r2i forum

Greetings from a desi in Canada.

In short, I had been living in abroad for more than 15 years now. My intentions were always to work in Middle east but I often though some experience in US (5 years) would help, which stretched to the pursuit of US Green card / Passport, when either didn't work, immediately shifted to Canada and got the passport. Now we are Canadian citizens and hold Overseas Indian Citizenship (OCI).

Why did I move to the west ?

First for the experience and enjoy the lifestyle we had been watching in the Hollywood movies since childhood. Wanted to walk in wallstreet with suit and bag ( :)) I did ), Then I realized having passport from US / Canada will enable me to better prospects in middle east and will make my business trips / training etc., will be much easier.

Why moving back ?

- I love every inch of my home town ( but my home town doesn't offer employment in my area specialization. I am not too upbeat to switch my career and venture in to the business area. So I need to work some where in middle east and fly every 3 months home, from middle east I could reach my home in 4 hours by direct flight).

- Missing parents, sending money alone doesn't seem to help. On the other side, parents are not too comfortable living with us as both of will one or other way step into others private space. So living close by where we and they could visit us is easier (Middle east).

- Children appear to be growing alone, I feel the pinch after the second kid. We have established many friends but I am kind of getting bored with this weekend gathering, potluck, birthday parties. I have countless cousins back home, my kids enjoyed their company immensely when I visited.

- Boxed life ( I am not able to rule out my thinking that I am replicating "The Truman show" at small scale.

- Cold weather indeed is a killer here in Canada that leads to several long terms effects, I can't get the morning breeze when I walk in my home town in the early morning (forget the pollution, cold weather in Canada is equally a long term killer).

- I am financially OK to a good extent here.. Same in India, we own homes in home town, apartment in Metro plus some properties. Own home here in Canada too and cars are fully paid off. Just about 35% of remaining house loans. I don't take home appreciation into account.

- I don't have a huge motivation to be very successful by money but career and life..

- Life in Canada appears to be very stable after sometime, I seem to force myself to a certain lifestyle that doesn't match my lifestyle in the past. I like to work long hours but doesn't mean I will do everything from fixing lawn, landscaping etc.,

General:

Move to middle east to join my relatives is what I am looking for so that I could maintain good connection / trips back home and make things easy for my relatives / parents to visit as often as they need.

I am not able to even imagine fighting with my life here after late 50s, I will be bored to death. I better act. I spoke with my kid who is 10 years old, she is very happy to be moving to middle east compared to India ( She loves India but not the school style there, if she tries the international schools, perhaps she will be OK). My wife is perfectly allright to move to middle east and maintain a parallel life in India. She is bored like me too. She finds it hard in Winter.

I wanted to move to Middle east in 2005, I've already missed 6 years and I don't want this to continue. Bottomline, I had always been good enough to get a job and live a decent life anywhere I moved, hopefully the same trend continues. My expectations are low as such and I am positive.

Any one moved from Canada recently, how do you feel about the move ? Like to share how their experience had been.

Hi Jay_jay,

I have posted this in other thread.

Do you have any suggestions.

*********************



I have a question regarding moving to Canada before r2i. Let me give you my background and then ask you my questions?

I plan to r2i in 2016. Currently nearing end of 5th year of h1b. GC did not start yet (might start soon).
I am thinking that if I have arranged employment, then end of 2012, I will move to Canada (if I apply for PR now and get it in a year). Stay there for about ~4 years to get Citizenship and then r2i.
I am shifting towards this plan rather than directly r2i, to be able to return back to Canada and may be to US on TN visa if need be( same old story of security/insurance ).

One more reason for Canada Citizenship and not US is if I r2i, I do not have to keep filing the taxes here (in US) while in india

Do you think this is a good idea? or am I day dreaming.
Do you think there is any thing I am missing here?


-r2yd2016

If you're in IT, you're most likely to get a Job in Toronto area backed up by your experience in USA. I also moved to Canada with the same intention of moving back to USA after getting Canadian passport. I personally feel, I am at better position here in Canada than living in USA.

Once you're citizen, you could give a try to live in India and return back. A Canadian citizen doesn't need to file or pay taxes if he / she lives abroad provided they do not maintain any financial ties with Canada like holding account etc..,

Canada is some what slow compared to US (very slow compared to India). If you like such lifestyle, you are good to go....

r2hyd2016;397215Hi Jay_jay,

I plan to r2i in 2016. Currently nearing end of 5th year of h1b. GC did not start yet (might start soon).
I am thinking that if I have arranged employment, then end of 2012, I will move to Canada (if I apply for PR now and get it in a year). Stay there for about ~4 years to get Citizenship and then r2i.
-r2yd2016

Thank you Jay_Jay!

Two issues come to mind.

Once they get old, mobility of parents is curtailed. So, it seems to me that you will have to travel more frequently. Would your family also be willing to make the travel with you? Participating in your parent's life would mean participating in their daily activities like visiting relatives, attending functions together, taking them to the doctor, etc. All of this is ot possible living in the middle east.

Do you see your kids future in the middle east? If not, then they may also move to other pastures and you will still be left alone.

Hope it helps.