[Wogef]

>Nope. Immigrating usually implies permanent residence in the new country, not necessarily getting citizenship.

I stand corrected- but expats in the countries they are referred to as such almost never have the option of permanent residence.

[dalke]

Here are examples of people using "expat" to include people with permanent residency:

"Even international medical insurance companies admit that for expatriates permanently living in France, it makes sense to join the national state health insurance system." - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/expat-health/8251102/...

"The 3 levels of residency status are: Permanent Resident – Expats who have lived in Japan for 5 years or more out of a 10 year period, ..." http://aboutmovingtojapan.com/taxesforexpats.html

"If you are planning on moving to South Africa or are already one of the expats permanently working or on extended vacation here, it is valuable to be aware of the tax implications." - http://www.dirmeik.co.za/blog/2014/10/08/expatriate-tax-in-s...

http://juliedawnfox.com/2013/07/05/expat-artists-algarve/ - a British expat who lives full-time in Portugal

http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2014/02/27/expat-arti... - another British expat, 18 years in Spain

http://www.theyucatantimes.com/2013/11/meet-expat-writers-li... - various expat writers in Yucatan, including a Canadian who moved there in the 1970s for love