An Indian man living in the US has turned to Reddit for advice after losing his job in the recent tech layoffs and facing a difficult decision about whether to stay back or return to India with his family.
(Also read: ‘I think I just lost my job’: Man receives layoff email on train ride home, internet reacts)
In his post, the man said he was on a GC EAD and had nearly five months of financial runway left. With the job market looking uncertain, he said he was trying to prepare for the worst possible situation, which could mean moving back to India.
(Also read: Bengaluru man rethinks buying first home amid layoff fears: ‘30-year EMI means more risk’)
Taking to Reddit, the user wrote, “Got hit by the recent tech layoffs, I’m on a GC EAD with about a 5-month financial runway, Given the current job market, I’m trying to plan for the worst-case scenario: moving back to India, I have a couple of major roadblocks making this decision tough: Real Estate: My house is currently undervalued. Selling it now means a loss, but leaving it behind means managing a US property from India, Schooling: My two kids are starting 6th grade. They don’t know Hindi or any regional languages. International schools are too expensive for us, so we’d have to do a good CBSE school, Has anyone transitioned kids into middle school in India without language skills? And is it worth sticking out the 5 months to try and find a US role on an EAD, or should I start prepping the move now? Can I survive with 6 cr in India without any job?”
(Also read: Indian man moves back after US layoff and visa stress: ‘Immigration system breaks you down’)
The post was shared with the title, “Laid off on GC EAD with 5-month runway. Kids and underwater house complicating things. Advice?”
Concerns over children and house
The man said his biggest worries were not limited to money. He explained that selling his house in the US would mean taking a financial loss, while keeping it would mean managing the property from India. He was also concerned about his two children, who are set to begin sixth grade and do not know Hindi or any regional language.
Take a look here at the post:
Reddit users react
The post drew several responses from Reddit users, with many advising him to prepare practically while keeping his options open. One user wrote, “You might want to sell the house now and move on, especially if there is a chance its value could fall further. The kids will adjust and be fine. Experiencing different cultures will make them more well-rounded.” Another said, ” ₹6 crore with no debt? You’ll be fine, lol. That is way more than what most families retire with in India. Honestly, the bigger issue here does not sound like money. It sounds like uprooting two kids right before middle school and figuring out the house situation.” A third user added, “Start preparing for the move now, but also keep looking for a job. As for the ₹6 crore, I am assuming you would still want to work in India. In that case, the amount is fairly good as backup savings.” Another asked, “Won’t you lose your green card if you move to India and stay outside the US for more than six months?” One more commented, “You can survive in India even with less than ₹1 crore, provided you know how to live a humble life.”
(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.)
