For Indian families, the timeline usually drives everything else. India is not an E-2 treaty country and is not in the Visa Waiver Program. The State Department's Visa Bulletin charts India separately for employment-based green cards, so queue times can differ sharply from the general queue. Money leaves India under Reserve Bank of India rules, and the Indian school year starts in April. This guide sets out those points for Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Le Strand coordinates them in one written Le Strand Landing Plan.
Which U.S. visa routes do Indian families use?
Indian families can discuss L-1, H-1B, EB-5, EB-1 and EB-2, sometimes in combination: a temporary status first, then a green card petition.
- L-1 intracompany transfer. This suits executives, managers and specialists of Indian groups with U.S. operations. L-1A executives and managers are often discussed alongside EB-1C multinational manager petitions. See L-1 intelligence and corporate relocation planning.
- H-1B. This route serves professionals hired by a U.S. employer in a specialty occupation, with counsel checking whether the employer and petition are subject to the annual cap. See H-1B intelligence.
- EB-5 investor green card. For petitions filed on or after 15 March 2022, the USCIS Policy Manual sets the minimum at $1,050,000, or $800,000 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project. The amounts are scheduled to adjust on 1 January 2027. Source-of-funds documentation must also show how the funds left India lawfully. See EB-5 intelligence. See also the EB-5 Visa Bulletin dates and the regional centers map.
- EB-1 and EB-2. These serve people with extraordinary ability, multinational executives and advanced-degree professionals. See EB-1 and EB-2.
- E-2. India is not on the State Department's E-1/E-2 treaty list. Family members with a treaty-country nationality may still qualify through that passport.
Indian citizens need a B-1/B-2 visa for scouting trips, and visa appointment availability varies by consular post. Independent immigration counsel advises on the route. Le Strand sequences the move around their answer. See the U.S. immigration pathways overview.
Why does the Visa Bulletin matter so much for Indian applicants?
The Visa Bulletin matters because India-born applicants are charted separately, and India's employment-based dates often trail the general "all chargeability" dates. The State Department's monthly Visa Bulletin lists China, India, Mexico and the Philippines separately for employment-based categories. A priority date that would be current for an applicant born elsewhere may face a much longer wait for an applicant born in India.
Chargeability normally follows country of birth, not citizenship, and in some cases a spouse's country of birth can be used. Counsel checks this for each family.
This affects the whole move. A family may live in South Florida for several years on L-1 or H-1B status before a green card becomes available. School choices, the decision to buy or rent, and business structures all need to work through that period. Le Strand plans the Landing Plan around the realistic timeline that counsel provides, not the shortest possible one.
What do RBI rules and Indian tax residence mean for the move?
Moving funds and changing tax residence are the two India-side issues to settle early.
- Liberalised Remittance Scheme. The Reserve Bank of India states that resident individuals may remit up to USD 250,000 per financial year (April to March) under the LRS for permitted current and capital account transactions, including property purchases abroad. Ask your authorised-dealer bank to confirm the permitted funding route, applicable limits and conditions before fixing a purchase or investment date.
- Residential status. India's Income-tax Act sets residence tests based on days spent in India, with additional rules for Indian citizens and for high-income individuals. Income-tax residence and residence under FEMA require separate assessments. Ask your tax adviser to confirm your tax position and your authorised-dealer bank to confirm when account designations and remittance rules change.
- Treaty position. The United States and India have an income tax treaty, according to the IRS. There is no U.S.–India estate tax treaty on the IRS list, and no U.S.–India Social Security agreement on the SSA list.
Questions to take to your advisers: How much can each family member remit under the LRS this financial year and next, and how should a purchase or investment be timed? When do we become non-resident in India, and when do we become U.S. tax-resident? How will income from Indian businesses, HUFs and property be taxed in the United States under the treaty? How are Indian mutual funds, PPF and EPF treated for U.S. purposes? With no Social Security agreement, how do contributions work if one of us is employed in both countries? Which U.S. reporting applies to Indian accounts, including the FBAR and Form 8938?
Le Strand records these questions, owners and dates in the Landing Plan. Your chartered accountant and your U.S. tax adviser provide the answers.
How does India's April school year fit Florida's?
The calendars are offset. CBSE states that its academic session runs from 1 April to 31 March, while Florida's year runs from August to late May or early June. For 2026–27, Broward County Public Schools and the School District of Palm Beach County began on 10 August 2026, and Miami-Dade County Public Schools on 13 August 2026.
Families usually choose one of two options:
- Move in May or June. The child leaves the Indian session early, after the first term or less, and starts a full Florida year in August.
- Complete the Indian session to March. The child then joins a Florida class for the final months of the U.S. year, which needs a placement conversation with the receiving school.
Students in Class 10 or Class 12 board-exam years need the most planning. Moving to the U.S. diploma, often with Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate options, changes the university pathway. Florida law makes a child eligible for public kindergarten if they turn five on or before 1 September. Bring report cards and the vaccination record. Bring vaccination records for a Florida health professional to complete Form DH 680 or the applicable exemption documentation. Le Strand coordinates the school timetable with the home search. Schools decide admissions. See Schools & family and the South Florida education corridor.
For a later intake, confirm the receiving school's published calendar, application deadline and available places. Private-school dates vary. Le Strand places those confirmed dates alongside the home and adviser timetable.
Choosing an area in South Florida
Le Strand helps each family compare areas against its own priorities: the daily commute, the school journey, the setting it wants and the type of property. Every shortlist covers Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, and each option is compared at the address level, with the journeys that shape the family's ordinary week.
- For a short drive to Brickell offices: Brickell for apartment living, with Coconut Grove in the City of Miami and Coral Gables, including Gables Estates and Cocoplum, a few miles south-west of downtown Miami.
- Near established public and private school options: Coral Gables and Coconut Grove for established residential streets near schools in Miami-Dade County.
- For waterfront and island living: Key Biscayne, reached by the Rickenbacker Causeway from Brickell Avenue, and Miami Beach and the Venetian Islands across Biscayne Bay. Fisher Island, Star Island, Indian Creek, Bal Harbour and Surfside offer different coastal and island settings.
- For canal-front homes and boating: the Fort Lauderdale waterfront, including Las Olas Isles and Harbor Beach, in Broward County, with a central position between Miami and Palm Beach.
- For condominium living between Miami and Fort Lauderdale: Aventura and Sunny Isles Beach in Miami-Dade County.
- For more space and a quieter base: Palm Beach, Manalapan, Gulf Stream, Boca Raton and its waterfront enclaves in Palm Beach County.
See the Miami landing overview, the Fort Lauderdale landing overview and the Palm Beach landing overview.
Compare renting first with buying on arrival against the family's intended length of stay and the intended use of the residence. The Landing Plan sets out both options with their dependencies.
How do you fly between South Florida and India?
Compare connecting itineraries to South Florida. One published example is Qatar Airways between Delhi and Miami via Doha. Check total travel time, connection requirements and baggage arrangements for your actual Indian departure city. India is nine and a half hours ahead of Florida during U.S. daylight saving time and ten and a half hours ahead in the northern winter. Include the travel time needed for visits to parents in India.
Route examples checked 19 October 2026. Confirm operating dates, seasonal service and connections with the airline before booking. Compare total journey time, including the transfer to your South Florida destination.
What practical steps are specific to Indian families?
Four practical items to plan for Indian families: the driver's licence, credit history, consular services and household arrangements.
- Driver's licence. Florida requires new residents to get a Florida licence within 30 days of establishing residency. India is not on Florida's list of jurisdictions with a test waiver, so Indian licence holders take the knowledge and driving tests. Since 6 February 2026, these exams are given in English only. Florida licences for nonimmigrant status holders are tied to the period of authorised stay.
- Credit history. Ask the receiving bank, lender or landlord which U.S. credit records and alternative financial evidence it accepts. Bring your existing records into that conversation before committing to a lease or vehicle finance. Le Strand coordinates the document timetable with the institutions you choose.
- Consular services. Florida falls under the Consulate General of India in Atlanta for passports, OCI services and documentation. Those appointments go into the Landing Plan.
- Extended family. Parents' visits run on B-2 visas with their own validity and admission periods, which are worth including in the plan.
How does Le Strand coordinate an India-to-South Florida move?
Le Strand begins with a Landing Assessment. It records each family member's nationality and country of birth, the route and realistic timeline under discussion, the LRS and residence questions, the school-session choice and the role of the Florida home. The Le Strand Landing Plan then sets out the sequence in writing, with dependencies, dates and owners.
Le Strand introduces you to independent immigration counsel and U.S. tax professionals experienced with Indian families where you need them. It coordinates their requirements with your chartered accountant, your bankers and the property search. See also the Landing Plan and the UAE guide for families moving via the Gulf.
Frequently asked questions
Can Indian citizens get an E-2 visa?
Not on Indian nationality alone. India is not on the State Department's E-1/E-2 treaty list. A family member with a treaty-country nationality may qualify through that passport.
Why do Indian green card applicants wait longer?
The Visa Bulletin charts India separately for employment-based categories, and India's dates often trail the general queue. Counsel checks the current bulletin for your category.
How much money can I send from India to buy a Florida home?
The RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme allows resident individuals up to USD 250,000 per financial year for permitted transactions. Your advisers confirm how this applies to a purchase or investment.
Is there a U.S.–India tax treaty?
Yes, an income tax treaty is in force, per the IRS. There is no estate tax treaty and no Social Security agreement.
When should my children move from a CBSE school?
Many families move in May or June for the August start, which fell on 10 August 2026 in the 2026–27 public-school year in Broward and Palm Beach and 13 August 2026 in Miami-Dade. Board-exam years need individual planning.
How should I plan the flight from India to South Florida?
Compare connecting itineraries for your departure city and dates. Qatar Airways publishes a Delhi–Miami itinerary via Doha; check travel time, connection requirements and baggage arrangements.
Can I use my Indian driver's licence in Florida?
New residents need a Florida licence within 30 days of establishing residency. Indian licence holders take the knowledge and driving tests, in English.
Relocation guides by country
Each guide sets out the country-specific sequence for a move to Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
