5 ms·

Is there any reason why they're being called immigrants instead of expats? Is there any difference?

ulfw 9y ago
Immigrants move to a new country on their own accord to (potentially) build a new life for themselves there. An expat is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than that of their citizenship sent abroad by their employers, who can be companies, governments, or non-governmental organisations, often with specially monetary incentives to make the (allegedly unwilling) move.
- dismantlethesun 9y ago
  By that measure, H1-B's would be expats wouldn't they? They're not on a path to immigration, and theoretically are only working in the USA because no one with their unique skillset could be found, thus companies (theoretically) pay them premium wages.
  - ulfw 9y ago
    I don't think you read what I wrote. H1-Bs are not sent to the US by their foreign employer generally (there is a different visa category for that). Also why would you think. H1-Bs are not on a path to immigration? For many people the path to US citizenship based on employment is H1 to Green card to citizenship
    - dismantlethesun 9y ago
      It was my mistaken understanding, that another poster cleared up. I thought that because H1-B VISAs tethered one to their employer, then your situation was understood to be impermanent since if you lost your job and didn't quickly find another then you would have to leave the country. This seems onerous compared to a green card.
  - TheCoelacanth 9y ago
    H1-B is a dual intent visa, so someone on one could be either an expat or an immigrant. I get the impression that it is more common for them to be immigrants because someone who already worked for the company sending them to the US could get an L1 visa instead, which doesn't have the cap on number issued like H1-B does.
paublyrne 9y ago
Although that word has meant someone living outside their country, I think it has baggage and has come to mean westerners living outside their native country. To my ears it has some colonial connotations.

ulfw 9y ago

Immigrants move to a new country on their own accord to (potentially) build a new life for themselves there. An expat is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than that of their citizenship sent abroad by their employers, who can be companies, governments, or non-governmental organisations, often with specially monetary incentives to make the (allegedly unwilling) move.

dismantlethesun 9y ago
By that measure, H1-B's would be expats wouldn't they? They're not on a path to immigration, and theoretically are only working in the USA because no one with their unique skillset could be found, thus companies (theoretically) pay them premium wages.
- ulfw 9y ago
  I don't think you read what I wrote. H1-Bs are not sent to the US by their foreign employer generally (there is a different visa category for that). Also why would you think. H1-Bs are not on a path to immigration? For many people the path to US citizenship based on employment is H1 to Green card to citizenship
  - dismantlethesun 9y ago
    It was my mistaken understanding, that another poster cleared up. I thought that because H1-B VISAs tethered one to their employer, then your situation was understood to be impermanent since if you lost your job and didn't quickly find another then you would have to leave the country. This seems onerous compared to a green card.
- TheCoelacanth 9y ago
  H1-B is a dual intent visa, so someone on one could be either an expat or an immigrant. I get the impression that it is more common for them to be immigrants because someone who already worked for the company sending them to the US could get an L1 visa instead, which doesn't have the cap on number issued like H1-B does.

paublyrne 9y ago

Although that word has meant someone living outside their country, I think it has baggage and has come to mean westerners living outside their native country. To my ears it has some colonial connotations.