Showing posts with label R2I Planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label R2I Planning. Show all posts

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Green Card vs. US Citizenship

Return to India (R2I) decision becomes a moving target for many folks because of the desire to get a Green card or US Citizenship. I have heard many Indians say "I've stayed so long in this country... I would rather get my Green card before I go back". In the quest to learn more about the benefits of US Citizenship vs. Green Card, I started doing some reading (actually research).  Here is a summary of my findings.

(Also read: Going to US through a consultant on a H1B visa?   When is the right time to go to US? )
   
Green card provides you lawful permanent residency and allows you to live/work in US, on a permanent basis. US Citizenship makes you a citizen of the country, and eligible for almost all the benefits enjoyed by born citizens.

Residency Status Maintenance

When you move to another country, intending to live there permanently, you loose your Green Card privilege. Typically, this happens when you live outside US for more than a year without obtaining a re-entry permit. Government has the "authority" to invalidate your Green Card, for durations of stay less than a year outside the country. You need to file your tax returns when you are outside the country - failing which, your Green Card status may be at risk.

When you have a Green card, you've to keep UCSIS informed about your new address within 10 days of changing your address. (Also read: R2I Checklist for Change of address)

You don't have any of these issues when you have a US Citizenship. You can be living anywhere and for how long so ever. UCSIS recommends US Citizens to "register" with your nearest consulate, so that, they can help you in case of any emergencies.

Starting a business

When you have a Green Card, you can start your own business and corporation, like any other US Citizens. H1B visa holders are authorized to work for a 'specific' employer in US. So, they aren't authorized to start/run their own business.

Employment/Job

When you have a Green Card, you can join a company immediately after you get the offer, like US Citizens. You don't have to go through any hassle like H1B visa holders.

As a Green Card holder, you will have the right to apply for government jobs which do not require security clearance. Jobs that require security clearance are filled with US citizens only. (Also read:  R2I Job Search)

Travel

When you have a Green Card, you still need to obtain visa to travel to countries like Schengen nations in Europe. US Citizens don't require a visa when traveling to Schengen countries.

US Citizens are encouraged to register with the nearest US Consulate when they travel outside US, and be in a country for a long period. It helps UCSIS to reach them, in case of emergencies.  (Also read: Places to see in USA)

Immigration

When you have a Green Card, you don't have a "time limit" to stay within US (like US Citizens and unlike H1B visa holders). When you go through the immigration checkpoints in US, you won't get the funny questions from immigration officer "How long are you going to be here? & What is the nature of your visit".

Tax

With respect to Tax, there is no difference between Green Card holders and US Citizens. Tax laws are for the "residents" of United States. You are considered a resident of United States if you stay in the country for 183 days or longer. You're then qualified to pay tax.  (Also read: Filing tax returns in US after your R2I - Some tips)

Financial Aid / Mortgage

You can get loans from banks irrespective of whether you are a US Citizen or a Green Card holder. have a Financial institutions prefer Green Card Holders & US Citizens when issuing home loans - because of their "permanent residency" status.

Some of the financial aids given by Government are for US Citizens only.  (Also read: How much money is enough to R2I)

Right to Vote / Elections / Politics

Green card holders do not have the right to cast their vote in elections. However, folks with US Citizenship can vote. US Citizenship allows you to contest in elections, except for the post of United States President - a President must be a US born citizen (Yes ! Arnold schwarzenegger isn't qualified to be the President of US). Immigrants are not eligible to run for the office of President, no matter how long they have lived in the country. However, your kid born in US is eligible to contest for the post of United States President :)

Green Card holders & US Citizens can make financial contributions to politics, whereas foreigners/visa holders cannot.  

(Disclaimer: I haven't taken any effort to verify the legal accuracy of this article. Please consult with your attorney for accurate details)

References

Retaining Green Card
Pre-requisites to become a US President
Benefits of Green Card
Tax Topic - Resident & Non-Resident Aliens
Green Card Renewal
Smart Traveler Enrollment Program for US Citizens

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Adarsh Palm Meadows, in Bangalore - A perfect residential community for R2I folks

Have you been missing your residential community in US - the green parks, the neat walk ways, and the luxurious house? If you are planning to settle in Bangalore, you don't have to miss any of those... especially, if you are going to live in Adarsh Palm Meadows in Whitefield. I had a chance to visit the community and I was quite amazed by its infrastructure. It is simply spectacular. If I have to summarize what I saw in Adarsh Palm Meadows, in just one word - It was "Luxurious".

(Also read: R2I Planning Guide)

Adarsh Palm Meadows is located in the Whitefield area near Varthur lake (roughly 1 hour drive from Hosur). The community has nearly 600 villas and each one of them seemed to be different (at least, the exteriors). The community has villas of varying sizes. The villas resemble the ones that you typically see in Palo Alto area in California. All the villas are duplexes, with neat gardens and sufficient  parking space. Small things make perfection, but perfection isn't a small thing - the architects have paid great attention to the details. The interiors had finesse and I saw perfection everywhere.

The club house in Adarsh Palm Meadows is worth special mention. It looked like a 5 star hotel - with neatly maintained swimming pools (indoor & outdoor), play structures for kids (indoor & outdoor), decent library, tennis court, a restaurant, fitness center/gym, etc., They have a mini Hindu temple inside the community. The community also has a good grocery store. There is 24 x 7 water supply, and electricity (with generator backup). There conduct all sorts of classes such as yoga, music, swimming and dance. You get all the things that you would typically expect in a Tier 1 residential community. You can do your weekly shopping in Varthur Farmer's market - where you can get fresh vegetables/fruits. (Also read: Why am I a Vegan?)

The whole community looks as if it is painted in green.  It is hard for you to see an area without trees or plants. The roads are well laid and there is walkways everywhere. You can see people  doing their morning walks and jogging, very early in the morning.

Technically, you don't have to step out of the community for anything (except to work). Yes ! They don't have offices inside the community ! :)). The community has people from all over the world - mostly expats and wealthy folks. You'll feel as if you're living in the bay area, in US. You see many Americans, Europeans, and folks from other Asian countries.

The community also has exceptional security. Visitors (including housemaids) should always go through a stringent security checks. You can see security personnel not just near the gates - but in many locations.

All of this luxury comes at a cost. I heard that each villa costs around Rs. 4 crores (& they were sold at Rs. 45 lakhs, nearly 6 years ago). If you are planning to settle in Bangalore after your Return to India (R2I), you should definitely consider Adarsh Palm Meadows.  (Also read: Money needed to R2I)

There are so many luxury residential communities listed online. For real estate, rental and property deals, you can look at websites like MyDeals India. You can also search for real estate deals online from the popular real estate websites.

I haven't visited many residential communities in Chennai. Hopefully, there are equally good communities in Chennai too. I'm very curious to find that out :)


Saturday, December 4, 2010

R2I Change of Address - Checklist

One of the key things to do during your move from US to India, is providing "Change of Address". Should I be giving change of address to Post Office, Bank, 401k Provider, Social Security Administration, etc.,? Can I give foreign address to institutions in US? Can I setup mail forwarding from US to India? This post is intended to address some of the commonly asked questions on R2I Address Change.

(Also read: Return to India (R2I) - 25 things to do)

When returning from USA, you should have given the change of address to all the concerned parties, so that they can mail you the income tax statement. Otherwise, you may have to chase each of them to send you soft copies by email. Hopefully, you gave the address of a friend who lives in his/her own house. That way, you don't have to worry about change of address when your friend shifts his/her house. Inform/remind your friend that he/she may receive your income tax statements from different sources. This will help them to keep an eye on it.

Post Office - Giving "Change of Address" to your post office is one of the important things you should do. It is recommended to give the address of a friend who owns a house (A friend who rents a house may move around). Also, the friend has to be very reliable. He/she shouldn't miss important mail communications to you.

(Note: There are services that provide you a local P.O Box address in US and does international mailing of shipment to India. I don't have much details on them and I'm not sure how reliable they are)


Employer - Your employer would have to send your W2 statement at the end of the financial year. You would need that to file your tax returns. You need to give your employer the address to which they've to mail your W2 statement. You can give your India address or ask your employer to ship the W2 statement to your friend's address. Your friend can courier it to you or scan it and send it to you, for filing the tax returns online.

401K Provider - Depending upon the provider, you can give a foreign address. For ex., Vangaurd would allow you to maintain a foreign address for your 401k account. (Also read: R2I - 401(k) closure FAQs)

Bank / Credit Cards - Many banks allow you to provide a foreign address for communication. However, it is recommended to call the banking institution to confirm the same. In todays "hi-tech" world, you can do most of the transactions online and even get your monthly statements online. You can also give your friend's address in the Bank for communication.

Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) - You can give a foreign address in some of the DMVs. For example, Oregon DMV allows you to do that. Call & check with your DMV directly.

Jury Duty/Voters List - If you are a US Citizen, you can do the address change on voters list, in your DMV office itself. You're called for Jury Duty based on the records in Secretary of State offices (which they get from DMV) & Voters list. You can call your "State Election Offices" to do the change in Voters list (if DMV doesn't offer that service)

Social Security Administration - No address change required. However, you need to keep IRS informed about your address change. You should fill Form 8822, to notify IRS about your address change. SSA doesn't maintain your address records if you are not getting benefits currently (i.e., until you reach your retirement age). SSA gets the information from IRS (Internal Revenue Service). So, keep the IRS informed about your change of address. You can notify IRS regarding the address change by using Form 8822.

SSA would start tracking your address (on its own) only after you reach your retirement age. You can refer to the following FAQ on SSA website that provides additional information:

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10028.html

(Also read: How can I get my Social Security benefits/money?)

Post R2I - Once you returned to India, there is no "formal" process to notify India government about R2I. If you have a PIO you may need to get it registered, at the FRRO. If you have an OCI, you don't need any registration.

In general, I would recommend you to give a friend's address for all the institutions in US, from whom you would receive correspondences. That way, the mail doesn't get lost/missed during international shipment.

US Citizens - US Citizens should let the consulate or nearest embassy know that they're residing/traveling in a foreign country. They should let the consulate know about the change of address - https://travelregistration.state.gov/

The following website provides additional address change instructions for US Citizens.

http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Services/Address_Changes.shtml

Note: This blog post provides a list of common places where you have to change your address. This isn't a comprehensive list.

Also read:

R2I Planning Guide
Returning to India - 25 things to do

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Questions asked during KG Interview in Chennai Schools

We attended interviews in 3 different schools in Chennai for my daughter's KG admission - Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Chennai Public School, and Sherwood Hall. The KG interview pattern/questions seem to be more or less similar, in all the 3 schools. Your kid should be prepared to answer the questions / do the assignments without your help. In Chennai Public School, the kid was interviewed separately without the parents around. You can get a distant view of what is going on. I've compiled the list of questions asked during the KG interview here. Hope this helps you.

(Also read: R2I school admissions - FAQ)

Questions/Assignments for kid during KG interview

1) What is your name?
2) Which school are you going to?
3) Which class are you studying?
4) Who are all staying with you at home?
5) Who drops/picks you up from school?
6) How did you come to the interview, today? (mode of commute)
7) An assignment to color something with crayons (flower, fruit or vegetable)
8) An assignment to identify the object (animal, fruit, or vegetable)
9) An assignment to test your kid's reflex / physical ability (by asking the kid to throw a ball, asking the kid to pick a ball, asking the kid to run/jump etc.,)

Standard questions like "Where do you work", "What is your pay" etc., will be filled in the application form itself. So, the parents should be prepared for the following kind of questions.

Questions for Parents during KG interview

1) Why do you want to admit your kid in this school?
2) What would you like the kid to be?
3) What are the skills that you want your kid to pick up?
4) What are some of the things that your kid likes to do?
5) How many hours do you spend with the kid each day?
6) Who helps the kids with the school assignments?
7) What are the extra curricular activities that you would like your kid to participate in?
8) Who will drop/pickup your kid from the school? Would you need school van service?
9) If you R2I'ed, why did you R2I? Do you have plans of going back to US?

If the school is expecting a donation (also called as "school development fund"), you'll also be informed about that during the interview.

Things have changed very much in the last 10 or 15 years. There were times when the admission process was very simple. The parents have to just meet the school Principal and pay the fees. Now, every school is trying to pick the 'best' kid(s) through interviews. I pity these innocent little kids. They have to start competing with each other for a limited number of seats in a good school. It adds unnecessary pressure and frustration to the parents. There are lots of parents who are ready to do 'whatever it takes' to get admission into a good school, which results in increased cost of education.

Also read:

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

How to apply for Credit Freeze during R2I?

Social Security Number (SSN) is THE most important identification number for you during your presence in US. SSN is linked to all of your accounts, and you should keep it very safe. There are folks who ask "Should I return/cancel my SSN when I return back to India?". The answer is NO. SSN once assigned stays valid, even if you are out of the country. It is your responsibility to keep it safe and prevent it from mis-usages. So, what should you do to your SSN, when you Return to India? How do you prevent people from misusing your SSN, after your R2I?

You should put a credit freeze on your SSN, before leaving the country. There are 3 credit bureaus that track your credit history - Equifax, Experian & TransUnion. You've to apply individually at each of the credit bureaus for credit freeze. Here are the links for you to follow-on:

Equifax Credit Freeze
Experian Credit Freeze
TransUnion Credit Freeze

Social Security website allows you to block electronic/telephone access to your personal information. However, it doesn't stop the credit bureaus from performing credit checks. Hence, it is highly recommended for you to apply for credit freeze, at the individual credit bureaus.

If you are extraordinarily rich, you can also sign-up for identify theft services such as Lifelock, that provide extra protection.

Applying for credit freeze should be one of the important things to do, in your R2I checklist.

Also read:

R2I Planning Guide
R2I - How can I get my Social Security benefits/money?

Sunday, February 14, 2010

R2I Planning Guide

This post consolidates rich information on various R2I topics such as R2I checklist, R2I reasons, 401K, Social Security, R2I Jobs/salaries, R2I schools and settling costs in India.

The objective of this post is to make it easier for you to find specific information on different R2I topics. Eventually, this post will evolve to become an "All you have to know about R2I" guide.

R2I checklist

R2I - 25 things to do / checklist
R2I Address Change - Checklist

401K

Should I participate in 401k? The answer is YES !
R2I - 401(k) closure FAQs
R2I - What to do with the 401(k) account?

Social Security

R2I - How can I get my Social Security benefits/money
How to apply for credit freeze during R2I?

R2I Reasons

100 reasons to Return to India (R2I)
10 reasons to return back to India

R2I Jobs

R2I Job Search - FAQ

How to search for R2I jobs?
Work environment in India - Then & Now
R2I - List of MNCs in Chennai

R2I Schools


R2I school admissions - FAQ
List of CBSE schools in Chennai 
Getting KG admission for a kid in school - the math behind it 
Questions asked during KG interview in Schools

R2I Salaries
 
10 tips for R2I salary negotiation
Cost to Company (CTC) - Peeling the Onion

R2I Legal Stuff

Green Card vs US Citizenship


R2I Essentials (including cost of living, things to buy, etc.,)

10 things to know if you are thinking of Returning
How much money do you need to R2I?
US to India Money Transfer Strategies

R2I - List of things to pack/bring from US

IP Phone - Magic Jack vs Vonage vs Skype
Goods in US market - lots of options & cheaper prices
Nilkamal's @home - Not designed for me

Post R2I

Things to take care of, after your R2I
Extending stay of PIO card holder

Visit to Bhubaneshwar and Puri in Odisha

During the summer holidays, we visited Odisha for the first time. We experienced two different cities in Odisha - Bhubaneshwar and Puri (bot...