Action Plan On Moving To India

raja1978

firstly, Hi. my names raj and im new to the forum


so where do i start? for a long time ive been toying with the idea of moving to the motherland. but that is all ive been doing,just toying.

i really feel i need to make this move as i really am not happy where i am which is england. id rather be happy and struggle than be unhappy and wealthy.

so what plan of action do i need to take to make the move over to india?

a few things to add -
i have family in punjab.
ive spent a maximun of 3months at 1time in india.
i already have land in punjab where ill be building a house.


the only thing that is kind of holding me back is work! i mean what work is available out there?
here in the u.k i am a taxi driver, and ive been thinking about doing the same in india. i feel at home literally when driving on indian roads LOL.

ideally i do not want to live in punjab but i may have to for the time being.

my main goal is to live in manali or surrounding valleys in himachal pradesh. but im under the impression that non resident indians cannot purchase land or property in H.P or certain areas of H.P.? so maybe if i move to punjab first and gain indian citizenship and from there plan to move to manali.?


so what sort of prices is/are land and property in manali and surrounding areas?
Where do i start the ball rolling

thanks

raj

namaste_cat

Actually not just non resident indians, but resident ones as well. And even with non resident indians, PIO is more restrictive than OCI. This thread is 3+ years old, but enough to get you a taste --
buying house in manali
Since then rules might have changed, of course. I would think your work options would be quite limited there compared to in Punjab.

When you say "gain Indian citizenship", that will depend on whether you have PIO or OCI. Unless you want to vote*, if you have OCI status you don't really need to renounce your British citizenship. When I got my OCI, there was something I came across regarding how to reclaim Indian citizenship. Well here's a comparison between OCI and PIO that's quite good:
http://www.immihelp.com/nri/pio-vs-oci.html
Unless there have been some changes, looks like the 5 year rule for OCIs is still in effect( i.e. a person should have had OCI for at least 5 years and lived in India for at least one of them), so that's one way to become eligibile for Indian citizenship. PIO is 7 years, but please check MHA website as there must be other restrictions.

My suggestion - if you don't have OCI, get it, & then travel in India for several months before you make any major decisions.

One of my brothers has moved to India not once but twice since he got OCI, and come back within 6 months because after a while he just can't take it any more. He's still talking about moving there again. Let's hope 3rd time's the charm for him!

*there are other restrictions too w/ OCI, not just the no voting thing.

raja1978

thanks for the promt reply,

regarding the OCI'S. can i apply for this now? while living in england? sorry i think im confusing myself here a little.

ive also read the links you posted and it doesnt sound good with regards to buying property in HP.
it seems its abit..actually a big grey area when it comes to owning property in HP.

I suppose i should be thankful i have land in punjab. and i dont mind driving to manali from punjab either.

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I Have One Love.....Love India.

skk

Have you looked at the diaspora (==people or ethnic population forced or induced to leave their traditional ethnic homelands, being dispersed throughout other parts of the world, and the ensuing developments in their dispersal and culture ) forums ? They are more targeted and more relevant to people like you and me, you know, ahem..well you know what I mean - IM me and I'll give me some links.

-skk

Nick-H

Freedom of speech, of course, also means not having to --- but this is a public forum. There seems to be a heap of stuff you feel the need to communicate privately.

raja1978

just to add, i was born in the u.k so have obviously had british citizenship all my life. i say back to the motherland as i personally do not class the u.k as my homeland. pm me with whatever details you may have for me. thanks

skk

I totally understand what you say - after all I am Indian origin, and Brit citizen AND an US citizen myself ( but Maharashtrian, not Punjabi ).I can't send you IM via this forum - sorry but the rules are set up to favor the already existing sets of people and population and the newly arrived, i.e. you - have to wait. Ain't that the truth the world over, huh ? I didn't make those rules.

I'm very familiar with both Handsworth, B'ham and Southall, btw.

IMO, You need to be in a culturally homogeneous safe forum that works for you, just as this is a culturally homogeneous forum that is safe for some.

You can email me at : skthetwo AT yahoo . com

It could be construed as spamming if I gave you the names of the diaspora forums - so email me and we are in biz. I can even type and chat in Hindi, man, as in हिन्दी (।Hindi the language) ( and several people can show you how to do that - it will be quite an essential skill if you want to spend extended periods in India - or to type and chat in Punjabi) - on those forums, its quite ok to talk in the language you are comfortable in and need to be comfortable in - and don't have to make continual translations or transliterations to meet the needs of the culturally dominant.

-skk

Nick-H

Absolutely not the least idea what you are seeing in it, but the rules, in this case, are set up to protect, both the existing members and the newcomers, from predators of various kinds which I can assure you are many.

The restriction on PMin, on new members, is on very new members. Hardly onerous --- especially as people are free to exchange e-mail addresses.

Sharmscharms

What's wrong with living in Punjab??

You are a taxi driver in the UK, but do you have any other qualifications? Interested in doing the same type of work? Please clarify... I guess it depends on where over here you want to live.

namaste_cat

Err.. how did you plan to work in India then? On a tourist visa?

You can apply for OCI any time you have all the paperwork you need. Allot at least 3 months to get it since it seems to be taking 2-3 months by some accounts. Then you can come to India with no travel restrictions i.e. no registration required like with PIO, don't have to leave after 180 days like on a tourist visa, and only a few restrictions on land/property rights.

You might (will?) find reality on the ground quite different once you are a resident as opposed to a tourist.

Check the visa threads here on IM for discussions regarding OCI, and good luck to you in your endeavors!

Haylo

That suggests that:

1. You have adequate driving skills
2. You can navigate your way around a town or city without having to stop and ask directions every half mile...

These things certainly aren't a requirement for Indian taxi drivers, and you might be able to capitalise on your British driving language and cultural experience by seeking employment as a driver in the tourism sector.

It's easy to say that now, but there are many many people in India who would very gratefully swap places with you, for good reason. Perhaps it would be a good idea for you to find out how much drivers earn and just how much you would have to struggle...

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