Blog
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OCI Card Application Process for Returning US Citizens
I got a call from a friend in San Jose last year. “Mani, I just got my US citizenship. I’m planning to move back to India next year. But now I need an OCI card? I didn’t even know that was a thing.” He sounded confused. A little frustrated. He’d spent a decade in the…
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Can US Citizens/NRIs get Aadhaar Card?
A friend from Chicago called me at 11 pm last month. “Mani, I moved back to Bangalore three weeks ago. I went to open a bank account today. They asked for my Aadhaar. I don’t have one. Never got one. Am I stuck?” He wasn’t stuck. But he was confused. And I don’t blame him.…
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What to Do with Your 401K when Returning to India
This is the question that keeps NRIs up at night. Not “which city should I move to?” Not “what school for the kids?” Not even “how do I ship my stuff?” It’s this: “What happens to my 401(k)?” I get it. For most of us who worked in the US for a decade or more,…
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After How Long Will You Lose NRI Status on Returning to India?
This was the first question I asked my CA friend when I decided to move back from the US in 2017. His answer? “It depends.” I hated that answer. But he was right. Because NRI status isn’t one thing. It’s defined differently under two separate laws. And the timelines are different for each. Let me…
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What is OCI Match Up Process?
I remember applying for my son’s OCI card back in 2015. Everything was going smoothly. Application done. Documents sent. Status said “Processed.” Then I got an email that said something about “match up.” I had no idea what it meant. Neither did anyone around me. I called the VFS helpline. Got transferred three times. Finally,…
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What are the Benefits of Child Born in USA for Indian Parents
A few years ago, a member in our BacktoIndia WhatsApp community asked a question that sparked one of the longest discussions I’ve seen. “My wife is expecting. We’re in the US on H1B. Should we plan to have the baby here, or should we go back to India?” Within hours, over 200 messages. Parents sharing…
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How to Ship TV to India
True story. When I moved back to India, I plugged my US Xbox straight into an Indian wall socket. Puff. Smoke. Done. That was an expensive lesson. And it taught me to be more careful about bringing electronics to India. TVs, in particular, are one of the most asked-about items in our BacktoIndia WhatsApp groups.…