Expat vs immigrant. It sounds like a simple vocabulary question, but it is one of the most debated labels in the whole world of moving abroad. Some people use the words as if they mean completely different things. Others say they describe the exact same person, and the only real difference is who gets which label.
I have lived outside the US for years now, first in Thailand and then in Bali, where I have been based since about 2019. People call me an expat all the time. I have also been technically an immigrant in every country where I held a long-stay visa. So I have thought about this question a lot.
In this guide I break down what each word means, where the terms come from, what the legal difference really is, why the debate exists and which word you might want to use. I keep it neutral and practical. The goal is to help you understand the terms and, more importantly, understand what actually matters when you move to another country.
Quick note before we get into it. This article is general information about language and concepts. It is not immigration or legal advice. Your rights and obligations in any country depend on your nationality, your visa or permit and the local law, so always check official sources.
Expat vs Immigrant: The Short Answer
An expat, short for expatriate, is generally someone living outside their country of citizenship. The word usually suggests the stay might be temporary or that the person still feels tied to their home country.
An immigrant is someone who has moved to another country to live there, usually long term or permanently.
Legally, though, most governments do not have a category called “expat.” Immigration law cares about your status. Are you a visitor, a temporary resident, a permanent resident or a citizen? That status decides what you can do, not the label you call yourself.
So in plain terms, the two words overlap a lot. Many expats are immigrants under the law of the country where they live. The difference is mostly about intention, duration and, honestly, social perception.
What Does Expat Mean?
The word expatriate comes from Latin. “Ex” means out of, and “patria” means fatherland or homeland. So an expatriate is literally someone out of their homeland.
Merriam-Webster’s definition of expatriate describes it as a person who lives in a foreign country. Historically it also had a stronger meaning, someone who had withdrawn from their native country or even renounced allegiance to it.
How People Use Expat Today
In everyday conversation, “expat” usually describes people like these.
- A corporate employee sent abroad by their company for a few years
- A remote worker or digital nomad living in another country for a while
- A retiree living abroad on a pension
- Someone teaching English overseas
- Anyone living abroad who expects to return home one day, or who keeps strong ties back home
The common thread is that expat usually signals a choice and a connection to the home country. It often implies the person is not necessarily planning to stay forever.
Expatriation in a Legal Sense
Here is a twist. In some legal contexts, “expatriation” means something much bigger than moving abroad. In US law, for example, expatriation can refer to giving up US citizenship. That is a very different thing from simply living in another country. So if you see the word in a tax or citizenship document, read it carefully.
What Does Immigrant Mean?
An immigrant is a person who comes to live in a country that is not their own. The word focuses on the destination country. You emigrate from one place and immigrate to another.
Immigrant is often associated with a long-term or permanent move. People might immigrate for work, family, study, safety or a better quality of life.
Migrant vs Immigrant
You will also see the word “migrant.” The International Organization for Migration explains that migrant is an umbrella term rather than a defined category in international law. It generally covers a person who moves away from their usual place of residence, within a country or across a border, temporarily or permanently, for a variety of reasons.
For statistics, the United Nations uses a more precise idea. Under the UN recommendations on statistics of international migration, an international migrant is a person who changes their country of usual residence. Someone who moves for at least a year is counted as a long-term migrant.
Read that definition again. By the UN statistical standard, a digital nomad who lives in Bali for 2 years is an international migrant. So is a retiree in Portugal. So is a corporate transferee in Singapore.
The Real Difference Between Expat and Immigrant
So what is actually different? Let me break it down into 3 areas.
1. Intention and Duration
The most common distinction people draw is intention. An expat often plans a temporary stay or keeps the option to return. An immigrant often plans to settle permanently.
But plans change. Plenty of people move abroad “for a year” and stay for 20. Plenty of people move intending to stay forever and go home after 2 years. Intention is a fuzzy line.
2. Legal Status
This is where things get concrete. Governments do not ask whether you are an expat. They ask what visa or permit you hold.
Your legal status decides questions like these.
- How long you can stay
- Whether you can work, and for whom
- Whether you can rent long term, buy property or open a bank account
- Whether you can access public healthcare or schools
- What you must report and renew, and when
- Whether you are on a path to permanent residence or citizenship
A tourist, a remote worker on a digital nomad visa and a permanent resident might all call themselves expats. Their rights are completely different.
3. Social Perception
This is the controversial part. In many places, the word expat is used more often for people from wealthy countries, especially Western professionals. People from lower income countries doing the same move are more often called immigrants or migrant workers.
That is why this topic gets heated. We will get into it next.
Why the Expat vs Immigrant Debate Exists
The debate went mainstream in 2015, when writer Mawuna Remarque Koutonin published a widely shared opinion piece in The Guardian asking why white people are called expats while everyone else is called an immigrant. The article argued the labels carry a hierarchy, with “expat” sounding glamorous and “immigrant” sounding like a problem.
Academics have looked at this too. A piece in Discover Society on the politics of migration categories explores how the labels can reflect race, class and nationality more than legal status or intention.
The Main Arguments
People who criticize the expat label usually make points like these.
- The words describe the same action, moving to live in another country
- Applying “expat” to some groups and “immigrant” to others creates a double standard
- The label can make some newcomers seem more welcome than others
People who defend the word expat usually argue that it simply describes a temporary stay or a strong connection to home. A company transferee on a 3-year contract does not see themselves as having immigrated. Many retirees and remote workers feel the same.
Both sides have a point. Words carry history. They also carry practical meaning. My take is pretty simple. Use the words thoughtfully, and do not use them to put other people below you.
Expat, Immigrant, Migrant, Digital Nomad: A Quick Comparison
Here is how the common labels compare in everyday use. Remember that these are general patterns in language, not legal categories.
| Term | Typical Meaning | Usually Implies | Legal Category? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expat | Person living outside their country of citizenship | Temporary or open-ended stay, ties to home | No, not usually |
| Immigrant | Person who moves to live in a new country | Long-term or permanent settlement | Depends on country, status matters |
| Emigrant | Person leaving their home country | Focus on the country left behind | No |
| Migrant | Umbrella term for people who move | Any duration or reason | No single international legal definition |
| Digital nomad | Remote worker who moves between places | Location independent work, shorter stays | Only where a specific visa exists |
| Resident | Person with permission to live in a country | Specific rights tied to a permit | Yes, defined by local law |
What Actually Matters When You Move Abroad
Here is the thing. The label is interesting to talk about, but it does not change your rights. What matters is whether you are living in a country legally and meeting your obligations.
Get the Right Visa or Permit
Before you move, research the visa routes that match your situation. Some countries have remote worker visas. Others have retirement, investment or work permit routes. Our guide to the best countries to be an expat covers the main routes in 10 popular countries. If Thailand is on your list, our Thailand digital nomad visa guide explains the Destination Thailand Visa.
Understand What You Are Allowed to Do
A tourist entry usually does not give you permission to work locally. Even remote work can be a grey area in some countries if you are not on the right visa. Check the official rules for your nationality and activity.
Plan Your Taxes and Money
Your tax situation depends on your citizenship, where you are tax resident and the countries involved. For example, US citizens generally keep US filing obligations even when living abroad. Get qualified cross-border tax advice. And set up your banking before you leave, which we cover in our guide to the best banks for expats.
Sort Out Healthcare
Whatever you call yourself, you need a plan for healthcare. Read our guide to international health insurance for expats to understand your options.
Follow a Real Plan
Use our moving abroad checklist to work through documents, housing, money, mail and the rest. It is a lot less stressful when you take it step by step.
Other Moving Abroad Terms You Will Hear
Once you start researching life abroad, you will run into a bunch of related words. Here are the ones that come up most.
Repat or Repatriate
A repat is someone who moves back to their home country after living abroad. Coming home can be surprisingly hard. Many people talk about reverse culture shock, where home feels strange after years away.
Inpatriate
Some companies use “inpatriate” for an employee transferred from a foreign office into the company’s home country. It is mostly HR language, but you will see it in corporate relocation packages.
Third Culture Kid
A third culture kid is a child raised in a culture different from their parents’ culture for a big part of their childhood. If you move abroad with young kids, you will probably hear this term a lot in expat parent groups.
Long-Term Resident and Permanent Resident
These are the legal words that actually matter. A long-term or temporary resident holds a permit to live in a country for a set period. A permanent resident has permission to live there indefinitely, subject to local rules. Each country defines these differently, so check the official immigration authority.
Foreign National
This is a neutral, legal-sounding way to describe anyone who is not a citizen of the country they are in. Government forms often use it. It carries none of the baggage of expat or immigrant.
Expat Community
When people say “the expat community,” they usually mean the network of foreigners living in a city. Facebook groups, coworking spaces, meetups and clubs all form part of it. In my experience, that community is a huge help in your first year, especially for practical stuff like finding a doctor or a reliable landlord. Just make sure you also get to know local people. That is where the real experience of living abroad comes from.
Which Word Should You Use?
Honestly, it is up to you. Here is how I think about it.
If you are living abroad for a while and plan to go home or move on, expat is a reasonable description. Lots of people use it, and it is widely understood.
If you have moved permanently and built your life in a new country, immigrant is accurate, and there is nothing wrong with it. Many people wear the word with pride.
If you want a neutral option, you can just say you live abroad, or that you are a foreign resident. That avoids the debate completely.
What I would avoid is using the words to rank people. A family that moves for work and a remote worker who moves for lifestyle are both doing the same thing. They are building a life in another country.
Expat vs Immigrant for Digital Nomads and Remote Workers
This is where my own life fits. A lot of people building online businesses end up living abroad. I started my business back in October 2010 and launched Ecommerce Paradise in 2015 to help other people build location independent income.
Digital nomads usually call themselves nomads or expats, not immigrants. But if you settle in one country on a long-stay visa, you are an international migrant by the UN statistical definition, and a temporary resident under local law. That is fine. Just make sure your status matches what you are actually doing there.
And if you plan to live abroad long term, think about the boring stuff early. You will probably need a home country mailing address, which is where a virtual mailbox for expats helps. You will also want a secure connection for banking and work while traveling, which we cover in our guide to the best VPN for travel abroad.
Questions About Expat vs Immigrant
Is an expat the same as an immigrant?
They overlap a lot. Both describe someone living outside their home country. Expat usually suggests a temporary or open-ended stay with ties to home. Immigrant usually suggests a long-term or permanent move. Legally, your visa or permit status is what counts.
Is “expat” a legal term?
Not usually. Most immigration systems classify people by status, such as visitor, temporary resident or permanent resident. The word expat is mostly a social and everyday term.
Why do some people think the word expat is offensive?
Critics argue the label is often applied to people from wealthy, mostly Western countries, while people from other countries doing the same move are called immigrants. They see that as a double standard.
Am I an immigrant if I live abroad as a digital nomad?
Under the UN statistical standard, if you change your country of usual residence, you are an international migrant. Under local law, your status depends on your visa. Many digital nomads simply call themselves nomads or expats.
What is the difference between an emigrant and an immigrant?
It is all about point of view. You emigrate from your home country and immigrate to your new country. The same person is an emigrant to their home country and an immigrant to their new one.
Where can I check the rules for living in another country?
Start with the official immigration or consular page for the country you are considering, and your own government’s travel advice. Our resources page lists official starting points.
Final Thoughts on Expat vs Immigrant
The expat vs immigrant debate is really about language, identity and fairness. The dictionary meanings overlap. The legal reality is that your status, not your label, decides your rights.
So call yourself whatever feels right. Just respect other people who made the same big decision you did. And put your energy into the stuff that matters, like the right visa, your taxes, your healthcare and a solid plan. If you are just getting started, our start here guide is the best place to begin.
Related Articles
- Best Countries to Be an Expat
- Moving Abroad Checklist: A Beginner’s Guide to Planning the Move
- Thailand Digital Nomad Visa Guide
- International Health Insurance for Expats
- Destination Research Hub
Trevor Fenner publishes Expat Paradise and founded Ecommerce Paradise. His background includes living and working in Bali, Chiang Mai, and Bangkok while operating online businesses. Expat Paradise covers practical relocation research and tools. Articles provide general education, with current official sources and clear research limits.