Everything an NRI bookmarks across thirty browser tabs — in one place. Free. No login.
What you can bring, what'll get flagged, and the OCI/visa changes that came into effect this year.
Personal effects + ₹75,000 worth of goods duty-free per Baggage Rules 2026 (in force 2 Feb 2026 — the short-stay tier has been removed). Foreign tourists are separately capped at ₹25,000. Laptops are separate — one personal laptop is exempt.Limits change at every Union Budget — verify current allowance at cbic.gov.in within a week of travel.
Gold (Baggage Rules 2026): men up to 20 g, women up to 40 g jewellery duty-free if you've been abroad for over 1 year — the prior rupee caps were dropped, the allowance is now weight-only. If abroad less than 1 year, the duty-free gold allowance is zero. Cash > USD 5,000 equivalent (or aggregate forex > USD 10,000) requires a CDF declaration. Drones and satellite phones are generally prohibited.Gold + currency thresholds change — verify at cbic.gov.in and your airline before flying.
e-Tourist visa now valid 5 years for US/CA citizens. OCI cardholders: re-issue no longer needed on new passport after 21 (rule paused Feb 2026). Always carry both passports if you hold OCI.
DEL, BOM, BLR, HYD, MAA, COK now have e-Gates for Indian passport holders — under 2 min clearance. OCI holders can use FTI-TTP (free) for biometric express lanes at 13 airports (target 21) as of May 2026.
Bring a doctor's prescription for any scheduled medication. 90-day supply allowed for personal use. Narcotics (incl. some ADHD meds) — declare and carry Rx. CBD products — prohibited.
Packaged food: yes (vacuum-sealed). Fresh fruits, plants, seeds: no. Cheese, meat: declare. Vitamins & supplements: keep originals. Protein powder is fine but expect inspection.
Rated by NRI travelers on immigration speed, lounge access, food, and connectivity.
Rough estimates only. Immigration and security queues swing widely by time of day, terminal, and season — a peak arrival bank can run far longer than shown. "Airside transit" (skipping immigration) only applies if you're on a single ticket with bags checked through to your final destination, connecting in the same terminal, under 24 hours. Separate tickets, a terminal change, or collecting your own bags means you clear immigration and customs — and may need an Indian transit/entry visa — which adds significant time. Where your airport publishes live wait times — e.g. Delhi's real-time tracker — check the actual queue. Always confirm your airline's Minimum Connection Time and any visa requirement (with the airline and India's Bureau of Immigration) before counting on a tight layover. Estimates last reviewed June 2026.
One tap opens live tracking on FlightRadar24. No account, no app, no data entered on NRI Outpost. Flight numbers shown are the most commonly operated — always confirm against your ticket.
Flight numbers change seasonally — verify your exact flight number on your ticket or airline website before travel. Status links open FlightRadar24 in a new tab.
Indian airports often spread carriers across multiple terminals, with no airside connection. Plan your connection with the right transfer, time, and cost.
Read off the official "City connections" boards at DEL T3 arrivals (June 2026). Prices and pillar locations change — treat this as a guide and confirm on the day.
One tap opens live tracking on the National Train Enquiry System. PNR status for tickets booked from abroad is one click away too.
Booked tickets from abroad? Check if your waitlisted PNR has confirmed — Indian Railways releases berths up to 4 hours before departure.
Howrah ⇌ New Delhi
Mumbai Central ⇌ New Delhi
Chennai Central ⇌ New Delhi
KSR Bengaluru ⇌ Hazrat Nizamuddin
New Delhi ⇌ Varanasi
CSMT Mumbai ⇌ Pune
Hazrat Nizamuddin ⇌ Agra Cantt
Chennai Central ⇌ KSR Bengaluru
Sealdah ⇌ New Delhi
Mumbai Central ⇌ Amritsar
Thiruvananthapuram ⇌ New Delhi
Hazrat Nizamuddin ⇌ Hyderabad
What's new for OCI holders, e-visa applicants, and people switching between study/work permits in 2026.
Simplified by MEA in Feb 2026. Old rules are gone for most cases.
Valid 5 years for US, Canadian, UK and Japanese citizens. Multi-entry, up to 180 days per visit. Fees are tiered: 30-day from $25, 1-year $40, 5-year $80. Apply at least 4 days before travel.
Single or multi-entry up to 1 year. Indian sponsor/hospital invitation required. Useful for spouses of OCI holders attending family medical needs.
FY27 H1B registration window opens in March 2027. 2026 update: beneficiary-centric lottery is now permanent — one entry per applicant regardless of multiple employers.
Cap on study permits extended into 2026. PGWP eligibility tightened to PGWP-eligible programs only. Express Entry CRS cutoffs vary widely by category — check the latest IRCC draw page.
Every status USCIS shows you online, translated into plain English — what it means, what to do, and how long the typical wait is at this stage. For H-1B, H-4, L-1, F-1 OPT, EAD, AOS (I-485), I-130, I-140 and N-400.
What it means: USCIS opened the envelope, took your fee, and assigned your receipt number. Nothing has been reviewed yet.
What to do: Nothing. Save the receipt notice (Form I-797C) somewhere safe — that receipt number is how you'll track everything else.
Typical wait at this stage: A few days to several weeks before any change. Don't panic. Don't call.
What it means: Your petition has been approved. The approval notice (Form I-797) is on its way by mail. For most case types this is the green light — but for AOS (I-485) or naturalization (N-400), there may still be a card production / oath step.
What to do: Wait for the physical I-797 to arrive (1–3 weeks). Don't travel internationally until you have it in hand if it's an H-1B / L-1 extension.
Heads-up: Approval ≠ visa stamp. If you're outside the US on H-1B you still need to schedule a consulate appointment for the visa stamp before re-entry.
What it means: USCIS wants more documentation before deciding. Common triggers: specialty-occupation challenges on H-1B, "ability to pay" evidence on I-140, missing tax transcripts on I-485.
What to do: Don't panic — RFEs are common and don't mean denial. Do read the RFE notice carefully the day it arrives. You have a hard deadline (usually 30–87 days). Engage your immigration attorney. Respond once, with everything they asked for in one package.
Critical: Missing the deadline = denial. The deadline counts from when USCIS mailed the RFE, not when you received it.
What it means: Your attorney's RFE response arrived and was logged. The officer who issued the RFE typically reviews the response.
What to do: Wait. Decision usually comes within 60–90 days, sometimes faster.
What it means: Most often for AOS (I-485 adjustment of status) or N-400 (naturalization). Your file is being routed to a local field office for an in-person interview.
What to do: Watch your mail. The actual interview notice arrives separately and is the one that matters.
Typical wait: 4–12 months from this status to the actual interview notice, depending on the field office. NYC, San Francisco and Atlanta field offices are slowest.
What it means: Date is set. Notice is in the mail.
What to do: Carry every original document USCIS lists on the notice. Arrive 30 min early. Bring an attorney if you have one — they can attend AOS / N-400 interviews. Be honest, brief, and don't volunteer information not asked.
What it means: Your physical green card, EAD, or combo card is being printed. For AOS approvals this is often the first signal of approval — the formal "Case Was Approved" sometimes follows.
What to do: Nothing. Card production → in transit → delivered takes 2–4 weeks. Make sure your USCIS address is current.
What it means: USPS Priority Mail tracking should appear within 1–3 days. The card itself arrives within a week of this status.
What to do: Check USPS Informed Delivery if you have it set up. If your tracking number doesn't appear after 5 business days, file an e-Request "Did Not Receive Card."
What it means: USPS couldn't deliver your notice. The number-one reason is you moved and didn't file Form AR-11 with USCIS.
What to do: File Form AR-11 online at uscis.gov within 10 days of any address change. Then call USCIS to request the document be re-sent. Critical: USCIS will keep trying for ~30 days, then close the case.
What it means: Your case was denied. The reason is in the denial notice (Form I-797 with denial language).
What to do: Read the denial notice carefully the day it arrives. Options vary by case type: Motion to Reopen (Form I-290B, 30 days), appeal to AAO, or refile. Time limits are short and unforgiving — engage an immigration attorney within 48 hours.
For H-1B / L-1 holders: Your status may have ended on denial. Talk to an attorney before any international travel.
What it means: Your case moved between service centers (Nebraska, California, Texas, Vermont, Potomac) for workload balancing. Common for H-1Bs and I-140s.
What to do: Nothing. Update your tracking habits — the new service center may have different processing times. Check the USCIS processing-times page for your new office.
What it means: Your case is "outside normal processing times" — USCIS's own threshold for when you can escalate.
Your escalation options, in order:
No login, no app, nothing to install. Bookmark this page and the time-in-India answer is always one tap away.
Embassies, High Commissions, and Consulates General of India across the US and Canada — with addresses, hours, and 24×7 emergency lines.
Live mid-market rates and a head-to-head of the cheapest services this week.
What changed in India, the US and Canada in 2026 — for NRIs, residents-for-tax, and dual filers.
For NRIs running or starting a business at the intersection of two tax systems, two corporate frameworks, and one complex bilateral treaty.
If you own 10%+ of a foreign corporation, it's a CFC. This triggers Form 5471 annually and potentially GILTI income — tax on certain foreign corporate profits even if you never took a dividend.
Introduced in 2017. A portion of your foreign corporation's profits may be taxed on your US personal return each year regardless of distributions. For a small content site earning under $50k/yr, GILTI is typically low but not zero.
Tax paid to Canada by your corporation generally generates a foreign tax credit on your US return. Prevents full double taxation, but the calculation is complex when GILTI, dividends, and treaty provisions interact.
If you have signing authority over the Canadian corporate bank account, it counts toward your FBAR threshold ($10k aggregate). Form 8938 has higher thresholds but applies to the corporation's value as a foreign financial asset.
Salary: T4 in Canada and W-2-equivalent in US, with withholding. Dividends: 15% Canadian withholding under treaty, US-taxable. Many cross-border owners use a mix — model both with a CPA.
A single-member Wyoming LLC is a disregarded entity for IRS — income flows onto Schedule C. No CFC rules, no Form 5471, no GILTI. Why US-based NRIs often prefer LLCs over Canadian corporations.
Federal: 15%. BC provincial: 12%. Combined: ~27% above the Small Business threshold. SBD reduces federal to 9% on first $500,000 of active income — small NRI ops pay ~11–12% combined.
When the corp pays a non-resident dividend, default withholding has historically been 25%, reduced to 15% under the Canada-US tax treaty. Corp deducts at source and remits to CRA.Treaty rates change with protocol updates — confirm current rate with your cross-border CPA before relying on the reduced rate.
Charge the corp a management fee for your work. Deductible by corp, taxable to you. Treaty withholding: 15%. Must be arm's-length and commercially reasonable — CRA scrutinises related-party fees.
Six months after the corp's fiscal year end. First-time filers choose their year end. Many NRI corps use January 31 to maximise time between year end and deadline.
Money kept inside the corp is taxed only at the corporate rate (~11–12%). Makes incorporation tax-efficient if you don't need to extract all profits immediately — it compounds at lower rates inside.
A director-only arrangement (no shares) creates zero personal tax exposure. They sign Articles of Incorporation, appear in the registry, no income, no reporting unless the corp pays them.
Licensed in both countries (or has a partner who is). Ask: "Do you file both T2s and US returns for foreign-corporation owners?" If they hesitate, move on. Also ask if they've handled GILTI calculations for small businesses.
Cardinal Point Wealth, MNP Cross-Border Tax, Aylett Grant Tax (Vancouver), KPMG private client cross-border. Affordable: search "cross-border CPA Canada US NRI" — boutiques charge $300–600 for initial consultation.
Tax residency status both countries. Which structure minimises combined tax. Whether GILTI applies. How to pay yourself with minimal withholding. Whether your CA relative as director creates issues. Get it in writing.
Initial consult: $300–600. Annual T2 (simple): $800–1,500 firm / $300–600 solo. US return with Form 5471: add $500–1,000. Once earning seriously, all fully deductible by the corp.
CRA's non-resident corporation guide (canada.ca/cra), IRS Publication 542, full Canada-US Tax Treaty text. Dense but useful before you spend money on a CPA.
Premium estimator + curated plans that work for students, families, and visiting parents.
Trip insurance for your visits home, Super Visa cover for parents flying in, and senior health plans for parents in India.
Booking that ticket to Delhi? Buy travel insurance for the trip — it covers medical emergencies abroad, trip delays, lost baggage and the increasingly common flight cancellation chaos. Buy from an Indian insurer if you want lower premiums; buy from your US/CA credit card or insurer if you want easier claims in your home currency.
Rates are illustrative for a healthy 30-year-old. Premiums spike for travelers 60+. Pro tip: credit cards like ICICI Bank Sapphiro, HDFC Infinia and Amex Platinum include trip insurance free — check before buying.
Parents flying to visit you? Both countries require visitor health insurance — Canada's Super Visa mandates $100k CAD of coverage from a licensed Canadian or designated foreign insurer. The US doesn't legally require it for B1/B2 but going without is gambling: one ER visit can be $10k+. Indian providers are cheaper; US/CA providers handle claims faster.
Super Visa rules require at least 1 year of valid coverage from the day of arrival. Buy refundable plans — if visa is denied, you can claim back ~95% of the premium minus a $50–$100 admin fee.
Parents living in India and you're paying their medical bills from abroad? Get them a senior citizen health plan in India — it's a fraction of what you'd pay in US/CA, with cashless hospitalization at 5,000+ networked hospitals. Buy before they turn 65 if possible — some plans have entry age limits.
Premiums shown for individual policies, ₹10L sum insured, urban location. Floater family plans with both parents are ~20% cheaper than two individual plans. NRIs can pay premiums from their NRE/NRO account.
Budget reality-check + the tactics that actually work for new arrivals with zero credit.
The single most effective fix for no-credit-history. Landlords care about risk — prepayment removes it. Don't pay 6+ months; it's a red flag of its own and the deposit limit varies by state/province.
US: Insurent, TheGuarantors (~75–85% of one month's rent, one-time).
Canada: Singlekey, Liv Rent's RentPanda — acts as institutional guarantor with verifiable income from anywhere.
Offer letter or I-20/CAS, last 3 bank statements (translated), SSN/SIN application proof, India CIBIL score letter (yes, some accept it). Walk in prepared and most landlords skip the credit check.
Big property management firms (Equity, Avalon, GreenTree) have strict 700+ FICO rules. Individual landlords on Craigslist, Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, PadMapper are flexible. Always verify the listing in person.
Get a secured card (Discover It / Capital One Quicksilver in US · KOHO, Neo in CA) within week 1. Pay rent through Bilt, Boom, Borrowell RentAdvantage to start reporting on-time payments to bureaus.
For students & new arrivals. Check items off — your progress saves on this device.
A personalized 30-day arrival guide based on your country, city, visa type, and arrival date. With reminders, links, and export to your favorite to-do app.
Verified stores that ship Indian groceries, sweets, sarees and gifts to North American addresses.
The OG Indian-American supermarket chain. Largest serving the Indian diaspora in the US. Online ordering at shop.patelbros.com.
Fresh produce, sweets, ready meals from local Indian restaurants. NYC, Chicago, SF Bay, Boston, Seattle, Houston and more.
Largest online Indian grocery in the US. Pantry, frozen, sweets, snacks. Ships in 1–2 business days, free shipping over $109.
Iconic NYC institution since 1944. Online catalog with hard-to-find regional spices, dals, and pantry items not stocked elsewhere.
Atta, rice, dal, spices, ready-to-eat, sweets, and fresh sweets. Wide catalog with contactless delivery anywhere in the USA.
Idli rava, kara boondi, MTR mixes, filter coffee — anything you can't find at the typical Indian store. Free shipping over $59.
Where NRIs actually hang out online and in person. Vetted, active, and free to join.
Largest open NRI community. Tax questions, return-to-India debates, OCI woes. Read first, post second.
F1, OPT, H1B journey threads. University-specific megathreads every admit season.
CRS draw watch, PGWP timelines, study permit refusals. Slightly chaotic but accurate.
Volunteer CAs answer DTAA + Form 67 questions. Most active Mar–Jul (filing season).
Search your university + “Indian students 2026” — every batch has one. Subletting, rides, masala swaps.
Indian tech professionals in N.A. Referrals, salary thread, conference meetups.
BAGC, IACO, KSANA, GVHO — chapter-based festivals, Diwali Mela, Holi events. Best way to meet families.
Language-learning meetups (great for second-gen kids), book clubs, classical music circles.
Every fact on this site should be cross-checked against the agency that publishes it. When in doubt, these are the authoritative sources.
Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a referral fee on some links — never influences what we list.
Used by most of the NRI Outpost team. You see the real exchange rate and exact fee before you confirm. First transfers often free for new users. Best for sending ₹1L+ regularly.
Get first transfer fee-free ↗Express delivery means money arrives in hours. New users often get a locked-in promotional rate. Clean mobile app, good for parents who check the bank app anxiously.
Check today's rate ↗Largest private bank in India. Remote video-KYC account opening from US or Canada — no in-person branch visit needed. Strong NRI helpdesk with US timezone hours.
Open NRE account online ↗Best mobile app among Indian banks for NRIs. Money2India integration makes transfers seamless. Wide network across North America for in-person NRI banking queries.
Open NRI account ↗Designed specifically for non-residents and dual-status filers. Handles Form 1040-NR and state returns with guided steps. Significantly cheaper than a CPA for straightforward returns.
Start your US return ↗Guided flow handles foreign property declaration (T1135) and India-Canada DTAA credits better than most alternatives for new immigrants filing their first Canadian return.
File free (basic) ↗Covers both India and North America under one plan — useful during the first 90 days before employer or school insurance kicks in. Emergency med-evac included on most plans.
Get a free quote ↗Loaded in INR, spends at near mid-market worldwide. Works in US, Canada, and India trips. No annual fee. A popular first card for students before they get a US/CA card.
Apply for Niyo Global ↗Handles green card, spousal visa, and status adjustment filings with attorney review built in. Flat fee — no surprise hourly billings. Popular with H-1B holders starting GC.
Start your case ↗We read every email. Reply usually within 2–3 business days.
Send to any to-do app, calendar, or notes app you already use. Includes every item in this list.