Why U.S. Expats Aren’t Getting A Great Deal Abroad

Those thinking about a job or retirement abroad should consult their foreign counterparts, who believe they’re getting a better deal stateside.

According to a new survey from HSBC, foreign expats living in the United States do so for the long haul. Nearly two-thirds (65%) live here for more than five years. compared to just 44% of U.S. expats living abroad who stay in their host country for the same amount of time. The U.S. is a favorite among first-time expats, with 63% of respondents in the United States reporting it was their first time living abroad.

More than one-third (37%) of expats living in the United States do so with cultural immersion in mind. Roughly 42% socialize more often with Americans than with other expats, while 37% said they met a long-term partner during their time in the States. Among families, 61% said it was easier to raise a child in the United States than in their home country, while our out of five (82%) send their kids to public schools (with only 6% opting for international schools).

Surprisingly, 54% of U.S. expats actually like the cultural immersion element of living abroad. Only 39% socialize more with other expats than with locals, with two-thirds (66%) reported that they are integrating well into their new host countries and 58% finding it easy to make friends. Also, roughly the same percentage (36%) of U.S. expats say they found love in their new country.

However, U.S. expats are a bit more predisposed to international schools (41%) than their counterparts who come to the U.S., with 51% enrolling their children in their host country’s local schools. Also, as a 2013 report from Cigna and the National Foreign Trade Council uncovered, U.S. expats living abroad are not only sent to their countries by employers on short assignments, but they’re bringing a lot more baggage with them.

In 2001, the last time Cigna conducted the survey, expats aged 25 to 34 made up 35% of those surveyed, compared to 17% in 2013. During that same span, the number of expats traveling with a spouse or partner soard from 8% to 23%. Meanwhile, 78% of expats had a need for health care while living abroad.

Those on assignment with spouses or partners and children were most likely to have to use health care facilities, with 91% doing so compared to 67% of singles. It’s the one area where U.S. expats hold a distinct advantage: 40% of those living in the United States found the U.S. healthcare system more, while 40% of U.S. expats abroad found the local health care system easier to navigate than at home.

“Greater recognition of the challenges of being on assignment in the United States is vital,” says Sheldon Kenton, Cigna’s senior vice president of global employer sales. “Navigating a complex health system, as well as developing an understanding of the financial and tax consequences of working in the U.S., all present considerable challenges to U.S.-bound expats. My personal experience as an expat has further driven home the crucial need for better preparation, guidance and support.”