Expat or immigrant?

[dylexicdementor11]

I’ve noticed that many Americans and Brits on mumsnet tend to refer to themselves as expats if they live outside of their country of origin.

So an American living in the U.K. will say that they are an expat instead of saying that they are an immigrant.
But many people from other countries are referred to as immigrants even if their stay in a host country will be temporary.

Why is that?

One of us is an expat. One of them is an immigrant. Part racism, part xenophobia.

Racism

'im special because I'm from the UK or america'

I’d like to know this too. I’m a Canadian living in the uk and I call myself an immigrant. But yeah I suspect “expat” is code for “white”

I have always thought that an expat is someone temporarily living outside their home country and an immigrant is someone who moves permanently to a different country.

Thanks. I suspected as much.

I thought expatriate is temporary (usually for work or services etc) and immigrant is permanent?

I thought expats were relocated here by their employer for temporary work purposes, immigrants settle without a plan to return to their home country.

I am American living in the UK and I would refer to myself as an immigrant

I’ve always assumed that “expat” means that you intend to return to your country of origin at some point. “Immigrant” means that you intend to settle permanently to wherever you’ve moved to.

I’m an immigrant to the US as it doesn’t look as I’ll ever return to the UK (rest of family doesn’t want to).

Yes, I’ve heard that definition as well. But it is clearly not used to describe most non U.K. nationals that live temporarily in the U.K. for work, even if they are nationals of former colonies unless they are Americans.

It's basically irregular nouns.

I am an expat.
He is an immigrant
They are illegals.

It's racist and provoking hate.

Expat= Intending to go back to original country. (sent over for limited time for work etc).
Immigrant= intending to stay in new country.

I call myself an immigrant

I've no idea what the official difference is but as a brit abroad I think expat sounds twattish. So I'm an immigrant.

That’s my understanding, too. Expats are temporary

Thanks that’s really interesting. I’ll keep that in mind the next time an OP refers to themselves as an expat.
It reminds of my backpacking days in India when I met a group of upper middle class Brits working in India. They referred to themselves as expats, Indians as ‘natives’ and other immigrants as ‘immigrants’.

I think it comes from the fact that traditionally brits or americans who were 'expats' were sent by their companies on very generous expatriate packages, which covered most of the living expenses on top of the salary (things like rent, private school fees, removals, nannies and so on). So people referred to getting an 'expat' job if it came with one of those packages.

Then people talked about the 'expat communities' which had groups of people on that kind of package with lots of cash to spare and no interest in the local community. And that kind of stuck, and became generalised to any brits or americans living abroad.

That's what I thought too

I wouldn’t judge the use of the term “expat” if someone's living in another country for a few years but intends to go back to their country of origin. @dylexicdementor11 . They’re temporary workers perhaps? I lived and worked in various countries in my 20’s but had no intention of settling.

Thanks! That makes sense.

Interesting that some responses would like to turn it into a racism issue...

Expat: working in another country temporarily with the intent to return home.

Some for example retired, could be in their country of choice on a non-immigrant visa that would have more restrictions to those on a designated immigrant visa.

Immigrant: live/work in another country with the intent to settle permanently.

I'll eventually, when USCIS pull their finger out, be an immigrant to the US. Don't plan to return to the UK.
I am currently classed as "Alien Spouse" 😂

I think it depends who you're talking to. I'd say I am an immigrant if I'm talking to someone local to where I live. However, I think I'd say I'm an expat if I were talking to someone from the UK or based in the UK, as it wouldn't make sense to say immigrant as I'd assume the country of reference in the conversation would be the uk.

I don't know what is the common term for the Americans.

Brits who choose to live it up in France or Spain... definitely don't refer to themselves as immigrants. The word sounds terrible as it's associated with illegal immigrant.

Why would you just not say you aren't from UK. I'm from XYZ? If someone asked you.

@BruFord you are still a foreigner working in another country and living there weather that be for 7 days or 7 years. Makes no difference if you plan to settle their permanently.