There's no contradiction with the parent though. You want to immigrate because your new country is nicer and you want to stay. You're an expat because your old country is nicer and you want to go back.
If a defining quality of your migration is moving away from your country, then you're an expat, or refugee in case of duress. Someone bored with the US moving to SE Asia is an expat. It's likely that they'll go elsewhere afterwards or come back.
When a defining quality of your migration is moving to a country, you're an immigrant. Someone who wants to live in the EU is an immigrant. It's likely that they will stay there indefinitely.
While people from the west are usually wealthier, many expats move specifically to escape the high cost of living.
Oh I missed the part where it said what country he (she?) was leaving, or where he might want to go. Do you feel the same way about people leaving any country, wherever they might be?
This problem is just a specific instance of the more general “expat problem”. When you move countries, you have to deal with the new country’s rules. Many people who move countries run into unexpected differences. You have to roll with it and deal.
I consider myself an expat at the moment because while I have no plans to move back to the US, I also don't plan on renouncing my citizenship. But I use that definition for people from other countries as well - I know people from Australia, the UK, Germany, India, Japan, etc. who I consider to be expats. If you're willing to give up your citizenship, then you're an emigrant in my eyes.
But I'm also getting much closer to being willing to give up my US citizenship... The only benefit is that I can decide to go back to the US if necessary, and given the political crap there, that's an increasingly depressing thought.
So many people are saying they moved to a new country (or countries). Is there a trick I don't know of that you can just up and move? Or are the majority here rich or specialize in something in particular?
I am assuming that people work when they get to the new country, which means a visa.
I could understand if it was to a country on the same continent but there are a lot of US > UK; UK > US. From what I've read it isn't as easy as saying: "Well, guess I'll go live there now."
Leave Country A for Country B = expat
Move to Country B from Country A = immigrant
The words mean exactly the same. It's just which perspective you want to highlight. Whether you left a place or moved to a place.
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