2022 survey on the best place to move to for expats [pdf] (opens in new tab)

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5 pointsSZJX3y ago6 comments

6 comments

4 comments · 1 top-level

zaptheimpaler3y ago· 3 in thread

They should be called immigrants like the rest of us.

Immigrants and expats are different categories of international migration.

There's a sort of stupid Twitter meme going around that whether someone is an "immigrant" or "expat" depends on their demographics (race, wealth, etc). It should be immediately obvious to an ordinary observer that this isn't true.

zaptheimpaler3y ago

What do you mean by different categories? I really don't see the difference.

If someone from Zimbabwe moves to the US - they are an expat from Zimbabwe's POV and an immigrant from the US's POV. Vice-versa for someone going the other way.

The only difference I could find is that some sources consider expats not to have a long term intent to settle in the country. But this article contradicts that and explicitly talks about job prospects and the ease of settling in a new country. That sounds exactly like an immigrant to me.

jmillikin3y ago

Someone from Zimbabwe who moves to the USA for university, stays 10 years, then goes home to start a family or set up a business or whatever is an expat. There's a lot of expats (e.g. from China or India) living in the San Francisco area.

An American who moves to Zimbabwe and plans to come back after a few years is an expat. If they change their mind, decide to stay and settle down indefinitely, they become an immigrant.

The article is aimed at people who are moving abroad for work, for a change of pace, for family reasons, and so on. Concerns about employment opportunities and housing (etc) apply to anyone who's going abroad for longer than a few weeks. Most people can't live off savings indefinitely.

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6 comments

4 comments · 1 top-level

zaptheimpaler3y ago· 3 in thread

They should be called immigrants like the rest of us.

jmillikin3y ago

Immigrants and expats are different categories of international migration.

There's a sort of stupid Twitter meme going around that whether someone is an "immigrant" or "expat" depends on their demographics (race, wealth, etc). It should be immediately obvious to an ordinary observer that this isn't true.

zaptheimpaler3y ago

What do you mean by different categories? I really don't see the difference.

If someone from Zimbabwe moves to the US - they are an expat from Zimbabwe's POV and an immigrant from the US's POV. Vice-versa for someone going the other way.

The only difference I could find is that some sources consider expats not to have a long term intent to settle in the country. But this article contradicts that and explicitly talks about job prospects and the ease of settling in a new country. That sounds exactly like an immigrant to me.

jmillikin3y ago

Someone from Zimbabwe who moves to the USA for university, stays 10 years, then goes home to start a family or set up a business or whatever is an expat. There's a lot of expats (e.g. from China or India) living in the San Francisco area.

An American who moves to Zimbabwe and plans to come back after a few years is an expat. If they change their mind, decide to stay and settle down indefinitely, they become an immigrant.

The article is aimed at people who are moving abroad for work, for a change of pace, for family reasons, and so on. Concerns about employment opportunities and housing (etc) apply to anyone who's going abroad for longer than a few weeks. Most people can't live off savings indefinitely.

1 more reply

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