Strategizing for a Potential US Relocation Within Microsoft After a Year
Hi Taro Community,
I’ve recently joined Microsoft India as an SDE-II, transitioning from Cisco where I had initially been based in the US before relocating to India in 2020 due to visa challenges. With an aspiration to move back to the US within the next 1-2 years, I’m seeking advice on how to strengthen my case for this potential relocation.
Here’s a bit of background: At Cisco, I reported to a US manager, and post-layoffs in 2023, I embraced the opportunity at Microsoft India amidst a lack of other offers. The remote work model, extending from my time at Cisco to now, has been challenging, often involving late-night work to accommodate time zone differences. This has reinforced my desire to return to a US-based role.
Understanding that I need to complete at least a year at Microsoft India to be eligible for relocation discussions, I want to proactively prepare and position myself as a strong candidate for such a move. I’m interested in hearing from those who have navigated similar paths or have insights into making a compelling case for international relocation within a large organization like Microsoft.
- What steps should I take in the next year to build a strong case for relocation?
- How can I effectively communicate my desire for relocation to the management team, ensuring they understand the professional (not just personal) benefits of such a move?
- Are there specific achievements or contributions I should focus on that would underscore my potential value to a US-based team?
I appreciate any guidance, experiences, or strategies you could share.
Discussion
(5 comments)- 1
2 months agoTech Lead @ Robinhood, Meta, Course HeroThe high-level strategy for coordinating such a move should be simple:
- Be a high-performer - Build a reputation as an engineer who ships quality work, adds value to others, and consistently delivers. Stay in sync with your manager and have that transparent dialog about how you're trending in performance review. You can ask them for a hypothetical rating every quarter.
- Make your US teammates love working with you - This will naturally happen if you do Step #1, and you can accelerate it with the advice from here: [Masterclass] How To Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech
Your goal is to make it so that your American teammates fight for you to come over to the US because you are a huge value add to them and the improved synergy from having you alongside them would be overwhelming.
On the side, you can do research online and through Microsoft internal wikis on the logistics of a move (what forms do you need to fill out, what logistical requirements there are, etc).
In terms of bringing up the conversation, I would do it after Steps #1 and #2 are clear. I imagine this will take at least 6 months.
How can I effectively communicate my desire for relocation to the management team, ensuring they understand the professional (not just personal) benefits of such a move?
Simple, phrase things in terms of mutual benefit, not personal gain:
- Bad: "I want to move to the US to make more money."
- Good: "I want to move to the US to supercharge my teamwork with my US-based peers and land even more impact for the team."
- 12 months agoTech Lead/Manager at Meta, Pinterest, Kosei
What steps should I take in the next year to build a strong case for relocation?
Find someone in a position of power in the US who can advocate for you: e.g. a hiring manager, a senior engineer, etc. I think their support will go a long way.
- 020 days agoMid-Level Software Engineer [OP]Microsoft
I’m faced with a curious dilemma concerning internal relocation within Microsoft’s AI Platform org. Despite the organization not having experienced layoffs and actively hiring in the US, a query I posed indirectly—mentioning a friend’s interest in relocating to the US due to family ties—was met with a response indicating that international relocations are not currently supported, and it’s uncertain if this is due to budget constraints.
I’m personally invested in this matter as I, too, am looking to move from India to the US within the next year or two, given my educational background there and my previous tenure in the country before visa issues compelled my return. Here are my concerns:
- How can I navigate the current scenario where international relocations are paused, yet hiring is ongoing in the US? What can I do to strengthen my case for when policies might allow for such moves again?
- While I’m dedicated to excelling in my role in India, I worry that even with a strong performance, the potential gap I might leave behind could be cited as a reason to prevent my relocation. How can I address this possibility proactively with management?
Any insights on how to align my personal and professional aspirations with the organization’s current staffing strategies would be invaluable. Has anyone successfully navigated a similar situation, or does anyone have advice on how to proceed?
Thank you for your guidance and thoughts on this matter.
- 019 days agoTech Lead @ Robinhood, Meta, Course Hero
How can I navigate the current scenario where international relocations are paused, yet hiring is ongoing in the US? What can I do to strengthen my case for when policies might allow for such moves again?
I think the advice more or less remains the same: Do your best to become a high-performer by adding tremendous value to others, particularly those in power (i.e. people on the management track).
You can also try poking around Microsoft for folks in India who have successfully moved to the US (or gotten their transfer approved and are now in the process) to see if they're open for a ☕ chat.
While I’m dedicated to excelling in my role in India, I worry that even with a strong performance, the potential gap I might leave behind could be cited as a reason to prevent my relocation. How can I address this possibility proactively with management?
This is actually just a great question in general! The best engineers are always striving to make themselves replaceable by mentoring others and sharing knowledge. This is a bit early for you given that you're still onboarding but it doesn't hurt to put yourself in the proper mindset with these:
- 015 days agoMid-Level Software Engineer [OP]Microsoft
@Rahul any thoughts ?
