What type of expat or emigrant are you?

What type of expat or emigrant?

Expats and emigrants are no longer just the farmers of the past: also self-employed people, hairdressers, nurses, physiotherapists, ict experts, pensionados, etc. nowadays leave for long stays abroad, or emigrate. Aside from the question of whether "emigration" may always be permanent or also temporary, there are several types of "long-in-the-foreign-stayers" or emigrants, such as:

• the expat (sent out for work); think also of diplomats, journalists, professors, soccer players.
• the frontier worker.
• the second-home owner.
• the young senior wintering resident.
• the seasonal worker.
• a special group are the "world" travelers: there is actually emigration without permanent residence in one specific country. A passport full of contiguous visas, foreign ATM withdrawals, temporary import/export proofs, doctor and dentist visits abroad, long-term stays in countries with friendly visa policies: it makes it possible to be away for years at a time. Daily life takes place outside your home country and only a bank account, a passport and travel/health insurance provide ties to your home country.
• An additional group that is not officially registered by CBS as emigrants is also called the "semigrant."  People who live partly abroad and partly in their home country. Again, think, for example, of winter visitors, those who have a second home abroad and the self-employed who carry out part of their assignments abroad.

What is the non-expat/emigrant: 'the commuter'?

• One type of "non-expat/emigrant" that is growing in number and is increasingly being named as such: 'the commuter': the employee who frequently crosses the border to supervise a project, but keeps their home country as his or her home base and usually does not take his or her family abroad. Companies respond to this type by offering more short-term assignments (usually 3 to 18 months abroad), or working with virtual assignments (exchange of knowledge and experience via ICT combined with short business trips).
• Yet, in practice, commuting often leads to premature termination of assignments; adapting and effectively doing business or achieving project results in the foreign environment proves difficult if you return to your home country during weekends, vacations, etc. Leaving your partner and children behind also often causes (too) much stress.

More and more attention is also being paid to issues experienced by the 'remigrant': someone who has lived abroad for some time, but has returned to the home country.

What distinctions do you encounter when applying for visas?

Particularly when applying for visas, you also encounter the following distinctions:

• family migrants: when you demonstrably have an enduring relationship with someone from the emigration country, who can sponsor you.
• skilled migrants: when you have a professional education, specific skills, knowledge and work experience (often supplemented by local family, a substantial capital and sufficient work opportunities locally).
• business migrants: when you have demonstrably and successfully run your own business and will also start your own business in your country of emigration and have sufficient capital or want to invest in government projects.
• humanitarian migrants: if you are a refugee and have had to leave your own country because of war, ethnic conflicts or human rights violations.
• youth migrants: if you are a young person and want to work and travel in the country concerned.
• retirement migrants: if you wish to settle as a pensioner in the country concerned. Often with additional requirements regarding assets, investments and health.