what is expat

An expatriate, or expat, is a person who resides outside their native country. The term often refers to a professional or skilled worker who intends to return to their country of origin, but it may also refer to retirees, artists, and other individuals who have chosen to live outside their native country. The word expat comes from the Latin terms ex out of and patria native country, fatherland. The term expat is often used to describe a migrant worker who is a professional or skilled worker in their profession. An expat may take a position outside of their home country, either independently or as a work assignment scheduled by the employer, which can be a company, university, government, or non-governmental organization. The term expat is sometimes used interchangeably with immigrant, but the two terms have different connotations. An immigrant is usually defined as someone who has come to a different country in order to live there permanently, whereas an expat moves abroad for an extended period of time, often temporarily and for work reasons.