[V.Narayan]

Elderly Indian Green Card holders are being pressured by officials at US airports to give up their residency by ‘voluntarily’ signing Form I-407

https://www.financialexpress.com/wor...ports/3780332/


Indian Green Card holders, particularly elderly individuals who spend winters in India, are facing intense scrutiny at US airports. Reports indicate that US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have been pressuring them to sign Form I-407 to ‘voluntarily’ surrender their permanent residency. The elderly Indians who have tried to push back have been met with threats of ‘detention’ or ‘removal’ by the CBP officers.

A Green Card, officially known as a Permanent Resident Card, allows an individual to live and work permanently in the United States.

A Green Card holder has to pay US income tax on his/her worldwide income! After that to be bullied at US airports to "voluntarily" give up your permanent residency rights is a tall request. It is alleged that on flights inbound to USA from Asia US officials distribute these I-407 forms inflight to encourage Green Card holders to relinquish their permanent residency rights at 36,000 feet.

Clearly with the new US administration interesting and volatile times are ahead. The advertising line seems to be, "We want your taxes but we don't want you".

[czar6502]

Hey everyone,

I’m in a really confused state right now. I’m a 23 years old UI/UX Designer working at a product-based company in Bangalore. My pay is decent for someone with 1.5 years of experience. I completed my bachelor’s in Product and Industrial Design in 2023.

I’m currently in a dilemma about whether to pursue a master’s degree abroad or stay in India, gain more experience, and look for better opportunities here.

A little background:

My sister and her husband live in Sydney, and they keep insisting that I move there to pursue higher education and eventually settle down. My parents live in Bangalore, and my dad is turning 60 this year. Honestly, I don’t mind staying in India. But I’m unable to make a solid decision.

My girlfriend also wants to pursue her master’s abroad, but she’s not keen on staying back after completing her degree. In my case, I’d need to take a loan to study abroad, and I’d have to stay back to repay it before returning. I’m quite certain that if I stay abroad long enough, I’ll eventually lose the desire to come back to India.

I’m really struggling to decide whether I should stay in India or move to Sydney and start from scratch, though with the possibility of a better quality of life. If I leave, I’ll be leaving behind a lot of things I hold dear—my new motorcycle, my pet cats, friends, parents, a comfortable life, stable income, rent-free living, and of course, mom’s home-cooked meals.

Seeking advice from those who’ve faced a similar situation.

How did you manage to make a decision? What factors should I consider before taking the plunge? Would love to hear your thoughts!

[am1m]

While we wait for the people with actual experience studying and living/working in Sydney to post, these two points, I think, need you to think about your motivations.

Originally Posted by czar6502

I’m currently in a dilemma about whether to pursue a master’s degree abroad or stay in India,...

If you don't really have clarity on whether or not to do a Masters, I'm not sure it's a good idea?

Originally Posted by czar6502

In my case, I’d need to take a loan to study abroad, and I’d have to stay back to repay it before returning.

Will you be assured of a job in your field, in Australia, after graduating? That will enable you to pay back the loan? Or will you have to leave and then be in a position to have to find a job in India and then also pay back the loan? These are the questions you should be asking and trying to get answers for before making the decision.

[czar6502]

Originally Posted by am1m

If you don't really have clarity on whether or not to do a Masters, I'm not sure it's a good idea?

I am not against the idea of doing masters. I will be more confident about masters once I find out that it opens up a broader horizon of opportunities. I need guidance on whether doing masters itself is a good idea or not.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by czar6502

I am not against the idea of doing masters. I will be more confident about masters once I find out that it opens up a broader horizon of opportunities. I need guidance on whether doing masters itself is a good idea or not.

I'm with @am1m on this. Focus on the part in bold. You need to do your homework to figure out which college, which stream / specialization, market opportunities, etc. Network with people / reach out to folks via Linkedin to get perspectives, on-ground scene, etc.

There are numerous reasons to do a master course. But those are generic in nature.

[dragracer567]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Clearly with the new US administration interesting and volatile times are ahead. The advertising line seems to be, "We want your taxes but we don't want you".

The US has always had racist laws & tendencies but what we are seeing here is making a joke out of the rule of law.

Those who are considering moves to the US should seriously consider the pros and cons. Even white immigrants aren't spared!

[androdev]

Originally Posted by czar6502

I’m a 23 years old UI/UX Designer working at a product-based company in Bangalore.
...
My sister and her husband live in Sydney, and they keep insisting that I move there to pursue higher education and eventually settle down.
...
If I leave, I’ll be leaving behind a lot of things I hold dear—my new motorcycle, my pet cats, friends, parents, a comfortable life, stable income, rent-free living, and of course, mom’s home-cooked meals.
...

It would have been a much simpler decision if you were not working in your own city, for a decent company and getting to live with your parents. This is what Mastercard calls priceless :-)

On the other hand, Indian cities have serious problems like pollution, traffic and inept civic administration. Escaping this is a sufficient justification to move - unless you are financially comfortable to insulate yourself from these problems to a large extent.

Doing masters and making it big is mostly a very low probability event these days. I mean you may earn more but your expenses will also be at the same level. The focus should be on quality of life and your own judgement of the ability of a society to provide the same. There are happy people on both sides of the fence - especially those who don't read the news.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by czar6502

Hey everyone,

I’m in a really confused state right now. I’m a 23 years old UI/UX Designer working at a product-based company in Bangalore. My pay is decent for someone with 1.5 years of experience. I completed my bachelor’s in Product and Industrial Design in 2023.

The largest IT job markets are available in only two countries, USA and India. This is because of the business available in these countries vs rest of the world. The entire population of Australia is less than the population of our Capital city. Since the population is small, the business is limited, and jobs are limited too. If you have niche skill and that is highly in demand in that country, you will have an edge. Otherwise, it will be hard.

Regarding Master's, only take it up if it adds to your skillset. Don't do it for help with placements or better acceptability. Those conditions can change overnight. In IT, degrees don't help you just because it is a master's degree. It has to be relevant to your field.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by czar6502

I’m in a really confused state right now.

If you don't have the interest yourself and doing it on peer pressure, then don't bother.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Elderly Indian Green Card holders are being pressured by officials at US airports to give up their residency by ‘voluntarily’ signing Form I-407

Indian Green Card holders, particularly elderly individuals who spend winters in India, are facing intense scrutiny at US airports. Reports indicate that US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have been pressuring them to sign Form I-407 to ‘voluntarily’ surrender their permanent residency. The elderly Indians who have tried to push back have been met with threats of ‘detention’ or ‘removal’ by the CBP officers.

A Green Card, officially known as a Permanent Resident Card, allows an individual to live and work permanently in the United States.

Originally Posted by dragracer567

The US has always had racist laws & tendencies but what we are seeing here is making a joke out of the rule of law.

Those who are considering moves to the US should seriously consider the pros and cons.

So there is no doubt that the Trump administration trying to limit non-citizens from entering the US and making it very difficult for people on work visas to renew their permits. But some of these articles suggest that the Trump administration is breaking laws and deporting people outside the legal framework.

This is not completely accurate, what they are doing is strictly enforcing the laws and giving zero benefit of doubt to non-citizens. Contrary to popular perception a "Green Card" has some conditions for it to remain valid for permanent residency:

1. You have to remain in the US most of the year and travel outside the US up to 6 months is not usually not questioned. You should be ready to prove you actually reside in the US.
2. Travel 6-12 months outside the US would most of the time will be questioned on re-rentry and unless you have good reasons (medical emergency etc.) your "residence" in the US may be questioned and the GC taken away.
3. If you need to be outside the US for 1-2 years you need to get a re-entry permit before leaving. If you are outside for more than 2 years your GC automatically considered "abandoned".
4. If you are convicted of an serious crime your Green Card can be revoked.

Many senior citizens who have Green Cards only visit the US to maintain their residence status. Previous administrations didn't strictly enforce the time requirements but the Trump administration is doing it.

In a strange turn of events I filled this obscure Form I-407 about two years ago and I was surprised to see it in the headlines in the Indian News these days. However in my case my GC had already been declared "abandoned" so it was just a formality.

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by czar6502

My sister and her husband live in Sydney, and they keep insisting that I move there to pursue higher education and eventually settle down.

My girlfriend also wants to pursue her master’s abroad, but she’s not keen on staying back after completing her degree.

Seeking advice from those who’ve faced a similar situation.

How did you manage to make a decision? What factors should I consider before taking the plunge? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Hello czar6502

I have not personally taken the post-graduation pathway to residency and citizenship abroad. However, numerous friends and relatives have posed similar question as yours to me and here's my two cents. This is also based on my interaction with professors and students in top universities in Australia.

Why do you want to pursue post-graduation in Australia? Be honest about it.

Study > Gain knowledge > Gain Work Experience in Australia > Return to India.

Depending on your industry/field of study, relatively speaking there are only a handful of Australian universities that are the best in the world. For example: If it is finance/business, one is better off picking Europe, UK, Singapore or the U.S.A. If it is technology, then the U.S.A is a no-brainer.

To be brutally honest, the purely $ ROI is going to be difficult to justify when the plan is to study in Australia and return to India. Some people are destined to take over the family business in India, and do post-graduation in Australia for whatever reason, but money is not a concern.

Find someone who's done the above and ask how their Indian employers valued their overseas post-graduation degree during salary negotiations.

Study > Pathway to residency and citizenship.
Australia is a no-brainer. Barring the top universities, the others are Visa-Mills. Australia offers a transparent and achievable pathway to residency. There's no lottery or luck involved.

I understand your GF wants the former and your sister wants the latter for you. I feel for the situation you are in man. lol.

You are in the right path by asking the right questions. Continue the research. If possible, make a trip to Australia and Singapore. See what's available, talk to students/professors at universities, observe what a week is like for your sister's family, understand why she wants you to settle in Australia, experience what you'll miss etc. I included Singapore to give you a perspective that's in many ways similar and yet completely different from Australia. I'm not referring to a fully packed 1 week sightseeing tour!

Take all the information you can, but tread your own path. Only you can determine what works for you. Good luck.

[czar6502]

Originally Posted by kiku007

Hello czar6502

Study > Pathway to residency and citizenship.
Australia is a no-brainer. Barring the top universities, the others are Visa-Mills. Australia offers a transparent and achievable pathway to residency. There's no lottery or luck involved.

Take all the information you can, but tread your own path. Only you can determine what works for you. Good luck.

Hi kiku 007

Frankly speaking I would pick Study> Pathway to residency and citizenship because I know myself and I am sure that once I realise the advantages I may prefer staying back.

Thank you for your insight on this. I will make an effort to find out more and gain clarity. Also wanted to ask if it would be okay for me to do my masters once I turn 24. Is it too late for me to pursue masters then or is it just some assumption people have?

Originally Posted by Samurai

The largest IT job markets are available in only two countries, USA and India. This is because of the business available in these countries vs rest of the world. The entire population of Australia is less than the population of our Capital city. Since the population is small, the business is limited, and jobs are limited too. If you have niche skill and that is highly in demand in that country, you will have an edge. Otherwise, it will be hard.

Regarding Master's, only take it up if it adds to your skillset. Don't do it for help with placements or better acceptability. Those conditions can change overnight. In IT, degrees don't help you just because it is a master's degree. It has to be relevant to your field.

Thank you Samurai. I will do more research before I take the plunge.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by androdev

It would have been a much simpler decision if you were not working in your own city, for a decent company and getting to live with your parents. This is what Mastercard calls priceless :-)

I am mostly in agreement with your post except the highlighted part. At the risk of ruffling some feathers, what's so great about living with your parents when you're 23?

I moved out at around that age, since my job was in another city (in India) and I was fortunately financially independent (at that age it meant make rent, buy food, a TV & phone and have enough left over to party and travel a bit). You learn a lot of life skills when you live alone and I highly encourage every youngster to try it.

In fact one of the good things about studying abroad is that it throws up into the deep end of an independent lifestyle. Although these days I am observing some helicopter parents who fly with their wards to their adopted home country, settle them into a nice apartment, ensure they are sent enough to live a lifestyle well above their means etc. While this is well-intentioned, it just sets up the kids for failure, IMO. Remember they have to compete with hungry immigrants for jobs and opportunities.

However, what Samurai says also makes sense. Australia is a small market and the wave of immigrants turning into success stories may already be past.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by noopster

You learn a lot of life skills when you live alone and I highly encourage every youngster to try it.

Not just try. It is a must. All those exposure helps when you run a family on your own.

Although these days I am observing some helicopter parents who fly with their wards to their adopted home country, settle them into a nice apartment, ensure they are sent enough to live a lifestyle well above their means etc.

No matter how much helicopter parent you are, you cannot be there always. For another country, it is at best going to be 1 or 2 times a year, and half a dozen if its within India.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Clearly with the new US administration interesting and volatile times are ahead. The advertising line seems to be, "We want your taxes but we don't want you".

They are doing it for a purpose. This happened to a Canadian recently.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...jasmine-mooney