US Grad School Deposits Hedged with Smart EMI & Miles

A $1,000 seat deposit, $185 SEVIS fee, ₹15k medicals, and a ₹1 lakh visa trip arrive before you even pack. This outline shows how to route each expense so your INR corpus stays invested until classes start.

Signal: Students who route ₹7 lakh of early spend through Infinia + Axis Atlas-credit-card/)-credit-card/)-credit-card/) + SBI Cashback typically recover two round-trip tickets plus ₹45k cashback before flying out.

Expense Ladder

1. Application + seat deposits – Pay via Axis Atlas-credit-card/)-credit-card/)-credit-card/) on portals like Flywire when possible; convert to EMI if rate >₹80.
2. Visa & SEVIS – Use IDFC Wealth or OneCard Metal to limit forex markup to 1.5%.
3. Flights + baggage – Redeem HDFC points to Avios → American/British; stash cash for extra baggage fees.
4. Setup costs – Buy electronics in India for warranty + EMI, but wait to buy campus furniture in the US using SBI Cashback on Amazon gift cards.

Documentation Pack

• Bank statements proving 6-month average balance.
• Loan sanction letter or sponsor affidavits.
• Reward statements (optional) that show how you funded travel responsibly—visa officers appreciate orderliness.

Cashflow Table

Research TODOs

• Confirm whether your university accepts credit-card tuition (many do via Flywire / CIBC) and compare MDR vs rewards gained.
• Gather quotes for multi-year student insurance; some cards provide top-up cover.
• Map airports with Desi-friendly lounges (DEL T3, BOM T2) and note which card gets you in.

Next Steps

1. Build a personal “proof of funds” binder; update it whenever you move money so visa interviews stay calm.
2. Automate rupee-to-dollar conversions via Wise/BookMyForex 2 weeks before departure.
3. Share your plan with PerkPilot; we’ll stress-test it against current forex rates and issuer policies.