There is no universal yes or no — it depends on what your life actually needs right now, not on how it looks from the outside. For some people, family, belonging and the ease of home outweigh career and infrastructure trade-offs; for others it doesn't. The question feels heavy because you are comparing two real, imperfect options. Instead of asking whether it is a good idea in general, write down what you are afraid of losing in each country and what you are quietly craving — that is where the honest answer usually sits.

Treat it as a phased move rather than a switch you flip. Get clear on your finances, tax residency, work options in India, family readiness and a realistic return window instead of a vague "someday". The feeling of starting from zero is common because you are measuring your USA life at its peak against an imagined India life. Most returnees say the first few months are the hardest, and things only settle once you stop comparing the two lives daily.

The practical list usually covers finances and taxes, shipping or selling belongings, health records, documents for family members, housing, kids' school admissions and a work plan for India. But most checklists skip the emotional column — which friendships you will need to actively maintain, what you will miss every day, and how you will handle reverse culture shock. Whether you are moving back to India from the UK, Australia or Germany, add both lists together — logistics get you there, emotional readiness keeps you there.

Separate the document from the decision. A PR represents years of effort, so the conflict is natural — but sunk cost should not decide where your next ten years go. Check what keeping your PR option open would actually require, weigh that against what your daily life in Canada is giving you and taking from you, and decide from your present needs rather than past investment. Many people who moved back from Canada describe the guilt fading once they stopped framing return as failure.

This is far more common than people admit — long stints abroad change you, and India has changed too, so both have grown in different directions. Start small: plan a longer visit before the permanent move, rebuild a few routines and friendships on the ground, and give yourself a full year to settle instead of expecting it to feel like the past. Moving back works best when you are returning to a new version of home, not chasing an old one.

Very — with a filter. Threads about moving back to India on Reddit give you unfiltered returnee experiences you will not find in polished articles: the real costs, the family friction, the career reality. The catch is that anonymous forums skew toward extreme stories, both blissful and bitter. Use them to surface the questions you should be asking, then pressure-test what you read with people whose full situation you actually know.

The outside version looks like a bigger paycheck, global exposure and comfort — and those parts are real. What the reels do not show is the quiet trade-offs: missing festivals and emergencies at home, building friendships from scratch as an adult, carrying family expectations alone, and the constant low-grade question of whether you are where you should be. The NRI lifestyle is less one experience and more a trade you make daily — knowing what it personally costs you matters more than how it looks.

Get precise about what "permanent" is solving for. Some people want long-term stability, some want a specific career ecosystem, and some want distance from a difficult situation — and each leads to a different country and a different pace. Sort out your visa and PR pathway, your earning years, your family's needs and your own picture of an ordinary good day. Doubt stays loud when the goal is vague; it quiets down when the plan matches what you actually want rather than what people around you are chasing.

A genuine life abroad consultancy is not a visa agent — it helps you decide whether to go, where to go and how to think through the move before any paperwork starts. That can include country comparisons based on your career and family situation, honest conversations about what you will gain and give up, and clarity on whether staying, returning or redefining your base makes sense. It is most useful at the confusion stage, when the problem is not a lack of information but not knowing which decision is actually yours to make.