Offered a Rs 41 lpa job in India, should I ditch Canadian citizenship? Engineer faces tough decision

A young Indian software engineer residing in Canada is at a significant crossroads, contemplating whether to remain in Canada or return to his native nation, India, for a managerial position at his current company’s Bengaluru office.

The tech professional, who relocated to Canada in 2019 to pursue a Master’s degree and has since secured permanent residency (PR), is struggling with the decision to leave behind his established life in Canada to be closer to family in India.

Salary in Canada

In a recent Reddit post, the engineer revealed his current salary of CAD 85,000 (approximately ₹52.5 lakh), which includes bonuses. However, he said that he is feeling the strain of high living costs in Halifax, where he currently resides, sharing that “life is getting tough.”

Expenses more than savings

His expenses include a monthly rent of CAD 2,300 (around ₹1.42 lakh) for housing and utilities. Additionally, he mentioned challenges with Canada's healthcare system, particularly long wait times for non-emergency services.

"Eye sight got worse due to ER delays when chemical went in my eyes as "there are more urgent cases"), and lost most of my friends due to a bad break up," he wrote.

Golden job offer in India

His employer has offered him an enticing managerial role in Bengaluru, with a salary of Rs 36 lakh per annum plus a bonus of ₹5 lakh. Despite this offer, the engineer admits he has never worked in India and has reservations about adapting to a different working culture and managing dynamics under an Indian supervisor, as he has heard negative anecdotes regarding the local work environment.

He wrote, "I'm good while my current managers are around(culture, WLB), but if they "leave", I might end up with an Indian manager(I have heard horror stories, especially of their demands). I was still thinking, maybe this job is a once in a lifetime gig, maybe I should consider doing it for a year."

Canadian citizenship- the only hurdle

Among his primary concerns is the impact of relocating to India on his Canadian citizenship process. If he stays in Canada, he anticipates securing citizenship in the next 1.5 years, whereas a move to India could extend this timeline to a minimum of 2.5 years. However, he considers the benefits of supporting his mother, whose health is declining, to be a significant reason to move home.

“I initially aimed to attain Canadian citizenship and perhaps move to the U.S., but now I'm contemplating a long-term stay in India. A brief stint in the U.S. remains an option if an opportunity arises,” he stated in his Reddit post.

Redditors react

The discussion on Reddit quickly gained traction, with users weighing in on the pros and cons of each option. Many advised the engineer to prioritize obtaining Canadian citizenship before making any drastic moves.

Suggestions ranged from staying in Canada until citizenship is attained to returning to India armed with an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card to facilitate future travel and job opportunities.

“Get citizenship and then leave. Having a passport enhances your CV and eases job applications,” advised one user.

Another highlighted an opposite solution, “I came from Bangalore to Canada I Will choose Bangalore 40L is gold compared to 75K CAD."