No more ‘hanging sword’ of a visa: why he chose India over America

For an Indian professional who returned home after an H-1B stamping trip six years ago, one of the biggest reliefs of moving back was no longer having to think about visa status. ‘There is no hanging sword of a visa or green card, no ‘go back to your country’ muttered in a parking lot. You are home,’ he wrote on X.

His post came in response to Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu’s open letter urging Indians in America to consider returning to India. He said his own decision began during that stamping trip, after a conversation with his uncle, who asked him, ‘If you want to do something of your own eventually, why not do it in India? Create value here.’ He moved back about six months later.

He also spoke about the professional advantages of being in India, saying that building connections and accessing networks was easier than in the US. But he was candid about the difficulties too, citing infrastructure, traffic, business permissions and pollution as ongoing struggles that are part of everyday life.

Despite the frustrations, he said his decision was based on a combination of family, opportunity and a desire to contribute to India. ‘I came because the equation worked for me,’ he wrote, while cautioning that India still ‘has to become a place worth coming to.’

Image: Wikimedia Commons/by Kushagra140