India-first careers gain ground amid visa delays and global volatility
India-first careers are rising as visa delays and global volatility reshape talent mobility and opportunities for professionals.
Updated - February 12, 2026 at 08:27 PM IST. | Bengaluru
Indians travelling abroad for education fell to 6.26 lakh in 2025, from 7.70 lakh in 2024 and 9.08 lakh in 2023
Indians travelling abroad for education fell to 6.26 lakh in 2025, from 7.70 lakh in 2024 and 9.08 lakh in 2023
Publisher: The Hindu BusinessLine (ePaper)
XIPHIAS context (why this matters now): We’re seeing a clear behavioural change in consultations—more candidates are prioritising strong roles in India (or remote global roles) first, and treating overseas relocation as an option rather than the plan. If you’re evaluating a move, it helps to compare pathways early—especially for study routes and work/PR pathways—so your career plan isn’t dependent on a single visa outcome.
A sharp drop in Indian students going abroad, coupled with rising visa uncertainty, is triggering a structural shift in talent mobility, with more early- and mid-career professionals opting for India-first careers as domestic opportunities expand, signalling a broader rebalancing of outward migration.
According to Indeed’s Global Career Work & Mobility Report 2026, which surveyed 552 employers and 1,019 employees, around 61 per cent of Indian professionals now prefer global remote roles over physically relocating overseas. Alongside, the Government of India’s Bureau of Immigration data shared in Parliament shows that Indians travelling abroad for education fell to 6.26 lakh in 2025, from 7.70 lakh in 2024 and 9.08 lakh in 2023.
Varun Singh (MD, XIPHIAS Immigration) observed:
“Friction in key destination markets is no longer just ‘temporary paperwork’; candidates now treat it as a structural risk — higher rejection probability, longer processing, tighter scrutiny, and narrower post-study work outcomes. From our advisory conversations, more candidates are taking the India role first and keeping overseas as an option, rather than planning life around a single visa-dependent move,” Varun Singh, MD, XIPHIAS Immigration, observed.
The shift is not uniform across industries, with technology and digital roles being the most visibly affected since these sectors are highly compatible with remote work.
On the other hand, finance and consulting show a partial impact. While many global functions can operate from India, certain leadership and front office roles still benefit from relocation.
Healthcare, academia and regulated professions remain less affected by the remote alternative since they require physical presence, licensing, or on-ground clinical and research engagement.
“The pivot toward domestic or remote global roles is strongest in digitally transferable industries, while physically dependent professions continue to rely on international mobility,” Ankit Mehra, Founder and CEO of GyanDhan, explained.
Alongside, entry-level global opportunities are particularly vulnerable to visa unpredictability, while senior professionals are relatively less affected. They often relocate through intra-company transfers, long-term work permits, or established immigration pathways.
Mehra highlighted that visa complexity appears to be the primary trigger, while macroeconomic conditions act as reinforcing factors. Key visa-related concerns include lengthy processing timelines and policy unpredictability, causing limited clarity around pathways and long-term residency.
Broader macroeconomic factors include recent global tech layoffs, geopolitical tensions, high living costs in Western economies, and housing affordability challenges in key migration destinations. Together, these factors have increased the perceived risk of relocation, encouraging professionals to pursue global roles without geographic displacement.
At the same time, multinational corporations (MNCs) are deepening their footprint in the country. “India’s domestic job market has evolved in recent years. Several structural developments are enhancing its attractiveness: Expansion of GCCs, increased presence and investment by multinational firms, greater integration of Indian teams into global operations, and improvements in employability and skill readiness. Foreign firm expansion indicates that global employers are creating more roles locally, reducing the necessity of physical relocation to access international work,” he said.
Many MNCs are embedding global teams in India, enabling professionals to manage international portfolios and lead cross-border projects from domestic hubs, with remote global roles further expanding access to international exposure without relocation.
While US and European salaries remain higher in absolute terms, remote roles allow Indian professionals to tap global pay scales while benefiting from India’s lower cost of living, narrowing the economic incentive to move abroad.
However, this temporary correction may be a structural rebalancing rather than a permanent reversal. “The desire to go abroad has not disappeared. What has changed is the risk tolerance. Candidates now treat immigration outcomes as probabilistic. When that mindset changes, behaviour changes in durable ways: more Plan B thinking, more India-first moves, and more emphasis on roles that are resilient to policy swings. If immigration policies ease in major markets, there will likely be some rebound, but it will be selective, not a full return to the old pattern,” Singh shared.
Published on February 12, 2026
XIPHIAS takeaways (practical next steps)
- If your plan depends on a tight timeline (intake, joining date, transfer), build a Plan B that works even with delays—see our Top Visa Tips to make your application stand out.
- For students: compare destinations and post-study work realities early. Related: Beyond the American Dream: changing map of studying abroad and US/UK/Aus losing Indian students as Russia gains.
- For professionals: if relocation is still the goal, map visa-to-PR pathways upfront (timelines, dependencies, employer role). Start with: American Green Card pathways.
- Want a strategy tailored to your profile? Book a private consult with Varun Singh: Reserve Your Consultation.
