‘Immigration policies control our lives’: Former NRI explains why she left US to settle back in India | Watch video

Pankhuri, a former NRI now based in Indore, shared why her family had left America to return to India. She, along with her husband, spent 13 years there before returning to India. Despite having cherished friendships and no visa issues, something felt genuinely missing. Here are the 5 reasons:

Sense of belonging

Pankhuri described constantly having to explain the spelling of her name to Americans. This reflected a broader feeling of comfort without true belonging.

She missed being surrounded by people who naturally shared similar cultural references. Despite loving her American experience, something essential was still missing.

“I don't mean that I didn't have a good time in America. I loved every bit of it. But there was something missing,” she said.

Ageing parents

As years passed, Pankhuri watched her parents grow older from afar. She wondered how much of their remaining time she wanted to spend virtually. Being far away felt different from physically witnessing their ageing process.

“As time passes, they are growing old. And being oceans away from your ageing parents is completely different from being there with them, watching them grow old,” she said.

Children's upbringing

Pankhuri and her husband began to question their children's ideal childhood experiences. They considered what relationships their kids should have with extended family.

“Those conversations really made us realise that, maybe, that is what we want for them at this point in life,” the former NRI said.

Domestic help

Both Pankhuri and her husband worked 14 hours a day without meaningful breaks. This relentless schedule from morning until night left them completely tired.

Despite acknowledging complexities around domestic help arrangements, they wanted to try regardless.

Immigration pressure

Constant planning around visa appointments and restrictions felt increasingly burdensome. Pankhuri felt that US immigration policies were controlling significant aspects of their lives. Repeatedly navigating these procedures became exhausting for the entire family.

“We literally had to plan everything around our visa appointments, the restrictions. Doing it over and over again, we felt like it's really the immigration policies and procedures that are kind of controlling our lives,” she added.

Reflecting on this journey, Pankhuri notes how priorities shift over time. She acknowledged that people can spend years building lives they don't genuinely want.

Moving between countries is a significant decision, according to her. Building an entirely new life afterwards presents a completely different challenge.

“Our priorities in life have changed from when we were 25. And, I think that's really something that nobody will tell you. You can spend years building a life that you might not even want,” Pankhuri said.

“Now, we're figuring out what it really means because moving is one big decision, but building a completely new life, that's a completely new challenge,” she concluded.