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The user listed several challenges of daily life in India that they said felt far more draining after spending years abroad. (Pexels/Representational Image)
In the post, the user explained that the move back to India was driven largely by visa anxiety in the US. Describing years of uncertainty around renewals, timelines, lawyers and waiting periods, the user said the stress eventually became overwhelming. Moving back home, they believed, would bring peace of mind, familiarity and emotional comfort. Instead, the experience turned out to be far more difficult than expected.
“I made a big mistake which I regret a lot. Yes, visa stress in the US is real. But I massively underestimated what I was giving up and overestimated how much “home” would compensate for it,” the user wrote.
“On top of that, the social side has been surprisingly worse than I expected. Relatives are extremely nosy. There’s zero concept of personal boundaries. Everyone wants to know your salary, marriage plans, why you’re not doing XYZ, and feels entitled to comment on your life choices. It’s suffocating if you value privacy or independence,” the post read.
Furthermore, the user challenged a common narrative surrounding the return of NRIs. While many people publicly claim to be happy after moving back, the user alleged that private conversations often tell a different story. “A lot of them admit they regret it too. They just don’t say it out loud because of family pressure, ego, or fear of admitting they made the wrong call,” the post claimed.
“I’m not saying the US is perfect. Visa stress is brutal and real. But if you’re thinking of moving back to India only to escape visa anxiety, please pause and reconsider. You might be trading one kind of stress for a much heavier, more permanent one. If you’ve been abroad for a long time, you’ve likely changed more than you realize. India hasn’t changed at the same pace,” the user concluded.
(Also Read: ‘No regrets’: Indian man returns from US after 7 years, says traffic and work-life balance feel similar)
Social media reactions
The post has sparked a discussion online. One Reddit user commented, “Everyone has gotten so used to it that nobody sees it as a problem. No one cares where their tax money is going.”
“Strange. I moved back to lndia too after living 10 years in the US and Canada and honestly, l feel great. Only difference is l earned way more than what I’m earning here now but l have peace of mind. The complaints you’re making seems like your personal problem as we as indians are used to it- nosey people, pollution, noise etc are part and parcel of life if you grew up in india. Returning back was the best decision in my life and l feel great. Can visit my friends, relatives, parents whenever l want, check up on them and experience the little pleasures in life like catching up with old friends and being myself without posturing and putting up an act,” commented another.
“India is good if you can earn well and use your already tax-deducted money to get facilities that you should have gotten from tax money,” wrote a third user.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
