Good source of 'home country' info for American Expats

[connda]

I've lived overseas of about 8 years now, and today is the first time I've come across the American Citizens Abroad website.

I wish I had seen this when I first decided to become an expat. The website covers a broad range of topics that affect most US citizens who live, work, or retire overseas. Topics include: Banking, Citizenship and laws affecting foreign national family members, FBAR, FATCA, Medicare, Social Security, Taxation, Voting, and Congressional Representation.

I know that American Expats including myself routinely query Thai Visa about these issues. The ACA website is also a really good source of information -- No forum, just summarized information. Imho, it's a good place to start if you wish to understand that you are viewed differently as an expat than if you were a American citizen living in the United States. There are laws that affect expats that many expats are probably completely ignorant about. That's scary. You'd think that the US government would print a pamphlet titled: Everything You Need To Know Before Moving Aboard. However, each agency has a myrid of information you're suppose to know before you go. The ACA site summarizes the issues well from the perspective of US expatriates. I recommend giving it a look. "Wow! I didn't know that!" Yeah, it's what you don't know that get you in trouble. Good stuff.

Here's their webpage: https://americansabroad.org (Mods: I'm not sure if I can link to this, so please edit if necessary)

or you can find it by doing an Internet search for American Citizens Abroad.

Edited April 28, 2015 by connda

[BKKSnowBird]

Can you give an example of something I should know or how we are different as an expat?

[TerryLH]

"Can you give an example of something I should know or how we are different as an expat?"

An obvious one, is that some expats (loads more than non-expats) ask silly questions on expat forums.

OP, thanks for the post.

[JLCrab]

OK -- Here's one:

International Volunteers Some international volunteers may also be exempt from the Part B late enrollment penalty. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-171) permits certain individuals to delay enrollment in Part B without a delayed enrollment penalty if they volunteered outside of the United States for at least 12 months through a program sponsored by a tax-exempt organization defined under Section 501©(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The individuals must demonstrate they had health insurance coverage while serving in the international program. Individuals permitted to delay enrollment have a six-month special enrollment period, which begins on the first day of the first month they no longer qualify under this provision.

http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40082.pdf