Green card delayed or visa uncertain? Start here
When plans abroad change suddenly, for example because a green card application is stuck or an employer can no longer sponsor one, the question becomes “can we afford to go back now?” rather than “when is the best time?”. This is how to use the calculator for that:
- Look at “Now” first. The result shows whether your money covers the life you want if you return now, and How to close the gap shows what would: lower spending, a job in India, or a later return.
- Add the months it may take to find work. Enter them under your India salary. Testing a gap of 6 to 12 months is sensible.
- Compare with one or two more years, if staying is possible. Tap 1 yr or 2 yrs above the result.
- Decide on retirement accounts separately. Leaving a 401(k) or similar account abroad usually avoids early-withdrawal penalties. Choose “Cash them out” under Tax and costs to see what it would cost.
- Do not sell everything in a hurry. When you sell, and your tax residency in the year you return, both change the tax. Speak to a tax professional who works with returning NRIs before you sell or move large amounts.
How this works
For every year you might return, from now to ten years away, we grow your savings abroad, convert them to rupees at the exchange rate you set, and take off conversion costs and tax on your profits. We add what you hold in India and subtract the cost of settling back. Then we live your life in India year by year: spending rises with inflation, any job income (your package today, raised each year by the yearly raise you set) comes in after Indian tax, and your money earns the return you set. Your savings abroad rise each year by the percentage you set, so a growing income is not treated as a flat one. We find the smallest amount that lasts to the end of your plan. If you would bring home more than that, you are ready.
Job, PF and life events
If you enter a package, you can say whether it is today’s money (we raise it each year until you return) or what you would be paid in the year you return, and how many months you expect to look for work after coming back. Your take-home pay leaves out the provident fund and gratuity that build up inside your CTC, so you can choose to count them as savings that arrive when the job ends. A partner’s pay in India can be added, taxed on their own. You can also enter a blended tax rate on what your money earns in India. Life events let you add costs that change your spending later, such as school fees for some years or a house down payment, in today’s rupees; they grow with inflation.
When to return
Each extra year abroad adds savings and lets your money grow, but it also adds a year of life in another country and shortens your time in India. The table shows the first year your money covers the life you want, and how much more each later year adds. If you could return now, it also shows how much monthly spending your money could support.
Retirement accounts
Taking money out of a retirement account before the allowed age usually means tax and a penalty. In the US, early withdrawals before age 59½ carry a 10% penalty on top of tax. Many returnees leave the account abroad and use it later, so that is the default here. Choose “cash them out” to see what you would lose.
What changes when you come back to India
- Your residential status for Indian tax changes, and for a few years you may be treated as a resident but not ordinarily resident, which can limit tax on income earned abroad. The rules are detailed, so check yours.
- Once you are a resident, income and gains from foreign assets are generally taxable in India and must be reported, including accounts and investments abroad.
- Your NRE and FCNR accounts and other NRI products need to be converted or closed according to the rules.
- Costs such as schools, healthcare and housing are often the biggest jumps, so put them into your monthly spending.
Monthly income after you return
If you plan to live off your savings in India, the SWP calculator shows how long a monthly withdrawal from mutual funds lasts, the most you can safely take, and the tax on it.
Frequently asked questions
My green card is stuck or my visa is uncertain. What should I check first?
Check whether you can afford to return now, not just when the best time would be. Keep the return year on “Now”, add a few months to find a job in India, and read How to close the gap: it shows the monthly spending, the India salary or the extra years abroad that would make it work. Then compare with one or two more years abroad if staying is an option.
Why leave money abroad instead of bringing it home?
For retirement accounts, leaving the money avoids early-withdrawal penalties. For normal savings, a higher return in India (and a weaker rupee over time) can favour bringing it home, but selling investments can trigger tax abroad, and a currency move can help or hurt. The tax and costs section shows what you lose by moving money.
What if I plan to work in India?
Enter your expected yearly CTC. Your take-home pay after Indian tax then pays for part of your spending, so you need a much smaller starting amount. The calculator keeps counting the job until the age you choose.
Should I count my PF and gratuity?
They are real savings, but you cannot spend them freely while you work. Counting them assumes you receive them when the job ends, with the PF growing at the rate you set and gratuity counted only after five years of work. The cautious choice is to leave them out.
Does the result include my home abroad?
No. If you plan to sell a home, add the money you expect to receive to your savings, after costs and tax.
What about children, education and healthcare?
Add them to your monthly spending in India. School fees and health insurance are the costs that surprise most families.