Expat vs. Immigrant

Welcome to Expat.com Meczup!

Hope that other members will share their point of view with you soon.

Harmonie.

Thanks Harmonie.

An expat is normally a person who is stationed away from home for a short or long term experience, in my opinion and someone who immigrates has the intention of staying in the new location permanently.

Caterinamh wrote:

An expat is normally a person who is stationed away from home for a short or long term experience, in my opinion and someone who immigrates has the intention of staying in the new location permanently.

How do you know if someone is going to stay permanently or not? Many of those you call expats also stay permanently in the country they settle in, but they are still not called immigrants.

There is no difference, at least linguistically that is. I am an Emigrant from the UK, an Immigrant to Turkey, and an Expatriate from my homeland all at the same time, that fact doesn't change if I leave tomorrow or die here...

sjwbond wrote:

There is no difference, at least linguistically that is. I am an Emigrant from the UK, an Immigrant to Turkey, and an Expatriate from my homeland all at the same time, that fact doesn't change if I leave tomorrow or die here...

So are you a christian immigrant in Turkey?

Actually alhamdulillah I'm Muslim, don't see what that has got to do with anything though

LOL  I love this topic.  I am thinking that an "expat" is someone who has the intent to stay for a determined an=mount of time and has no ties to the country other than teaching or working.  An "immigrant"  is someone that is here with out a time frame.  They most likely have ties that bind them to the country and most times they intend to marry someone from the country that they are in.
   
However, is there really a difference?  Not in my opinion.  We are out of our natural environment and we have to learn the customs and rules so that makes us outsiders. 
There needs to be a new word for those of us that are somewhere in between 'expat" and "immigrant".  Maybe "Immipat". 

Just some thoughts for you to think on.

Have a wonderful day!!

An Expatriate, or expat, is a person who has a country of origin and  working overseas or outside his own country temporarily - but he / she can decide later to stay permanently provided the host country allows immigrants. An immigrant is a person who migrates to another country, usually for permanent residence.

Meczup wrote:

Caterinamh wrote:

An expat is normally a person who is stationed away from home for a short or long term experience, in my opinion and someone who immigrates has the intention of staying in the new location permanently.

How do you know if someone is going to stay permanently or not? Many of those you call expats also stay permanently in the country they settle in, but they are still not called immigrants.

So, then they are also an expat that has perm. immigrated to the new country.

[Moderated: Inappropriate]

Hi there;

By definition, an EXPATRIATE has the same meaning as EMIGRANT " to leave his country "

On the contrary, IMMIGRANT means "Come to settle in a foreign country"

Actually, i think people use EXPATRIATE for someone who intend to return to his country

On the other hand, "EMIGRATION" or "IMMIGRATION" have a pejorative side that "EXPATRIATION" has not ... so people use that word more easily