I've never been a US citizen. I am a dual South African /German citizen. I won a green card to immigrate to the US. Like many other people, I bought into the Hollywood hype. When I arriuved, I discovered over a period of time that it wasn't at all what it said it was.
More to the point, I discovered that all other first world countries were far better than the US, and that the US verged on a third world country. Having grown up in a third world country, I easily saw the similarities.
I left the US after 11 years, at that point, surrendering my green card immediately. I qualified to become a citizen after 5 years and I declined. Thankfully. I would have lost my EU citizen, and wherever I lived for the rest of my life, I would have had to pay US tax.
Back to the article. You made so many erroneous statements initially that I didn't finish the article. Why would anyone finish anb article when the initial statements - the premise - are incorrect?
"If you live outside your home country, you are not necessarily expat.'
Oh, yes, you are.
"a professional who lives and works abroad for an extended period of time..."
I first left my home country in 1973, and expat has meant the same thing since then. It comes from the Latin "expatriat" which means 'out of one's home country.' It has nothing to do with whether one is professional or not. I first learn the etymology of the word in the 60s during my Latin classes.
Of course, I learnt international English (British English as I was born into the Brish Empire of the time.
"To expatriate means to renounce one’s citizenship and take up residence and citizenship elsewhere."
No, it absolutely does not.
It might be used that way in American legalese, but then American lawmakers are using the word incorrectly,
People on youtube are not using the word incorrectly. Look on Facebook - there are British expats, Australian expats, New Zealand expats, Canadian expats, etc. We are all expats for the simple reason that we are living in another country. This has nothing to do with the American tax service..
I spent about two years explaining to the IRS that I wasn't paying them tax because I was not an Americna citizen. They finally got it.
"Moving to another country usually involves someone becoming a temporary resident first. After a certain # of years, one can apply for permanent residency."
Um. no. Thre are three ways of moving to another country - illegally, legally through immigration, and legally through a working visa, etc.
If one goes as a migrant, one is unlikely to be granted legal citizenship ever, and one will eventually be deported. If one immigrates, one is granted 'PERMANENT residence' which one can retain for the rest of one's life. The only difference between that and being a citizen is that one cannot vote. This is not temporary. Two thirds of immigrants to America chose not to take on citizenship. The last one, a working visa or a visa of some sort, may or may not be temporary. If people chose to stay after 5 years, they can apply for immigration. So, your statement, again, is inaccurate.
"The article is not about naturalization and that is not pertinent to the topic."
Actually, my statement is relevant because, in your article it says, "To expatriate means to renounce one’s citizenship and take up residence and citizenship elsewhere."
Nope. there is absolutely no word in the English dicationary that I know of that means that, including
'to expatriate.'
Some countries demand that renounce citizenship to one's own country and others not. However, the process of taking on another country's citzenship is 'to naturlize' not 'to expatriate.'
I didn't say that you had to live in every country for 5 years in orderr to naturlize. I used the germ 'generally.' Go check.
I don't hate the US. I just believed all the type. Fortunately, most people in first world countries don't buy it. Unfortunately, at the time I decided to immigrate to the USA, I didn't know that.
At the time, I was working for a newspaper group in South Africa, and I was warned. When I was living in the UK, I was also wanred. I paid no attention because I thought they were jealous. I was wrong.
I'm curious as to what country you are living in that you don't know all this.
