They don’t call themselves immigrants when they settle in a foreign country.
In Australia, British immigrants are the least likely to upgrade their “permanent residency” visa to Australian citizenship. They quite happy being an “expat”.
All just semantics. A loaded word. Carries many connotations, preconceptions and assumptions about class, education and privilege - just as the terms foreign worker, immigrant and migrant call to mind a different set of assumptions.
In common usage, the term often refers to professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either independently or sent abroad by their employers. However, the term 'expatriate' is also used for retirees and others who have chosen to live outside their native country. Historically, it has also referred to exiles.
[Expatriate]
'A person who lives outside their native country' (Oxford), or
'living in a foreign land' (Webster's).
[Migrant]
'A person who moves from one place to another in order to find work or better living conditions' (Oxford), or
'one that migrates: such as a: a person who moves regularly in order to find work especially in harvesting crops' (Webster's).
[Immigrant]
'A person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country' (Oxford), or
'one that immigrates: such as a: a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence (Webster's).
The varying use of these terms for different groups of foreigners can be seen as implying nuances about wealth, intended length of stay, perceived motives for moving, nationality, and even race. This has caused controversy, with some commentators asserting that the traditional use of the word "expat" has had racist connotations.
I think of an expat as someone who is highly skilled, who potentially got moved within a company to a foreign office.
I guess if they settle permanently they should call themselves immigrants.
These definitions get even more complicated when you try to untangle what a person’s native country actually is. Is it the country a person was born in? Does it have to do with citizenship? Or is it where someone grew up? What if they moved around quite a bit as a child? The idea of someone having three native countries is a bit far-fetched, but it’s just as misguided as assuming the country on the cover of someone’s passport is the country they identify with the most.
The word ‘permanently’ hints at a difference. It portrays immigrants as having moved for good (whether intentionally or not). On the other hand, expats are just on a temporary assignment before they pack their bags again for the next country. Many immigrants leave their country not because they’ve ruled out returning to it, but because the only way to return to it involves spending time elsewhere creating the means to do so.
On the other hand, if expats count as temporary residents, it makes you wonder about expatriate families who’ve stayed put in the same country for decades as permanent residents. How permanent is permanent, anyway?
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The term isn't a "white thing" blacks use it too, but when you're another race baiting racist, who cares right?!
Who fucking cares?
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