Moving back to India after living overseas for more than a decade can feel both exciting and overwhelming. That mix of emotion is exactly what one couple experienced as they packed up their life in the United States and prepared to return to Bangalore.
After spending 12 and 15 years in New Jersey, they realised there was no handbook for returning NRIs. So, they built one themselves.
They describe the move as chaotic at times on Reddit, especially because they did not know anyone who had made a similar transition.
But while some steps might seem unnecessary and they may have missed a few things, their experience is now helping others who are planning the same journey.
Sorting out money and legal accounts
One of the first tasks they tackled was setting up their finances for a smooth transition. They opened NRE accounts so they could transfer their savings from the US to India.
The process took only a few days because they had all the documents ready. The bank mailed their cheque books and debit and credit cards directly to their US address, making things easier.
Once the accounts were active, they wired money from their US bank to ensure a clean and traceable financial record. They also kept their US bank accounts open with a small balance for future tax needs.
After settling in India, they plan to convert the NRE accounts to regular savings accounts.
Another major decision waiting for them is what to do with their 401(k). They are deciding between withdrawing early and paying penalties or converting it to a Roth IRA.
Since they do not want to manage investments, they are leaning toward early withdrawal but will speak to a financial adviser first.
Protecting identity and managing paperwork
Before leaving, they took steps to protect their identity and credit information. They placed credit freezes and fraud alerts with all three major US bureaus and subscribed to a LifeLock protection plan.
This ensures they will be notified if someone tries to misuse their identity while they are abroad.
Mail handling was another essential part of the process. They set up USPS mail forwarding for one year to a relative’s home and switched as many accounts as possible to paperless statements to avoid clutter.
They also updated the addresses on all their US financial accounts to help keep everything active and organised.
Clearing, packing, and shipping belongings
Decluttering turned out to be one of the biggest jobs. They started selling their belongings early and learnt quickly that most items would need to be heavily discounted, but photos and short videos helped things sell faster.
Clothes, jackets, shoes, and blankets that they did not want to ship or sell were donated to local centres. Items they still wanted like books, DVDs, and small household things were packed and shipped to India.
Sorting years of paperwork became another challenge. They shredded unnecessary papers and used community shred events to handle large volumes. Old laptops and electronics were disposed of through legal data-destruction services.
One detail many people forget during a move like this is their mobile number. The couple decided to keep their US phone numbers active because many important services still require OTPs or verification messages.
Although they first considered switching from a postpaid to a prepaid plan, they discovered that a prepaid option did not guarantee number retention and didn’t include international roaming. So, they stayed on a cheaper postpaid plan for now and plan to move their numbers to Google Voice after six to seven months.
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