Moving to another country can be an exciting experience. But the terms used to define those people: expat and immigrant – raise different connotations. No doubt you have heard and used both terms to define the same people; however, that’s not the case. Although both terms define people living outside their country, the terms differ greatly when derivative meanings are involved, especially pertaining to culture, class, and race.
Here, we explain the difference between an expat and an immigrant, especially the historical, legal, and sociological aspects that inform each. I want to clarify why certain people are labeled expats and others are immigrants, and the way these terms inform the way the world views certain people.
What is an Expat?
Expats are short for expatriates, and the term comes from the Latin ex and patria. Expatriates describe people living outside their fatherland. In essence, expats are people who have residence outside their country, whether for short periods or for a lifetime. The term is especially used to describe people who move to other countries for work or personal development opportunities and come from highly developed countries.
Take the case of a British engineer who gets a job in Singapore, or an American teacher who first gets a job in the States and then relocates to Spain. These people are often called expats. The term seems to capture a spirit of adventure and a whiff of opportunity. In popular lingo, it is often associated with relocation for work, sponsored corporate travel, or the lifestyle of a digital nomad.
However, the term is not just a legal or geographical status. The social component is very powerful and often ambiguous. An expat is someone who has the privilege of not having to struggle or survive in a destination. For the privileged expat, living and working in a foreign and often cheaper country is an opportunity to make a little extra. How or why a person gets to become an expat is more laden with social history and racial connotations, and in the next few chapters, will be explored in more detail.
Temporary vs Long-Term Expats
We can classify expats into two very broad categories. The first is temporary, and the other is long term.
- In simple terms, temporary expats travel because of work, or are travelers who are looking to explore new opportunities.
- Long-term expats, in contrast, grow deep roots in their adopted countries and families, homes, and businesses in their host countries.
Surprisingly, people who have lived abroad for years still consider themselves expats instead of immigrants. This is mainly due to the social prestige that the term expat carries. This scenario illustrates how words can shape one’s identity while living abroad.
What Is an Immigrant?
An immigrant is someone who moves to and lives in another country permanently. The term contains legal implications since it involves relocation with the intent of staying. Immigrants tend to apply for visas, and residency permits, and may eventually get citizenship. Reasons for relocation may include, but are not limited to, economic opportunities, education, and the hopeful prospect of a better life, and family reunification.
In contrast to expats, immigrants are the ones who have to complete the lengthy immigration processes, and endure bureaucratic hurdles. They weave themselves into the social and economic fabric of their host country, and relieve the country’s workforce, culture, and community.
Unfortunately, immigrants are seen as financially struggling in the eyes of the western world. Integrating people from lower economic standings, and developing countries are the burdens instead of the choice that they have made.
Legal vs Informal Immigration
There are two types of immigration: legal and informal (undocumented).
- Legal immigrants come through official channels, such as work visas, and family sponsorships, and apply to enter the country.
- Informal immigrants, or undocumented migrants, enter or stay in a country without proper legal authorization.
In this case, a legal status defines a person’s scope of action in a territory and the legal status differential greatly influences public perception and scrutiny. For example, a factory worker from the Philippines may be undocumented and therefore be scrutinized constantly. However, a french banker in Hong Kong may be viewed as a legal migrant.
The difference of perception is powerful and shows the duality of social and legal status. In this case, the banker is the ‘expat’ who crossed borders by choice while the factory worker is the ‘immigrant’ who crossed borders by force.
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The Key Differences Between Expats and Immigrants.
The two terms ‘expat’ and ‘immigrant’ may appear interchangeable at the surface. However, a deeper analysis reveals that the two words integrate more complex social dynamics and perceptions.
Here’s a simplified version:
| Aspect | Expat | Immigrant |
| Intent | Often temporary | Usually permanent |
| Legal Process | Corporate sponsorships, temporary visas | Long-term residency or citizenship |
| Perception | Privileged, adventurous, global citizen | Hardworking, seeking opportunity |
| Origin Countries | Usually from developed nations | Often from developing nations |
| Social Label | Positive, aspirational | Neutral or negative (context-dependent) |
In short, expat and immigrant are not legal opposites they are social ones. The line dividing them is blurred by power, privilege, and race. When a Canadian moves to Thailand, they’re an expat. When a Thai person moves to Canada, they’re an immigrant.
This isn’t a linguistic coincidence it’s a reflection of global inequality and post-colonial bias embedded in the way we use language about migration.
Cultural and Social Perceptions of Expats vs Immigrants
The real debate around expat vs immigrant lies not in legal definitions but in cultural perception. Words shape how we see others—and ourselves. When media outlets describe Westerners abroad as expats and everyone else as immigrants, they reinforce an invisible hierarchy of worth.
Expats are seen as individuals exploring new cultures. Immigrants are often portrayed as outsiders trying to fit in. This difference influences social treatment, job opportunities, and even integration policies.
Both groups undergo culture shocks, homesickness, and adjusting problems. But only one group gets praise and respect. Why is that so?
Western Bias in the Use of Expat
The term expat has Western bias and influences. When colonialism was at its height, European workers in colonies referred to themselves as expatriates instead of migrants. As expatriates, they enjoyed higher prestige than migrant workers.
This double standard is still relevant on the modern world. When a white person is working in Africa or Asia, they are called expats. But if an African or Asian person is working in Europe, they never gets called expats regardless of their job or education. This continues to show how language, in its modern world use, reflects colonialism and power structures through words.
Recognizing the Western bias and double standards is the first step to global equity. Understanding that everyone, without any exceptions, is part of the global migration system will provide empathy, and will combat hierarchy.
Legal Status and Immigration Implications
The labels immigrant and expat are social constructs, while the legal system still has a significant impact on the rights and privileges of immigrants and expats. Expats tend to hold temporary visas, while immigrants are working on permanent residency.
Typically, an expat’s stay is permitted by their employer or is part of a contracted work assignment. With immigrants though, there is a longer, more complicated legal process that includes background checks, language assessments, and sometimes years of waiting to get approved for residency or citizenship.
Yet, the legal system still fails to use the word expat. In legal documents, both immigrants and expats are categorized as foreign residents or non-nationals. So while societies see a difference between the two, the law does not.
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Visa Categories and Residency Rights
Further differing the legal description is the difference in the types of visas available as seen below.
Most expats use short-term work visas, investor visas, or even digital nomad visas. In contrast, immigrants use family reunification, asylum, or permanent residence applications.
It is common for expats to gain immigrant status, especially if they fall in love with the country or find a long-term job, but many people avoid this for the sake of flexibility.
Ultimately expats are temporary residents while immigrants are permanent residents by their own choice. The thin line between the two is often privilege and opportunity instead of legal definition.
Why the Terminology Matters: Privilege, Race and Class
Words are powerful, and with migration, words become identity. To be labeled ‘expat’ suggests privilege, while the ‘immigrant’ label suggests struggle. This isn’t the only difference that words make in the migration experience.
Western professionals moving abroad perceive welcomed and viewed as ‘skilled global citizens’ and as experts for diversification. In contrast, the people from the Global South making similar moves are viewed as ‘immigrants’ and subjected to immigration control, lack of integration and economic dependency. The difference is not in what they do, but society’s perception of who they are.
This difference brings to the surface old and uncomfortable truths. These differences in the migration experience show the unspoken hierarchies of race and class. ‘Expats’ are almost always viewed as Western and White, while ‘immigrants’ come from poorer, non-Western countries.
Consider the difference in perception given to a British teacher in the UAE, who is an ‘expat’ and an Indian teacher, who works right next door, is a ‘migrant worker’ even though both hold the same job. This is a more subtle way of reinforcing global inequality. Some people belong ‘everywhere’ while others are tolerated as outsiders.
Understanding this bias is about analyzing how certain terms reinforce social hierarchies. The term ‘expat’ is used to denote someone living outside their country, while ‘immigrant’ is someone viewed as crossing borders to settle in another country. The differences suggest power, history, and colonialism still operate today. The goal is to change these terms to promote fairness and inclusivity in the world.
Real-World Examples: When Someone Is Called an Expat vs Immigrant
To understand the definition of immigrant and the expat, real world situations, or the situations of two professionals, should be examined.
First, consider an American software developer, Alex, who moves to Berlin for a tech startup. Now consider a Filipino nurse, Maria, who moves to Canada for a better job.
Both have left their country to work for the host country and have adjusted to their new culture. However, in social discourse, Alex gets to be an expat, while Maria is an immigrant.
This is because Alex is from a privileged, economically stable country, and his relocation is labeled adventurous. Conversely, Maria’s situation is described as dependent, or survival driven, which is unfortunate.
Case Study: Digital Nomad vs Migrant Worker
Another comparison can be made between digital nomads and immigrants. Take, for instance, a digital nomad from France working in Thailand compared to a Myanmar construction worker working in Thailand. The French worker has flexible visas, can work from Wi-Fi enabled cafes, and enjoys the title of expat. The Thai construction worker, however, has undocumented immigration and labor rights, and is labeled a migrant laborer.
Both cases involve moving to a foreign country for work, but have wildly different stories.
This is why the terms expat and immigrant highlight different social variables within any given country. The recognition of this double standard will help in the re-evaluation of the global social value assigned to a person crossing a border.
Common Misconceptions About Expats and Immigrants
In the case of immigrants and expats, the social and contextual accompanying stereotypes to the words migrant and expat just go to show how skewed and misplaced social variables are.
One of the most common stereotypes is that expats are always wealthy. True, some are highly valued professionals, but a good number of them live modest lives. Teachers, freelance NGO workers, and aid workers are also classified as expats, even if their income is only average. The term has little to do with economic standing, but rather with social and contextual background.
On the contrary, immigrants are often misunderstood as low-skilled, and people view them as a drain on the public system. Businesses are established by immigrants, as are labor shortages critical in a given circumstance. The economic and cultural diversity immigrants bring is invaluable to the host nations.
Many people believe expats integrate easily into a society, while immigrants struggle. People in both groups deal with the emotional and cultural side of adjusting, like learning a new language, grappling with feelings of isolation, and contending with complex administrative requirements in the new country. The primary distinction is how society perceives their hardship.
As in the example of the British couple in Bali, the media captures expats in a positive light while depicting immigrants as a problem. Focusing on the challenges of life in a new country, concerns about legality, and the legality of border crossing are imposed on immigrants. These narratives form a social divide between people who, fundamentally, are living the same reality: trying to improve their lives and crossing borders.
Myth: Expats Are Always Wealthy
The stereotype about expats being wealthy is contrary to how the media represents people from the West enjoying the tropics. Not every expat is on a holiday. Many face the same challenges as immigrants, living from paycheck to paycheck in a foreign country, dealing with inflation, border control, and visa renewal, and homesickness.
The complexities and individuality of migration are lost in labels. Not every expat is living in luxury, and not every immigrant lives in poverty.
Are You an Expat or an Immigrant? How to Know the Difference
If you’ve ever lived or dreamed of living abroad, you might wonder which label applies to you. The truth is, the difference often lies in your intention and social context.
Consider these questions:
- Are you going abroad only for some time or is it for an indefinite period?
- Are you offered a job in the new country or are you starting a new life for yourself from scratch?
- Lastly, how does your host country—and even the media—describe you?
If you are going to your new country for a few years and plan on coming back, you might be an expat. But if your plan is to stay, get a citizenship, or build a life with a family, you are most likely an immigrant.
FAQs
Why are some people called expats and others immigrants?
Because the people called expats are usually those who come from wealthier Western countries, and the immigrants are usually those who come from developing countries. The difference is thus, more of a social construct.
Can an expat become an immigrant?
Yes. Most expats leave their home countries with the intent to return, however if they stay and apply for permanent residency or citizenship, they become immigrants.
Is being an expat better than being an immigrant?
There is no better or worse condition. Each involves a lot of courage and, a new environment, and the difference in perception is considered to be the more social construct which relates to history, race and class.
What is the difference between expats and immigrants in a legal context?
There is no legal difference. Both are non-nationals and are living in a different country. The difference is mainly in social context and intent as temporary versus permanently.
Why do we need to rethink these terms?
Because perception is influenced by the words we use. Applying the labels fairly is a way to foster balance and compassion and is a way to honor all people as they cross boundaries. All movements are valid.
Conclusion
So, what’s the real takeaway from the expat vs immigrant debate? It’s not just about definitions—it’s about understanding power, privilege, and perspective. Both expats and immigrants leave their home countries for reasons of opportunity, development, and safety. They all adapt, transform, and contribute to the new society they become part of. The difference is in the perspective the society has about them.
By changing the perspective the world has about them, we can move towards respectful, inclusive discourse for all differences. Travel and adventure for leisure, and connection and guidance for family support. However, all people, be they immigrants, expats or travelers, share the core universal experience of being in a new place for the first time in their life.
Perhaps the best and the only correct term to capture the essence of both and their experience of movement is migrant. Alongside all the other definitions of the term, migrant captures the movement and the will to leap into the unknown.
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