Expatriation is not immigration by definition. Expatriation is defined as the residence of a person from one country working and living in another country. This is a very different situation than just a temporary visit. Expatriates may choose to live in a new country for upwards of five years. A person could even choose to permanently live in a new country and adopt that country's culture as his or her own. Interestingly enough, the associations of words like expatriate or immigrant are different due largely to economic factors: a highly skilled person that moves to another country to work is often times considered an expat; on the other hand, a person who moves to a country to work but who has little skill is usually thought of as an immigrant. There is no right or wrong answer here. An immigrant, by definition, is merely a person who comes to another country where they were not born in order to live and work-same as an expatriate.
What you can say for sure is that when you are an expatriate, you generally get a lot of support from what we'll call the 'international community.' Most countries have no restrictions on dual citizenships, provided that you abide by the laws of the country that you are in. Hence, it's not smart to do something that's legal in Denmark if you're currently in France and breaking the law. There is no such thing as international law (the objectives of the U.N. are a whole other discussion). Rather, there are multi-national citizens who abide by all laws. International companies in particular greatly appreciate the value of multi-national workers. With a vast growth within the expat immigration network, some of the top multinational companies greatly reward their network of traveling employees as well as their spouses and families.
Here's another interesting question. If you are an American citizen, and have dual citizenship elsewhere, do you still have to pay taxes on your foreign-earned income? Yes, though many individuals still fail to understand this simple fact. If you are an American expatriate, you owe the IRS taxes on all worldwide income earned. The only way out of this is to formally renounce U.S. citizenship. Before you take that drastic step however, keep in mind a few important facts. Once you renounce U.S. citizenship, it is an irrevocable decision (except in extreme cases). You will have a very difficult time traveling, if you disassociate yourself without first ensuring citizenship in a new country. Furthermore, you cannot renounce citizenship in hopes of avoiding punishment for crimes or taxation.
An expatriate or immigrant is not someone who has renounced American citizenship. It merely refers to someone who has a legal citizenship in more than one country.
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