Expat-Immigrant-Tourist

[Gary D]

If you were a serviceman in a foreign country a work visa would probably do the trick, although I assume there is some type of special dispensation.

[Gas]

2 hours ago, AlwaysRt said:

I think that is less about 'expat' vs 'guest worker' and more about 'domestic helpers' are 'servants' and therefore 'second class humans'. A concept getting worse in Hong Kong the further they are from UK rule.

Up to a point. When i first arrived in Hong Kong i worked for a moving company and we had drivers from Nepal, Taiwan, Philippines and Scotland! When i drove i was treated differently by security than the other foreign drivers. At times i felt embarrassed by the special treatment i received, as everyone should be treated equally.  

[Gas]

On 24/02/2017 at 10:50 AM, Jack Peterson said:

Yes Dave, but we are immigrants and(as with the rest of the World)

Ay, your not a expat, but a immigrant like me 

[AlwaysRt]

3 hours ago, Gary D said:

It all boils down to your visa status, if you are on a tourist visa for a hundred years you are a tourist not an expat.

The name of the visa you are on has nothing to do with being an expat. You can be both on a tourist visa and be an expat at the same time.

1 hour ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

That's got me thinking.  What kind of a visa do military men and their dependents have?

I lived in Germany for 4 years without even a passport, but back then kids could travel on their parents passport if I remember right, No that can't be right because I was old enough I flew back and forth to Canada on my own without a passport.  Took school field trips to Paris and Switzerland with the school (no passport).  I got my first (British) Passport at age 18 to fly back to England from Canada.  Funny how going home was the first time I needed it.  Then I got a Canadian one at age 21 when I signed the declaration and became a Canuck.

Possibly the definition of expat has evolved over the years as the restrictions on travel have increased.

I only needed a copy of my current orders showing duty location and my active duty ID card. No Passport or visa.

56 minutes ago, Gas said:

Up to a point. When i first arrived in Hong Kong i worked for a moving company and we had drivers from Nepal, Taiwan, Philippines and Scotland! When i drove i was treated differently by security than the other foreign drivers. At times i felt embarrassed by the special treatment i received, as everyone should be treated equally.  

That probably has less to do with being called an expat or not and more to do with racism.

[Tukaram (Tim)]

4 hours ago, Gary D said:

It all boils down to your visa status, if you are on a tourist visa for a hundred years you are a tourist not an expat.

Regardless of your immigration status, anyone living outside their home country is an expat. 

[Gary D]

12 minutes ago, Tukaram (Tim) said:

Regardless of your immigration status, anyone living outside their home country is an expat. 

Living outside there own country implies residency, as a tourist you are still a resident of your own country.

[AlwaysRt]

10 hours ago, Gary D said:

Living outside there own country implies residency, as a tourist you are still a resident of your own country.

Yes but being on a tourist visa doesn't mean you are a tourist, being on a driveway does not mean you are driving and being on a parkway does not mean you are parking. In all cases you could be, but you don't have to be. 

[robert k]

I'm an alien.

[Jack Peterson]

10 hours ago, Gary D said:

Living outside there own country implies residency, as a tourist you are still a resident of your own country.

I will agree with this, some may not What annoys me are those that say they are Expat yet live under an Address in their own Countries Drawing No doubt, whatever benefits. Either we are or we are not, To me those on a 9a and maintain an address at Home just simply not Expats in my Mind But it is something that will go around and around here for sometime, For me Now, I am a Resident of the Philippines,

 I bank here for Pensions and the only reason I have a Tie to the UK is for Tax purposes (Any tax due is taken  at source so I have little or no Contact) 

Jack

Morning All

[Dave Hounddriver]

13 hours ago, Gary D said:

Living outside there own country implies residency, as a tourist you are still a resident of your own country.

There's the dilemma. As a long term tourist in Philippines I still maintain a residence in Canada.  But am I still "a resident"?  Depends who you ask and it depends on your situation.  One Canadian tourist, (in Philippines), I know was deemed no longer a resident by the Canadian Income Tax people so in his case your statement becomes questionable, but I like the simplicity of it and wish it were that easy 

It may be more correct to say:  As a tourist you still have residency status in your own country.  So you may be classified as a non-resident by some branches of officialdom but you can be a resident any time you want.

Edited June 13, 2017 by Dave Hounddriver