The brothers and Yaakov moved to Egypt after Yosef revealed himself. Yosef asked them to move to Goshen because "there still remains 5 years of famine, and [if you were to stay in the land" you may become destitute, you and your household, and all that is yours" (45:11)
However the Rambam rules (Melachim 5:9): “It is always prohibited to go from the land of Israel to outside of the land, except to study Torah or to marry a woman or to save (possessions) from non-Jews, and [then] to return to the land. And so [too] may he go out for business. But to dwell outside the Land is prohibited unless there is intense famine…”
The Rambam explains the difference between a famine and leaving Eretz Yisrael for other reasons e.g Torah study is only temporary. As opposed to leaving because of a famine, it is permitted to actually live and settle in Chutz La'aretz.
If so, once the famine was finished, why didn't the family, and Yaakov included not return back to Israel once the famine was over? As we know in Parshas Vayechi it says that Yaakov lived in the land for a total of 17 years, meaning he stayed post-famine another 12 years.
Why was Yaakov and the family permitted to stay?
Answer
I would like to suggest a different answer.
-- It would seem clear to me that Yaakov knew through prophecy not to go back to Eretz Yisrael as it is stated explicitly in 46:3-4 "And He [Hashem] said 'I am the G-d - G-d of your father. Have no fear of descending to Egypt, for I shall establish you as a great nation there. I shall descend with you to Egypt, and I shall also surely bring you up; and Yosef shall place his hand on your eyes."
Hashem is telling Yaakov clearly that His plan is for the family to move down to Egypt and to dwell there, and they will stay long enough that they will be a "great nation". Seemingly the original 70 that went down to Goshen would not classify as a "great nation", so it must be that they stay long enough in Egypt to become a great nation.
Furthermore it is clear that were Yaakov to leave Egypt directly after the 5 years of famine, it would (seemingly) not allow for the possibility for Yosef to be the one who "place his hand on your eyes" (I am willing to concede that Yosef could travel to Yaakov death bed in E'Y to be present to do that, but the implication of the verses there is that this would take place in Egypt.)
Also it seems clear from the commentators on this verse (Ibn Ezra, Or Hachaim) explain that Hashem came to assuage Yaakov's concern that he would be buried in Egypt, and not in E'Y. Hashem assures Yaakov that both Yosef would outlive him (i.e. because he is present at Yaakov's death) but that he would be buried in E'Y. This implies that he knew he would be in Egypt longer than the years of the famine.
-- Along the same lines (as previously mentioned by others in comments) Yaakov knew of the Bris Bein Habesarim which decreed living in Egypt for longer than the famine. (Although according this understanding why does Yosef argue that they should move because of the famine? Shouldn't they move because it had been decreed that they have to be there?)
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