Nobody told you the rules are different for you
You did everything right. Good job, good credit, savings in a 401(k) and a brokerage account. You're renting, because somebody told you that you can't buy without a green card.
That's wrong, and it's costing you. But it isn't the expensive part.
Then there's the other end. Move back to India in the wrong month and you become a tax resident a full year earlier than you needed to, losing the RNOR window that would have let you restructure first.
Your CPA does US. Your CA does India. Almost nobody does the bridge. That's what this 90 minutes is.
Four rungs, in order
Most people jump straight to worrying about the move home. But if you never climbed the first three rungs, there's nothing to bring home.
Buy
Own before the green card, not after. What lenders actually underwrite, and the number that matters more than your visa.
Protect
The $60,000 line. What counts as a US asset, and why "I hold it in an LLC" is the most expensive wrong answer.
Compound
Passive versus active income on H-1B, and what an H4-EAD unlocks for your spouse that you can't do yourself.
Bring it home
The 182-day rule, the RNOR window, and what to do with a 401(k) before you land.
What you'll walk out with
- 01The exact reason banks lend to visa holders — and the one number that matters more than your visa status.
- 02What actually counts as a "US asset" for estate tax. Most people are surprised their brokerage account is on the list.
- 03Why an LLC alone doesn't shield you, and what determines whether a structure works.
- 04The 182-day rule, and the month people get wrong that costs them lakhs.
- 05The RNOR window — the 1–3 years after you land when foreign income is usually untouched — and what to restructure inside it.
- 06What to do with a 401(k) when you leave, and why withdrawing it is nearly always the worst of the three options.
- 07Down payment reality for non-residents, and where the 20–25% figure comes from.
Who this is for
Come if
- →You're in the US on H-1B, H4-EAD, L1, O1 or similar
- →You own nothing yet, or one property, and want the next step done right
- →India is on your mind — this year or in five
- →You'd rather know the rules than hope they don't apply
Skip it if
- ×You're a US citizen or green card holder — your exemption is $15M, this isn't your problem
- ×You want stock tips or a market forecast
- ×You want it done for you without understanding any of it
Gaurav did the move
Ten years in the United States. Bought property on a visa, dealt with the estate exposure, worked out the timing, and moved back to India.
He's been breaking it down publicly since — and the response is why this session exists. The walkthrough of the 182-day rule has been saved and shared by thousands of people who found out, too late, that nobody had told them.
rule breakdown
tax explainer
back to India