Over 50% US green card holders plan to return home: Survey

[gcandgc]

Over 50% US green card holders plan to return home: Survey - The Times of India

NEW YORK: The United States may experience reverse brain drain as thousands of Indian IT professionals contemplate returning to India, according to a survey conducted by Corp-Corp.com, a US-based technology job portal.

The finding was based on a survey of more than 1,000 survey respondents of Indian origin, nearly half of which were IT professionals that plan to return to India.

About 50 per cent of the respondents have plans to return soon, while 6.4 per cent of them have already returned to their homeland.

Survey participants included permanent residents, US citizens and work visa holders.

Fifty-one per cent said their decision was based on wanting to rejoin family and 26 per cent cited better opportunities as the reason to return to their homeland.

Around 10 per cent are planning to return for they believe their kids will get a better education in India.

"The results are very important for American businesses because they may face challenges in filling the gap of these resources," said Prabakaran Murugaiah, CEO of Corp-Corp.com.

"Businesses cannot replace an experienced workforce overnight," he said.

The survey results show 69 per cent of visa holders and 57 per cent permanent residents or citizens intend to return.

These are some of the motivation to return to India: Nearly 51 per cent for the return is rejoining their family members in India; 26 per cent for better opportunities in India.

Only 3 per cent says they are returning due to job loss, which is consistent with low unemployment of around 6 per cent in the IT sector even though the generic unemployment is over 8 per cent.

Around 10 per cent are planning their return to provide better education to their kids in India.

There are about two million Indians living in US and many of them hold bachelor or higher degrees.

Indians share a large percentage in the numbers of PhD holders.

Among the Asian Indian population, around 60 per cent are in management or professional occupations.

Murugaiah says, "Many of the returning Indians have aged parents back home to take care. Also, recent economic growth in India with many good opportunities fueled their thought process of heading back."

"In addition to that, many US companies are opening their offices in India and hiring more to target the growing market in Asia. There may be some challenges in filling the gap created by these resources, because we cannot create a 10 years experienced resource the next day," he said.

"However, there are 6 million IT professionals working in the US and this may not pose a bigger impact for the US tech industry. This trend may very well be a win-win situation for both countries," he added.
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GCANDGC

[sandy_anand]

I wonder how many of them will really return. I have friends who are always planning but never return. Some left to India but have come back unable to adjust back home.

[gcandgc]

One category I can quickly refer to are parents of children in elementary or middle school. The children in most of these cases will be US citizens. Parents would have just got green card and now they have the flexibility to go and come back any time of their choice.

Second category are those whose aged parents are in India and they are single child and they need to provide the support. Having got the green card, now they can go back and come back any time.

Added to that is the fact that they can join a software company in India where there is need to visit USA in frequent interval. Having the Green card provides them the comfort to join those companies, keep their Green card active.

GCANDGC

[sandy_anand]

Agree with you but having a GC, while allows you to travel frequently, still comes with the burden of having to keep it current. You need to demonstrate that you are a resident of the US whenever you enter the country. Otherwise you can end up losing your GC. I know this for a fact since my sister-in-law is a GC holder but lives most of the time in a foreign country and faces a hassle every time she enters the country. However if you are a US Citizen, then you won't have that problem. On the other hand if you are a US Citizen, then you need to keep up with paying taxes even if you are out of the country. Pros and cons in either situation.

[imh1b]

The survey lacks data of actual percentage people that have returned.

Planning/intending to return and actually returning are two different kinds of data.

In Universities if you speak to international students, many will say they want to return. They almost all end up working in US on H1B. Almost all H1B apply for Greencards. Almost all greencard holders want to stay here until citizenship. Almost all ctizens want to stay here because it is not possible to uproot their settled life here and start somewhere else.

The only people that end up going back are the ones that are from a very rich family, have family business interests, or get an extraordinary job offer.

There is another kind of people who end up going back. They are people who are on J1 visa or L1 visa who cannot get green cards. Other types are people on H1B who lose jobs and cannot find another.

Until India is a superpower like Amercia reverse brain drain will be very small in number.

[ivgclive]

I have never seen a H1B/GC/Immigrated citizen saying that he/she would stay in US.

Saying "we will return" is just like brushing teeth everyday.

Don't bother.

A real survey must come from India, where they get the count and saying 50% GC holders have returned from US.

Note: "returned" not "will return"

[prakashv44]

That's not true. Please see below also.
Over 50% US green card holders plan to return home: Survey - ÂBusiness News - News - MSN India

[sandy_anand]

Originally Posted by prakashv44

That's not true. Please see below also.
Over 50% US green card holders plan to return home: Survey - ÂBusiness News - News - MSN India

It's the same article posted by the Indian arm of MSN. How does that change things???

[Edison99]

I concur....

Originally Posted by imh1b

The survey lacks data of actual percentage people that have returned.

Planning/intending to return and actually returning are two different kinds of data.

In Universities if you speak to international students, many will say they want to return. They almost all end up working in US on H1B. Almost all H1B apply for Greencards. Almost all greencard holders want to stay here until citizenship. Almost all ctizens want to stay here because it is not possible to uproot their settled life here and start somewhere else.

The only people that end up going back are the ones that are from a very rich family, have family business interests, or get an extraordinary job offer.

There is another kind of people who end up going back. They are people who are on J1 visa or L1 visa who cannot get green cards. Other types are people on H1B who lose jobs and cannot find another.

Until India is a superpower like Amercia reverse brain drain will be very small in number.

[anjans]

Originally Posted by sandy_anand

It's the same article posted by the Indian arm of MSN. How does that change things???

Yes, I think returning with GC or Citizenship is a personal choice..and it will always remain a smaller percent of the amount of people who will stay back. What is key is that with or without these immigrants...GDP in that part of the world is going to grow at 10% for the next 25 yrs , while this part of the world will debate if it was 1.6% or 2.1%. Finally it comes down to what one needs..if you think it is more important to be with family (parents) or if parents are ok ...then no matter how much money you make u will move...But if you think you can generate more wealth here and you have a life that is more attractive here vs. being in that part of the world then you will choose to stay here. There is no right or wrong..it is what you want to do and how you want to do it.

Also, even if the reverse braindrain is in single digit % it can have a impact on India in a very positive way as somebody pointed out they are the ones who see the oppty there to do something different.

[Hello_Hello]

I have heard that from almost 100% of the Indians. But haven't seen anybody actualy going back. First they wait for the citizenship, then Son/Daughter's graduation, then marriage and so on and on and on...And they say 'Yes' to the poll..

[immigrant-in-law]

Wonder where they get their data from. Of the 60-70 H1B/GCs I know, not one is returning!
Yes, we all get nostalgic ... but then reality hits.

Few that have returned or actually will return (family situation, children's education etc) will keep a foot in US door as well, just in case.

[mk26]

After staying long in US returning to India is another pain, the way price were hiked unbeleivable ,I even can see some of the price are cheaper here in US.
whether you live here in US or return to india it does not matter much anymore..anyone with me?

[kumar1]

Those who plan to go back, never share their plan with anyone. One fine morning, you would come to know -- "they are going for good".

Those who never go back would always say - We want to go back, HOWEVER, homes are too expensive, pollution is too much, dollar is too weak, Wife does not like taking care of in-laws and the list goes on....

People will make choices, no one can predict the percentage of people either staying back or going to India.

[dummgelauft]

This is pure rubbish.
A very small percentage of people who said they "will return" wil lactually follow through.
Lim Yr->∞, R2I=Yr(n)+1That is the equation.