Full disclosure , I haven’t moved back yet.
But I’ve been seriously considering it, so I’ve been talking to a bunch of people who already did , plus my cousin is in HR back in India for a large US based retailer in Bangalore. I'll let you guess which one.
One thing that keeps coming up:
Leading with “I’m a US return” or NRI doesn’t really help in job searches and in some cases, it actually hurts.
From what I’ve heard:
- Hiring managers assume your salary expectations are inflated
- They think you might leave again if things don’t match your expectations
- There’s a perception you’ll keep comparing everything to life abroad
- Teams wonder if you’ll blend in with local work culture
So instead of being a strong advantage, it sometimes creates friction.
Not saying your experience abroad doesn’t matter it obviously does, but treating “US return” like a badge in every conversation doesn’t land the way people think it does. No one cares and it's not a big deal like it used to be in the early 90s or early 2000s.
Curious to hear from people who’ve actually gone through this.