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Is it worth living in USA?

randomGuy

By randomGuy
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G_B_ Grand Master

G_B_

Posted
Posted
On 9/23/2025 at 5:03 AM, vvvslaxman said:

 

Actually i dearly want to spend some years in UK. But not sure i would find a job here. I hear job market is very  bad in UK.

 

The UK job market was gangbusters (very strong) two years ago. Know so many Indians who quit the HIB rat race and bought properties in London and the surrounding areas. Took a 30% hit in salary on average. They had large deposits from their earnings in the USA

 

Personally speaking,  I think if you're an Indian in your 20s, fresh off a master's, you are better in countries like USA (even on H1b, yes) or Dubai, Singapore etc. Build a base of 200k USD. These places allow you to build wealth.

 

Then move to Canada or West Europe to settle down and raise a family etc in your 30s. My cousin is a doctor in Hartford, Connecticut. She pays 8k a month for childcare and 3k a month as student loan fees despite being in her mid 30s. ( her parents are not nearby). Despite earning very well (300k),  she has 16 days of annual leave. She is richer than me but I have a much better quality of life. She always seems stressed.

 

So H1b in your 20s makes a lot of sense. Not so much in 30s. 

 

G_B_ Grand Master

G_B_

Posted
Posted

and I would also say 2.4 million Indians going overseas each year was very unsustainable in the long run....

 

The tide has turned massively against immigration in Canada, west europe. Germany has the AFD. Dubai and the middle east can absorb only so many.

 

Japan seems to be a good idea. Work there for a few years and then either move to another country or return to India.

 

 

ravishingravi Grand Master

ravishingravi

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, G_B_ said:

 

The UK job market was gangbusters (very strong) two years ago. Know so many Indians who quit the HIB rat race and bought properties in London and the surrounding areas. Took a 30% hit in salary on average. They had large deposits from their earnings in the USA

 

Personally speaking,  I think if you're an Indian in your 20s, fresh off a master's, you are better in countries like USA (even on H1b, yes) or Dubai, Singapore etc. Build a base of 200k USD. These places allow you to build wealth.

 

Then move to Canada or West Europe to settle down and raise a family etc in your 30s. My cousin is a doctor in Hartford, Connecticut. She pays 8k a month for childcare and 3k a month as student loan fees despite being in her mid 30s. ( her parents are not nearby). Despite earning very well (300k),  she has 16 days of annual leave. She is richer than me but I have a much better quality of life. She always seems stressed.

 

So H1b in your 20s makes a lot of sense. Not so much in 30s. 

 

 

This does sound like a good plan for the 25 year old. But in current scenario and with lack of visibility, it feels like another indian middle class assuring pipedream.

 

Economic rebalancing, staglationary economies, push back on immigration, reserve currency receding, wave of conflicts, AI transformation etc etc. It's impossible to forecast next 6 months let alone next two decades.

 

Truth is that the era of playing a 5 day test match is done. The pitch can be changed anytime. Skills, values, resilience and community. That's what I recommend youngsters. Don't think of some ideal. It never did exist and certainly the idea of ideal would also cease to exist. Adapt fast and listen to your gut. No one knows for sure what will happen next. 

kepler37b Grand Master

kepler37b

Posted
Posted
13 hours ago, randomGuy said:

I don't like this bhikhari mindset of queueing up for Visa, lottery, GC, citizenship, sorry for harsh words, that's another reason I didn't go to USA (primary reason being losing interest in software/IT)... People i worked with at Microsoft in India are heading their cloud devision Azure today at VP n partner level roles in Redmond....I was never ever interested in moving outside India. 

 

Bro...have you approached any govt office for a building permission or you approached a lawyer for a legal case? Unless you are influential, they treat you like a Dog. 

 

 

 

kepler37b Grand Master

kepler37b

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 10/5/2025 at 8:13 AM, rangeelaraja said:

@randomGuy

 

People forget that US is the 3rd most populated country in the world. And the largest economy in the world by a long distance.

 

It is possible to have a very high standard of living in practically half the world including India.

 

What separates US from the "lesser" options like Singapore, UAE ( Dubai ) and other GCC countries, UK, Canada, Australia ..etc etc.. is the sheer size of the US economy.

 

There is no comparison between a  30 trillion USD economy with any of the other options - when viewed from the perspective of abundance of opportunities. 

 

In the decade and a half I’ve spent here, one thing that truly stands out is the sheer abundance , everything exists in almost obscene excess.

 

It is what makes US the envy of the world. 

 

It is also a reality that over the last 80 years - almost 95 % of technology that has transformed human life in unthinkable ways - has originated in the US.

 

There are several reasons for this but the most profound one ( apart from the fact that USD is the global reserve currency ) ... is that the risk capital in the US is astronomical. 

 

One can be in the VC scene here after multiple failed start ups and eventually hit a windfall. 

 

In the rest of the world including India- its extremely hard to make a come back after one failure.

 

Just look at what happeend to Byju's.

 

I strongly believe if you are hard working, make some effort to build credibility, network well and have a decent risk appetite - there is no better place to be from a career perspective. 

 

India is never going to reach the prosperity levels of current America. Somehow, i have a suspicion that our growth journey will be torpedoed by pappu and bheemta groups. if that happens, we might not cross $5000 pci

Edited by kepler37b
randomGuy Grand Master

randomGuy

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)
4 hours ago, kepler37b said:

 

Bro...have you approached any govt office for a building permission or you approached a lawyer for a legal case? Unless you are influential, they treat you like a Dog. 

 

 

 

Try out CPGRAMS pgportal.gov.in for all departments/bills/taxes/services grievance redressal...it is fast and very very good. Every Indian should know about this portal. 

 

Human touch points are becoming less and less needed.

Edited by randomGuy
vvvslaxman Grand Master

vvvslaxman

Posted
Posted
23 hours ago, G_B_ said:

 

The UK job market was gangbusters (very strong) two years ago. Know so many Indians who quit the HIB rat race and bought properties in London and the surrounding areas. Took a 30% hit in salary on average. They had large deposits from their earnings in the USA

 

Personally speaking,  I think if you're an Indian in your 20s, fresh off a master's, you are better in countries like USA (even on H1b, yes) or Dubai, Singapore etc. Build a base of 200k USD. These places allow you to build wealth.

 

Then move to Canada or West Europe to settle down and raise a family etc in your 30s. My cousin is a doctor in Hartford, Connecticut. She pays 8k a month for childcare and 3k a month as student loan fees despite being in her mid 30s. ( her parents are not nearby). Despite earning very well (300k),  she has 16 days of annual leave. She is richer than me but I have a much better quality of life. She always seems stressed.

 

So H1b in your 20s makes a lot of sense. Not so much in 30s. 

 

I have been a citizen here for long. Just for change. I guess I will stick to my original plan of finding a quiet place in kerala :)

zen Grand Master

zen

Posted
Posted

The answer would vary per individual depending on their personal goals. 
 

If you follow the herd, it likely means you lack your own vision, and the strategy and tactics to plan your life. 

G_B_ Grand Master

G_B_

Posted
Posted
On 10/6/2025 at 2:10 AM, ravishingravi said:

 

This does sound like a good plan for the 25 year old. But in current scenario and with lack of visibility, it feels like another indian middle class assuring pipedream.

 

Economic rebalancing, staglationary economies, push back on immigration, reserve currency receding, wave of conflicts, AI transformation etc etc. It's impossible to forecast next 6 months let alone next two decades.

 

Truth is that the era of playing a 5 day test match is done. The pitch can be changed anytime. Skills, values, resilience and community. That's what I recommend youngsters. Don't think of some ideal. It never did exist and certainly the idea of ideal would also cease to exist. Adapt fast and listen to your gut. No one knows for sure what will happen next. 

 

Thats a very fair point.

 

I hear a huge chorus for Dubai. But only so much Dubai or gulf has absorb.

 

 

G_B_ Grand Master

G_B_

Posted
Posted
21 hours ago, zen said:

The answer would vary per individual depending on their personal goals. 
 

If you follow the herd, it likely means you lack your own vision, and the strategy and tactics to plan your life. 

 

Blunt truth many times the herd works.

 

My cousin was born n raised in Mumbai. Not driven, no real direction of what he wanted to do. Was academically ok. Just like most in class wanted to goto Usa. Did masters from ok university. But this was the mid 00s. Now has a house (his friends bought houses so he followed) etc and is very comfertable in new jersey. Is probably doing better than a bright cousin who is on 30 lakh in mumbai.

 

You can very well be part of the herd and do very well. Timing is key and it depends on luck.

 

 

People under estimate luck....

 

 

 

zen Grand Master

zen

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 10/8/2025 at 1:14 PM, G_B_ said:

 

Blunt truth many times the herd works.

 

My cousin was born n raised in Mumbai. Not driven, no real direction of what he wanted to do. Was academically ok. Just like most in class wanted to goto Usa. Did masters from ok university. But this was the mid 00s. Now has a house (his friends bought houses so he followed) etc and is very comfertable in new jersey. Is probably doing better than a bright cousin who is on 30 lakh in mumbai.

 

You can very well be part of the herd and do very well. Timing is key and it depends on luck.

 

 

People under estimate luck....

 


Herd could work at times but you should be taking decisions based on what works for you. Otherwise, like you said, it is over to luck and timing, along with community support that you are able to gather at places like New Jersey.
 

PS on the other hand, there are a lot of illegal immigrants, who showcase a herd mentality as well, that suffer dire consequences including exploitation.

Edited by zen
Mariyam Grand Master

Mariyam

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, G_B_ said:

 

Thats a very fair point.

 

I hear a huge chorus for Dubai. But only so much Dubai or gulf has absorb.

 

 

Different demographic for Dubai.

Those who want to move to the West are essentially White collared domain experts( I say experts liberally). A large chunk of those who want to move to Dubai, lock stock and barrel are business owners from India whose clientele predominantly are overseas. Setting up an office or registering their business in Dubai means that they get to escape fairly Draconian taxes in India and can cut through all the red tape.

 

 

vvvslaxman Grand Master

vvvslaxman

Posted
Posted (edited)

USA is still the ultimate destination for desis. This video explains the dangerous route they take to get to USA.   100 kilometer walk through jungle with dangerous vines, wild animals, insects!!

 

 

 

Edited by vvvslaxman
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