

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,

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!

Moving back in early 2027 after 11 years in the US. I keep reading that RNOR means foreign income isn't taxed in India for 2-3 years but I can't find a clear answer on whether 401k withdrawals fall under that. Trying to figure out if I should start pulling from my 401k right after landing or if the timing matters.

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

I have been in a dilemma. I came to Australia almost 10years ago, have citizenship and own a house with my husband. It was good for 7-8years and after that its been quite lonely. I got over the friends I had, no longer have deep meaningful friendships.

Now one of my friends have an opportunity for me but in Mumbai and I really do want to take a chance and try and explore this opportunity as my family is there too. Apart from husband and mortgage nothing is keeping me here.

Would love to your thoughts and if someone has been in a similar situation where they took a chance.

PS I only say husband is keeping me here as we don't yet have a plan for him, incase of move what will he do. Nothing more to it.

We recently moved back from the US after spending a long time there.

Reading through this sub, one would think it’s all negative doom and gloom.

I’d love to hear stories or experiences of those who moved back with kids and have no regrets.

There is no question that life in the west is more organized, civil, clean, safe, and predictable. Did you miss all of this that you took for normal in the west?

Or did you find something that outweighed all of this, especially from a kids perspective? What have been the highlights? What have you been the positives (aside from being closer to your parents)?

Hi desis

Anyone who moved from Germany to Hyderabad?

Every annual holiday is an emotional time with In laws asking our family to return.

I worked in IT and work culture puts me off at Hyderabad.

Please guide and thank you!