Financial guide for immigrants and NRIs
US financial planning for immigrants — FBAR compliance, dual-country assets, and building a strong US financial foundation from day one.
Immigrant financial planning is genuinely different. You face unique compliance requirements (FBAR, FATCA, PFIC rules for Indian mutual funds), dual-country asset complexity, and the challenge of building a US financial foundation from scratch — sometimes while planning for a potential return to India.
US financial tools — 401(k), Roth IRA, HYSA — are available to H-1B holders starting day one. Every year you defer US retirement savings costs compound growth you cannot recover. And every year you continue holding Indian mutual funds without addressing PFIC exposure adds to your tax risk.
Action checklist
Work through the steps in order. Progress saves in this browser, without an account.
Get compliant
Start here
Penalties for non-filing are severe.
Tool: FBAR CheckerArticle: FBAR & FATCA for H-1B holdersForeign funds carry punitive US tax rules.
Article: PFIC rules for Indian mutual fundsH-1B vs GC pending vs citizen changes the plan.
Tool: Immigration Planner
Build a US foundation
First year
A strong score in 12 months lowers every future rate.
Tool: Credit Building Roadmap401(k) and Roth IRA are available to H-1B holders day one.
Tool: Retirement PlannerSee gaps across credit, tax, savings, and retirement.
If you may return to India
Planning ahead
Corpus needed, savings gap, and currency risk.
Tool: Return-to-India PlannerArticle: Returning to India — financial guide
Tools for your situation
Free calculators and assessments selected for this guide.
- 1FBAR CheckerCheck your foreign account reporting requirements — penalties for non-filing are severe
- 2Immigration PlannerFinancial priorities specific to your visa stage — H-1B, GC pending, new GC, citizen
- 3Retirement PlannerProject your US retirement savings — 401(k) and Roth IRA are available to H-1B holders
- 4Immigrant Financial ReadinessScore your US financial integration across credit, tax, savings, and retirement
- 5Return-to-India PlannerIf you may return — calculate the required corpus, savings gap, and currency risk
- 6Credit Building RoadmapBuild a strong US credit score from zero in 12 months
Recommended reading
Have a specific question?
The AI Financial Tutor gives an educational answer to a finance question in about a minute. For example: “I'm on an H-1B visa with a savings account in India exceeding $10,000. What do I need to report to the IRS, and what are my most important US financial priorities right now?”