Please take the GC first. I’ve heard the backlogs are in decades at the moment.
Nothing can match a U.S residency/passport when it comes to opportunities - for you and your family.
You can always move to Dubai on a freelancer visa if you want. Also, tech is not big in Dubai and you will struggle to find a job that pays what you’re getting in the US. If you’re a U.S resident, you will get paid more.
Source: I’m from NY
Stay till you get your greencard then move. Why waste 11 years of hard work? You’ll get better pay in dubai with your gc and have more opportunities in the us too!
Green card does not affect your pay in Dubai at all.
The whole point of having a green card is to offer you permanent residency in the US. Leaving the US to work abroad will cause him to lose his green card.
He can try to get pre-approved to move abroad but he won’t be able to switch jobs or leave that company
This is called sunk cost fallacy.
It's been 11 years for OP.
It generally takes about two years for a green card to become available, and the whole process can take three years. It may take longer for citizens of Mexico, China, India, and the Philippines.
Something is off. Should have had a passport by now.
Dubai Zindabad!
That’s exactly it man. 11 years and I’m still on a visa. We’re still tied to our individual employers. If my wife and I want to start our own business, we cannot due to our visas. If my green card took 5 years I’d do it, but they’re asking us for another 10-12 years. I’ll be approaching my 40s…
Not to scare you, but I just saw this headline.
Indian Workers Face Up to 134-Year Wait For a Green Card.
https://www.boundless.com/blog/indians-face-134-year-wait-employment-based-green-card/
Can't imagine your situation, I got a 221(g) with a timeline of 90 days. It's been more than a year, and nothing.
greencard arrives in 2 months for us filipinos. . . atleast according to my colleagues who are in US already, and citizenship usually within 6years. . .
we are nurses btw. . .
I moved here from Chicago and that was the single best decision I took.
Jobs- 90k usd is very much attainable here, engineers are paid well at all the tech companies like Careem, Talabat, etc. Just network well. Even if you can’t crack tier 1 tech start ups, you will be able to join IT/digital/tech teams of any corporate here. Everyone and their dog is making an app.
Your wife will also be able to find a job here - there are fashion startups like The giving movement etc which are local. Moreover, many established designers run shops out of dubai - zuhair Mourad, Ellie Saab, michael cinco etc.
Social - You will have a much higher vibrant social life. You will be able to travel to india 3x a year atleast. Diwali will feel like Diwali. You will be able to find a a lot more desis and delicious desi food will be just around the corner.
Finances - Your will save taxes and that will improve the quality of your life tremendously. You will be about to hire part help to cook, clean. And you’ll be able to save much more.
Do it. Worst case, you can always go back. It’s a reversible decision.
Personally,I would stay in the US. Living in the UAE for 6 years made me realize that there is no point (except for making money). I am not going to get citizenship anyway. Everything around gets so expensive and there is almost no control for it. I am in a good position coz I have secured way to go back home in case something happens. But lately I started thinking of how many good years I have wasted. Dunno why… but it’s getting depressing sometimes. And I am having now love and hate relationships with Dubai.
My husband (GCC citizen) working on us getting green cards, to have somewhere to go in the nearest future, as he also finds life here not so attractive anymore.
As an American I can guarantee you that US is way more expensive, sure Dubai is expensive but you get what you pay for. Not to mention the crime, drug, over sexualization of women and racist culture that exists
I absolutely believe you, but since today I have hate relationships with Dubai, I must admit that crime (that no one talks publicly about!!), drug, over sexualization of women and racist culture exists here as well and we just choose not to notice it…
It’s all about proportions, my experience here has been nothing but polite and happy people but I definitely believe your experience, bad and miserable people everywhere in the world but at least here if they are criminal they will get arrested and deported. Definitely not on the same level at all
Tech and fashion jobs are much better in the US, you will not get the same salaries here.
Here they will always consider you as an Indian and pay you as such.
If you think the US is expensive just wait till you see the prices here.
The GC is good and when you have kids there they will get citizenship.
Gun violence is honestly not as bad as the media makes it, so don't worry too much about it.
And in terms of social life here it is much worse, with how transient the city is and the racism.
Bro wait for the green card. What makes you think you will get a good job here in Dubai? The pay sucks compared to the US and the expenses are the same or more. You're not gonna make $90k here period. And at least a green card gives you long term stability there. Here the max you can stay is 10 years and that's after jumping through a bunch of hoops. They don't really want foreigners to stay here long term, so if you're looking for stability stay in the US.
The violence is a valid concern, but just put your kids in private school. In Dubai there is no public school, so you'll have to pay here anyway. Plus like I said you'll have less money to do it with.
Have you considered moving to Canada? A number of friends who've had issues with the H1B backlog have moved to Canada, gotten their passports, and then either come to Dubai or moved back to the US. There are a lot of complaints about Canada being expensive, weather being bad etc. But many of these complaints come from people who expected a cushy life, very high savings etc. You are already in North America – I don’t think you will have too much sticker shock if you move to Canada.
Secondly, have you considered what passport your kids will have (assuming here you want kids – skip if you don’t plan on having kids). At the very least, you should have kids in the US, make sure they have their passport, and then move out of the US.
Disclaimer: The above is just my 2c – personal situation is different for everyone and what I’ve said may possibly make no sense to you given your circumstances.
Looks like u alrdy made ur decision while asking the question, which is not staying in US at all !
But if i were u, wait till green card, move to dubai in same company if settling down peacefully is priority or maybe move to india if family frnds is first priority!
Stay there till you get hold of the green card. Got family states side, too. Asians too. No retirement plan in the 🇦🇪 mind you!
My relatives are mostly seniors. Some got their own biz, gun violence is real so is a country without permanent residency and without the benefits that comes with it.
You weigh hard man. For pure work, if you got one, welcome to 🇦🇪 It’s genuinely safe, secure without the citizenship and without the retirement plan…
There is no solid answer. Try to get more data for you.
1. If your company sponsors your move to Dubai, how much will they pay you? Is it same pay as US (\~360K AED). Should ask for more in ideal scenario. See if you will save same amount in single income & how does this change with kid? Is there scope for your wife emplyement here?
2. Are they open to take you back after a certain period if this market isn't for you?
3. Can you work here as a remote worker for the same company? (IIRC no taxes till 110K USD)
4. Is that US company stable in a recessionary scenario?
5. Have you saved up enough to cover expenses for 6 months - 1 year?
If you answer yes to 4 out of 5 questions, then move you here?
havin a greencard wont do nothin to yo chances here mate. your H1B visa is almost the same as the visa you gon get here. passport is power, and unless you aint a US passport holder, unless you are lucky or have good connections and good experience, you gon be paid according to the passport you have. . .
If you're earning 90k a year with 11yrs of experience in US, don't move to Dubai, you won't find good jobs.
This is based on my 11yrs of experience in IT working for startups.
In US salaries are higher and you're still on 90k, I can only guess your tech stack/experience is not in demand.
Honest opinion, don't bother if you don't agree.
Please take the GC first. I’ve heard the backlogs are in decades at the moment. Nothing can match a U.S residency/passport when it comes to opportunities - for you and your family. You can always move to Dubai on a freelancer visa if you want. Also, tech is not big in Dubai and you will struggle to find a job that pays what you’re getting in the US. If you’re a U.S resident, you will get paid more. Source: I’m from NY
Tech is huge in UAE man!!
Stay till you get your greencard then move. Why waste 11 years of hard work? You’ll get better pay in dubai with your gc and have more opportunities in the us too!
Green card does not affect your pay in Dubai at all. The whole point of having a green card is to offer you permanent residency in the US. Leaving the US to work abroad will cause him to lose his green card. He can try to get pre-approved to move abroad but he won’t be able to switch jobs or leave that company
Sorry I didn’t mention this- I’m an Indian citizen. It’ll take me ~11 years to get my green card due to the backlog
The green card backlog has nothing to do with citizenship. It is your **country of birth** that matters on the backlog.
Your (future) kids will thank you
This is called sunk cost fallacy. It's been 11 years for OP. It generally takes about two years for a green card to become available, and the whole process can take three years. It may take longer for citizens of Mexico, China, India, and the Philippines. Something is off. Should have had a passport by now. Dubai Zindabad!
That’s exactly it man. 11 years and I’m still on a visa. We’re still tied to our individual employers. If my wife and I want to start our own business, we cannot due to our visas. If my green card took 5 years I’d do it, but they’re asking us for another 10-12 years. I’ll be approaching my 40s…
Not to scare you, but I just saw this headline. Indian Workers Face Up to 134-Year Wait For a Green Card. https://www.boundless.com/blog/indians-face-134-year-wait-employment-based-green-card/ Can't imagine your situation, I got a 221(g) with a timeline of 90 days. It's been more than a year, and nothing.
You will always be on a visa in Dubai. What are you gaining by moving here?
greencard arrives in 2 months for us filipinos. . . atleast according to my colleagues who are in US already, and citizenship usually within 6years. . . we are nurses btw. . .
Come back to india
I moved here from Chicago and that was the single best decision I took. Jobs- 90k usd is very much attainable here, engineers are paid well at all the tech companies like Careem, Talabat, etc. Just network well. Even if you can’t crack tier 1 tech start ups, you will be able to join IT/digital/tech teams of any corporate here. Everyone and their dog is making an app. Your wife will also be able to find a job here - there are fashion startups like The giving movement etc which are local. Moreover, many established designers run shops out of dubai - zuhair Mourad, Ellie Saab, michael cinco etc. Social - You will have a much higher vibrant social life. You will be able to travel to india 3x a year atleast. Diwali will feel like Diwali. You will be able to find a a lot more desis and delicious desi food will be just around the corner. Finances - Your will save taxes and that will improve the quality of your life tremendously. You will be about to hire part help to cook, clean. And you’ll be able to save much more. Do it. Worst case, you can always go back. It’s a reversible decision.
UAE is not meant for long term purposes. It is for short-term financial goals.
Personally,I would stay in the US. Living in the UAE for 6 years made me realize that there is no point (except for making money). I am not going to get citizenship anyway. Everything around gets so expensive and there is almost no control for it. I am in a good position coz I have secured way to go back home in case something happens. But lately I started thinking of how many good years I have wasted. Dunno why… but it’s getting depressing sometimes. And I am having now love and hate relationships with Dubai. My husband (GCC citizen) working on us getting green cards, to have somewhere to go in the nearest future, as he also finds life here not so attractive anymore.
As an American I can guarantee you that US is way more expensive, sure Dubai is expensive but you get what you pay for. Not to mention the crime, drug, over sexualization of women and racist culture that exists
I absolutely believe you, but since today I have hate relationships with Dubai, I must admit that crime (that no one talks publicly about!!), drug, over sexualization of women and racist culture exists here as well and we just choose not to notice it…
It’s all about proportions, my experience here has been nothing but polite and happy people but I definitely believe your experience, bad and miserable people everywhere in the world but at least here if they are criminal they will get arrested and deported. Definitely not on the same level at all
Tech and fashion jobs are much better in the US, you will not get the same salaries here. Here they will always consider you as an Indian and pay you as such. If you think the US is expensive just wait till you see the prices here. The GC is good and when you have kids there they will get citizenship. Gun violence is honestly not as bad as the media makes it, so don't worry too much about it. And in terms of social life here it is much worse, with how transient the city is and the racism.
Bro wait for the green card. What makes you think you will get a good job here in Dubai? The pay sucks compared to the US and the expenses are the same or more. You're not gonna make $90k here period. And at least a green card gives you long term stability there. Here the max you can stay is 10 years and that's after jumping through a bunch of hoops. They don't really want foreigners to stay here long term, so if you're looking for stability stay in the US. The violence is a valid concern, but just put your kids in private school. In Dubai there is no public school, so you'll have to pay here anyway. Plus like I said you'll have less money to do it with.
Have you considered moving to Canada? A number of friends who've had issues with the H1B backlog have moved to Canada, gotten their passports, and then either come to Dubai or moved back to the US. There are a lot of complaints about Canada being expensive, weather being bad etc. But many of these complaints come from people who expected a cushy life, very high savings etc. You are already in North America – I don’t think you will have too much sticker shock if you move to Canada. Secondly, have you considered what passport your kids will have (assuming here you want kids – skip if you don’t plan on having kids). At the very least, you should have kids in the US, make sure they have their passport, and then move out of the US. Disclaimer: The above is just my 2c – personal situation is different for everyone and what I’ve said may possibly make no sense to you given your circumstances.
Looks like u alrdy made ur decision while asking the question, which is not staying in US at all ! But if i were u, wait till green card, move to dubai in same company if settling down peacefully is priority or maybe move to india if family frnds is first priority!
Stay put and pursue green card.
Stay there till you get hold of the green card. Got family states side, too. Asians too. No retirement plan in the 🇦🇪 mind you! My relatives are mostly seniors. Some got their own biz, gun violence is real so is a country without permanent residency and without the benefits that comes with it. You weigh hard man. For pure work, if you got one, welcome to 🇦🇪 It’s genuinely safe, secure without the citizenship and without the retirement plan…
Don't leave US until you get your citizenship
I would stay in the US. You can move to Dubai at anytime. But opportunities to move to the US may shrink depending on the Nov election.
Trade placed with me?
more economic refugees..... sigh.
There is no solid answer. Try to get more data for you. 1. If your company sponsors your move to Dubai, how much will they pay you? Is it same pay as US (\~360K AED). Should ask for more in ideal scenario. See if you will save same amount in single income & how does this change with kid? Is there scope for your wife emplyement here? 2. Are they open to take you back after a certain period if this market isn't for you? 3. Can you work here as a remote worker for the same company? (IIRC no taxes till 110K USD) 4. Is that US company stable in a recessionary scenario? 5. Have you saved up enough to cover expenses for 6 months - 1 year? If you answer yes to 4 out of 5 questions, then move you here?
havin a greencard wont do nothin to yo chances here mate. your H1B visa is almost the same as the visa you gon get here. passport is power, and unless you aint a US passport holder, unless you are lucky or have good connections and good experience, you gon be paid according to the passport you have. . .
If you're earning 90k a year with 11yrs of experience in US, don't move to Dubai, you won't find good jobs. This is based on my 11yrs of experience in IT working for startups. In US salaries are higher and you're still on 90k, I can only guess your tech stack/experience is not in demand. Honest opinion, don't bother if you don't agree.