Can $120,000 savings last 9 years in India? H-1B visa holder does the math

As visa delays keep H-1B workers in India, one Reddit post calculating a nine-year savings runway has triggered debate on costs and careers

An H-1B visa holder currently in India sparked a wide discussion online after sharing a personal calculation on how long their US savings could last if they stayed back.

 

Posting on Reddit, the user worked out a scenario where their savings could stretch for nearly nine years in India without earning anything.

 

The Redditor said they had $120,000 in savings (Rs 1.1 crore). With a monthly rent of $1,950 in the US and three months left on the lease, along with a car that could be sold for $2,500, the total corpus would increase slightly. Factoring in an estimated monthly expense of Rs 1 lakh in Bengaluru, the user calculated that even after three months of “dual burn”, paying for both US rent and living costs in India, the remaining amount could last for close to nine years.

   

“I’m currently in India and honestly a bit nervous about the stamping situation. To calm myself down, I ran some worst-case numbers. This is my scenario. I’m not from a DUAL FAANG family, so my numbers may not be that impressive, but I still think it’s enough to give some peace,” the Redditor wrote.

 

“Seeing the math actually made the situation feel a lot less catastrophic. Sometimes the panic around visas and layoffs makes things feel worse than the actual numbers,” the user added.

 

The post gained traction at a time when many H-1B visa holders are stuck in India, unsure about when they can return to the US. While some companies have allowed employees to work remotely from India, the situation has created a range of complications around employment and visa status.

 

“When you’re refreshing the visa appointment pages and reading all the worst-case stories online, it’s easy to spiral a bit. Actually putting numbers down made it feel a lot more manageable. Everyone’s numbers will obviously be different, but just running the scenarios helped me think more clearly about the situation,” the Redditor said.

 

Is Rs 1 lakh enough for Bengaluru?

 

The responses to the post were divided. Some users questioned the assumptions in the calculation, especially the monthly cost of living in Bengaluru.

 

Several said that Rs 1 lakh may not be sufficient, while others pointed out that inflation in India had not been accounted for. A few also argued that the idea of a “nine-year runway” may not reflect the broader impact on career and long-term plans.

 

“It’s 9 years of sitting in Bangalore watching the life you built in the US slowly become something you used to have. Savings evaporate. Your career in the US dies. Everyone you knew moves on. The money doesn’t save the dream. It just lets you slowly watch it die,” one user commented.

 

However, one user called the calculation “very impressive,” saying that “I hope it gives you peace and you get a slot at the earliest.”

 

“Love the thought process here OP! I'm glad you were able to stay level-headed and rationalise this. Of course, everyone's situation is different - but this evaluating different scenarios is a great way to bring a sense of calm,” another said. 

 

Why H-1B workers are worried

 

The uncertainty comes after hundreds of H-1B visa holders were left stranded in India following changes to visa processing.

 

In December 2025, the US State Department introduced social media vetting, which led to large-scale rescheduling of visa appointments. Many applicants who had appointments in December saw them pushed to April or May 2026.

 

Since then, visa appointment availability has tightened, with no stamping dates currently open for 2026 at several consular offices.