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US-based NRI's plans to return to India with ‘lower pay, no perks’ sparks buzz, ‘But still top…’
A US-based NRI revealed his plans to relocate to India in mid-2026, valuing family and quality of life over financial gains.
A Non-Resident Indian (NRI) living in the United States has sparked conversations online by disclosing his intention to return to India after spending over five years abroad. The NRI stated that this decision seems fitting, despite the financial sacrifices it entails.
In a Reddit post that has gained significant attention, titled “Returning to India in mid-2026 after 5.5 years in the USA,” the 29-year-old mentioned that while returning home might require him to accept a lower salary, the significant improvements in quality of life that come with residing in India make the decision valuable from his viewpoint.
“I’m a 29-year-old male in the Tri-State area, USA. I came to USA in Jan 2021 and graduated with my master’s in Dec 2022, worked on OPT, STEM OPT, and my H1B got approved in 2024,” the post read. However, HT.com cannot independently verify the authenticity of the Redditor's claims.
Full time contract job
He further explained that even though he had a steady income and had been with the same company for 2.5 years, the rising cost of living in the US Tri-State area had increasingly become difficult to justify, ultimately prompting him to consider returning to India.
Detailing the reasoning behind his decision, the NRI stated that he will be relocating to India in mid-2026 because his employer has offered him the opportunity to work full-time on a contract basis from India.
‘No perks, bonus and health insurance’
He remarked that the transition would involve financial trade-offs, stressing that returning to India would imply a lower salary and forfeiting benefits such as a 401(k) and health insurance. He, however, mentioned that the modified compensation would still place him among the top one percent of earners in India. “Lower than my US pay and without some perks (bonus, 401(k), health insurance), but still top 1% by Indian standards,” he wrote.
“I haven’t saved aggressively (401k ~$13k), but I cleared my loans, have no debt, and spent money traveling and enjoying life—no regrets.” Moreover, his future plans include visiting the US twice a year for business purposes, a recommendation made by his employer.
Redditors react
As the post gained widespread attention, several users commended him for his decision to return to India, with many others expressing their own thoughts about potentially making a similar transition.
“You seem to have everything perfectly figured out brother go for it!! I think being close to family and friends and not worrying about visa is a blessing,” one person said.
“All the best and you seem very content and satisfied with your choice,” another commented.
Meanwhile, a third user, who arrived in the US in 2021 and is now planning to move back to India, wrote: “I wish I could get the contract position like you with my employer.”
