The distinction is the focus on old vs new. The term &#x27;expatriate&#x27; is much closer to emigrant than immigrant, where the emphasis is more on the fact that they left their home country rather than the fact that they came to another. It also lacks the emphasis on permanency that emigrant&#x2F;immigrant have.<p>Additionally, the term &#x27;immigrant&#x27; is much more ambiguous than &#x27;expat&#x27;. An American expat is clearly an American citizen living abroad. An American immigrant could either be an American citizen who moved permanently abroad, or a non-American who permanently moved to the United States.