New Delhi, May 8 -- Mr. A thought it was a straightforward move-take the one-year assignment in the UK, come back, and pick up right where he left off. But when he tried to withdraw his Employee Provident Fund (EPF) a few years later, the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) flagged a gap in his service record. No contributions for twelve months, they said. Claim rejected. Now, he's scrambling to explain how he was still employed, just not in India.

Across the world, Indians who once worked on home soil are finding their PF withdrawals tangled in red tape. Missed contributions. Unlinked Aadhaar numbers. Service overlaps. Whether they're in Boston, Singapore, or Toronto, the stories are the same-the money's there, but good luck ac...