An expatriate (in abbreviated form, expat) is a person temporarily or permanently

residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing or legal
residence. The word comes from the Latin term expatriātus from ex ("out of") and patriā
the ablative case of patria ("country, fatherland"), from Greek Exo (outside) and Patrida
(Fatherland, Country).

Contents
[hide]

• 1 Background
• 2 Notable expatriates
o 2.1 American expatriates
• 3 Trends in expatriation
• 4 Business handling of expatriate employees
• 5 Subtleties of usage
• 6 See also
• 7 References

• 8 Further reading

[edit] Background

In its broadest sense, an expatriate is any person living in a different country from where
he or she is a citizen. In common usage, the term is often used in the context of
professionals sent abroad by their companies, as opposed to locally hired staff (who can
also be foreigners). The differentiation found in common usage usually comes down to
socio-economic factors, so skilled professionals working in another country are described
as expatriates, whereas a manual labourer who has moved to another country to earn
more money might be labelled an 'immigrant'. There is no set definition and usage does
vary depending on context and individual preferences and prejudices.

In the 19th century, Americans, numbering perhaps in the thousands, were drawn to
Europe—especially to Munich and Paris—to study the art of painting. Henry James, for
instance, was a famous expatriate American writer from the 1870s, who adopted England
as his home.

The term 'expatriate' in some countries also has a legal context used for tax purposes. An
expatriate living in a country can receive a favorable tax treatment. In this context a
person can only be an expatriate if they move to a country other than their own to work
with the intent of returning to their home country within a period of no more than 5 fiscal
years. This number of years can vary per tax jurisdiction, but 5 years is the most
commonly used maximum period.
[edit] Notable expatriates
The examples and perspective in this article or section deal primarily with the
United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please
improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page.

[edit] American expatriates

The phenomenon and image of Americans living abroad is significantly associated with
certain cultural movements, particularly literature, in which these expatriate individuals
and communities were portrayed. Some prime examples are American literary notables
who lived in Paris in the 1920s (the so-called Lost Generation), including Gertrude Stein,
Robert McAlmon, Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Janet
Flanner, Solita Solano, Djuna Barnes, Kay Boyle, Harry and Caresse Crosby, Walter
Lowenfels, Anais Nin and Henry Miller. Edith Wharton had already moved to Paris
before WWI, and did not consider herself an expatriate. African-American expatriation to
Paris also boomed after World War I, beginning with black American veterans who
preferred the subtler racism of Paris to the oppressive racism and segregation in parts of
the United States.[1][citation needed]

American painter Herbert Gentry in Falsterbo, Sweden in August 1990

In the 1920s black American writers, artists, and musicians arrived in Paris and
popularized jazz in Parisian nightclubs, a time when Montmartre was known as "the
Harlem of Paris." Some notable black American expatriates from the 1920s onward
included Josephine Baker, Langston Hughes, and, after World War II, painters Herbert
Gentry, Beauford Delaney, and Ed Clark; sculptor Harold Cousins, jazz musicians
Charlie Parker and Dexter Gordon; and writers Richard Wright, James Baldwin and
Chester Himes.[2][3] [2][4] In the 1960s a new wave of young black American visual artists
chose to leave the U.S. They included Harvey Cropper, Arthur Hardie, Clifford Jackson,
Sam Middleton, Earl Miller, Norman Morgan, Larry Potter, Mildred Thompson and
Walter Williams. In the words of artist David C. Driskell, "They chose a form of cultural
exile over expatriation, hoping for a better day to come about in the land of their birth." [5]
All settled in Europe.

Another famous group of expatriates was the so-called Beat Generation of American
artists living in other countries during the 1950s and 1960s. This group included Jack
Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, Gregory Corso, Harold Norse and Ira
Cohen. Gary Snyder has studied Zen in Japan. Later generation expatriates included
1950s jazz musicians such as Steve Lacy, 1960s rock musicians Jim Morrison and Nina
Simone, as well as 1970s singer-songwriter Elliott Murphy. New Worlds Science Fiction
writers Thomas M. Disch, John Sladek and Pamela Zoline lived in London in the
Swinging Sixties. Preceding the Beats by several years, and serving to some extent as a
point of pilgrimage for many of them was the American expatriate composer and writer
Paul Bowles, who spent time in Europe in the 30s before relocating to Tangier, Morocco
in 1947, where he lived until his death in 1999. Poet Robert Lax lived in Greece for over
thirty years.

More recently Prague in the Czech Republic has attracted a large community of
expatriates from the English-speaking world. In 1993 The New York Times estimated
that more than 30,000 Americans were living in Prague[6] and in the same year Bruce
Sterling wrote in Wired magazine that "Prague is very much like Paris in the '20s"
because of the richness of its expatriate activities, even if it lacked the focus of that
earlier generation of expatriates.[7] At its height, the expatriate community in Prague
supported several literary publications, multiple English language theater companies and
bookstores, and various reading and open mic series. And, though now somewhat
diminished in size and range of activities, the English-language expatriates living in
Prague remain an active and cohesive community.[8]

Many American fashion designers have notably become expatriates in France and Italy to
design for existing European design houses or to enhance their own collections. These
fashion designers include Tom Ford, Patrick Kelly, and Marc Jacobs.

Colorado-born actor, singer and songwriter Dean Reed never achieved great success in
his native United States, but later achieved great popularity in South America, especially
Argentina, Chile and Peru. He appeared in several Italian "spaghetti westerns" and finally
spent much of his adult life in East Germany, but never renounced his USA citizenship.
He was an immensely popular celebrity in Eastern Europe until his death in 1986.

American cartoonist Robert Crumb has lived in France since the mid-1990s. Madonna
lives in England, and Johnny Depp lives in France. American Poet David E. Oprava has
lived in the UK for over a decade. Horror film mogul George A. Romero became a
Canadian citizen in 2009 and resides in Toronto, Ontario. [9]

According to the U.S. Department of State, there was a substantial rise in the number of
American-born expatriates since 1990, from about 1.5 million to 4.5 million in 2005, to
eventually grow to about 6 to 8 million by 2009.[citation needed] Most of the expatriates are
retired and live on social security benefits, others are employed in international business,
and those with strong unfavorable political views on American government.[citation needed]

[edit] Trends in expatriation

During the later half of the 20th century expatriation was dominated by professionals sent
by their employers to foreign subsidiaries or headquarters. Starting at the end of the 20th
century globalization created a global market for skilled professionals and leveled the
income of skilled professionals relative to cost of living while the income differences of
the unskilled remained large. Cost of intercontinental travel had become sufficiently low,
such that employers not finding the skill in a local market could effectively turn to
recruitment on a global scale.[citation needed]

This has created a different type of expatriate where commuter and short-term
assignments are becoming more common and often used by organizations to supplement
traditional expatriation.[10] Private motivation is becoming more relevant than company
assignment. Families might often stay behind when work opportunities amount to months
instead of years. The cultural impact of this trend is more significant. Traditional
corporate expatriates did not integrate and commonly only associated with the elite of the
country they were living in. Modern expatriates form a global middle class with shared
work experiences in multi-national corporation and working and living the global
financial and economical centers. Integration is incomplete but strong cultural influences
are transmitted. Middle class expatriates contain many re-migrants from emigration
movements one or two generations earlier.

In Dubai the population is predominantly expatriates, from countries such as India,

Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines, with only 20% of the population made up of
citizens.[11]

The continuing shift in expatriates has often been difficult to measure. According to UN
statistics, more than 200 million people will be living outside of their home country in
2010[citation needed]. However, this number also includes economic migrants.

In terms of outbound expatriation, the UK has currently the highest number of expatriates
among developed countries with more than three million British living abroad, followed
by Germany and Italy.[12] On an annual basis, emigration from the UK has stood at about
400,000 per year for the past 10 years.[13] In terms of expatriates influx, the most popular
expatriate destinations are currently Spain, followed by Germany and the UK.[14]

The Expat Directory is currently collating information on expatriate movements to

provide a statistical overview of expatriate origin and destination countries. Current
statistics show that the majority of expatriates originate from the United States. The
questionnaire aims to provide further information or key destinations and the length of
time that expatriates spend overseas. The survey will remain open ended with monthly
snapshots collated from March 2010.[15]

According to linkexpats,[16] Dubai claims the highest number of expatriates,[17] followed

by Abu Dhabi, and Muscat, Oman.

The Global Economic downturn of 2008/9 has seen many United Kingdom Expatriates
returning back to the UK. This trend has been predominantly attributed to 'pensioner
expatriates' with the poor exchange rate making life less affordable.[18] The process of
relocating back to one's home country is known as repatriation and brings with it a
specific set of challenges.[19]

[edit] Business handling of expatriate employees

In dealing with expatriates, an international company should recognise their value and
have experienced staff to deal with them and follow written policies on expatriates'
benefits.[20] Salary of internationally assigned personnel customarily consists of standard
salary and monetary benefits such as cost of living and/or hardship allowances supported
by non-monetary incentives i.e. housing and education. Some companies will completely
cover the cost of the education, even at relatively expensive international schools, while
other, usually smaller companies, encourage families to find local schooling options.

International corporations often have a company-wide policy and coaching system that
includes spouses at an earlier stage in the decision-making process, giving spouses an
official voice. Not many companies provide any compensation for loss of income of
expatriate spouses, although they often do provide other benefits and assistance. The
level of support differs, ranging from offering a job-hunting course for spouses at the new
location to full service partner support structures, run by volunteering spouses supported
by the organization. An example of an expatriate-led project can be found in the Gracia
Arts Project of Barcelona.

There are several advantages and disadvantages of using expatriate employees to staff
international company subsidiaries.[21] Advantages include, permitting closer control and
coordination of international subsidiaries and providing a broader global perspective.
Disadvantages include high transfer costs, the possibility of encountering local
government restrictions, and possibly creating a problem of adaptability to foreign
environments.[22]

[edit] Subtleties of usage

In some countries, such as Switzerland, the term "expat" is not used for all foreigners
living and working there, but only to those on "expat" contracts. Typical Swiss expats
will be living in housing provided by the employer, with most other expenses such as
children's (English) education also paid by the employer. In theory, this is because they
are still maintaining a home in their original country. This is in strong contrast with those
on "local" contracts who are treated and paid like other locals. The "expats" have a
reputation of being flush with money, and raising the prices for others who are not
subsidised in this way. Expat contracts are usually time limited, so the expats either move
on to another assignment, or are given a local contract without expat subsidies. [23]
Expatriate Law & Legal Definition
An expatriate is an employee working in a country other than their country of origin. An
expatriate may also be referred to as a PCN or parent-country national. Long periods of
assignment (perhaps 4 –5 years or more) may run the risk of “de facto” employee status
in the host country, so that labor laws of the host country apply.

A U.S. expatriate residing abroad, still owes U.S. taxes each year on his or her worldwide
income. The US has income tax treaties with over 35 other countries. The IRS and the
foreign taxing authorities can exchange information on their citizens living in the other
country. Qualifying U.S. citizens and residents working outside the United States are
permitted to elect to exclude a portion of their foreign earned income under the Internal
Revenue Code (IRC). This section provides a general exclusion limited to a specified
amount, another exclusion measured by foreign housing costs, and, for self-employed
persons, a foreign housing cost deduction.

To qualify for the foreign earned income and housing cost exclusions, the individual
must have foreign earned income, his or her tax home must be in a foreign country, and
he or she must meet either of two tests:

1. The bona fide residence test, which requires the taxpayer to be a bona fide
resident of a foreign country or countries for an uninterrupted period that includes
a full tax year, or
2. The physical presence test, which requires the individual to be present in a foreign
country or countries at least 330 full days during a period of 12 consecutive
months.

A U.S. citizen may qualify under either the bona fide residence or physical presence test.
A U.S. resident alien working abroad can qualify under the physical presence test, and in
certain limited cases, tax treaty nondiscrimination rules may permit qualification under
the bona fide residence rule.