Crossposted from the Flophouse. Okay, folks, am feeling perkier and so I thought I’d bring this one over. This is a very modest attempt to explain some of the thinking behind a decision to renounce (or not) American citizenship. I know there was another thread about this some time ago here at Isaac Brock so I’m sure there is nothing new here. But given all the recent media attention about this issue, I thought it was timely to bring it up again. This represents the state of my “internal committee” at this time. Your mileage may vary. 🙂
The U.S. has a new export that is really taking off: Americans. In 2010 a record number of U.S. citizens decided to renounce their citizenship. A mere drop in the bucket (under 2000) but a trend that has some people worried and others horrified and angry. This topic has finally hit the mainstream media with articles in the New York Times and the Huffington Post. Any discussion of why this is so tends to degrade very quickly into an emotional argument with lots of exclamation points, capital letters and a “don’t let the door hit you on the way out” mentality. It’s a subject that hits all of us (homelanders and expatriates) right where we live.
I think we have a failure to communicate here and so perhaps it might be instructive to use my own case as an example in order to dispel a few myths about why some Americans abroad are considering renouncing. What follows here is my own situation and my own reasoning – a cost benefit analysis, if you will. My case is definitely not representative of all Americans abroad but I’m sure it will resonate with some.
I left the U.S. in 1989 for France when I was 23 years old – right after I graduated from the University of Washington. I was married to a French citizen in 1990 and though we have expatriated to other countries during that time, the majority of our life has been spent here in Europe. When I left the U.S. I had no money and no assets since I had just finished school and had not yet started my working life. Today not one dime of my savings was earned in the United States and I currently have no property or savings in my home country. Everything I have in France was earned in France or in Japan. I have had a modest but good career as an IT manager in those two countries and I have paid taxes in every country I’ve lived in and worked. I have two children who are dual nationals (French/US citizens). My husband is a French national and has neither US citizenship nor a Green Card. As of this time I am not a French citizen though I currently hold long-term EU resident status. Our family has no intention of returning to the U.S. to live though we have never ruled that out as a possibility for the future.
Given my situation (and looking at it with cold reason) what are the costs and benefits of holding American citizenship? Let’s start on a high note and talk about the benefits:
Voting in U.S. Elections: As an American citizen abroad, I have the right to vote in Federal elections (president and congressional representatives). The way the American system works, I must vote in the State of Washington (my last state of residence) and will do so as long as I remain outside the country. Since our numbers are few, our impact is negligible and I don’t feel terribly well represented in the United States but I will concede that I do have this right which I can exercise or not as I wish.
Right of Return: My U.S. citizenship gives me the right to return to the United States at any time to live and work. As a practical matter however, my ability to exercise this right is limited since I am married to a foreign national and I would not think of returning unless my spouse could (and wanted to) come with me and I was assured that he would receive a warm welcome in the U.S. From the news reports we are getting from the States, it seems rather evident that the “welcome” is not what it was. Another factor is that I have one minor child (dual US/French citizen) at home and if I chose to return to the U.S. without my spouse, I would have to have his permission to take her to the U.S. Needless to say that just wouldn’t happen and both the U.S. and French courts would forcibly return my daughter to France were I to try this.
Opportunity: With a U.S. passport and EU residency I have the possibility of working on two continents (Europe and the U.S.) with a minimum of hassle. This is tempered by the high unemployment rates in both countries and the lack of benefits and worker protections in the U.S. Given U.S. work laws it is quite conceivable that I could return to the U.S. for work and find myself unemployed with no benefits the day after I arrive. So moving to the U.S. one day might be a grand opportunity or a complete catastrophe. I am not complaining about this, mind you, just pointing out that at 46 it is not an obvious decision to pack up and seek a rather risky opportunity on the other side of the Atlantic. But my U.S. passport does give me access to the U.S. job market which is not a small thing.
These are the benefits that I currently enjoy as a US citizen. What about Social Security, you might ask, or the right to pass American citizenship onto my children or consular protection? Well, the first does not apply since I never worked in the U.S. long enough to qualify for benefits. The only pension plan I am vested in is the French national system. As for the second, my children are already U.S. citizens and it’s irrelevant at this point whether I remain a citizen or not – they will keep their US citizenship regardless of my status. And finally the third just doesn’t exist. If I am accused of breaking the laws in my host country (France) the only help I will get from the U.S. embassy is a visit (if I wish) from a consular officer and help finding an English-speaking lawyer. Concerning the latter, my French is fluent and I already have a very good lawyer here so I don’t really envision needing that service. As for a U.S. passport being a useful bit of protection when traveling, I think that time has come and gone, my friends. It’s certainly not worth more then an EU passport these days. Most places I’ve visited have either been strictly neutral about my pretty blue passport or slightly hostile (perhaps that was my imagination but I did sense a rather cool reception in a few places.)
Against these benefits, let’s look at the costs:
Tax Compliance: It is costing me between 500 and 1000 USD per year to be compliant with all the tax and reporting requirements of the U.S. government. This is not a huge amount of money but, as I start saving for retirement, the complexity of my tax situation will grow and I will surely have to pay more just to keep up. I’ve had estimates from 1000 to 10,000 USD depending on the amount, types of investments and so on. There will also be taxes to pay in the U.S. in addition to what I pay in France. Not all French taxes count as a tax credit in the U.S. Capital gains (on the sale of a house, for example) are a direct hit. I would need a professional to quantify this for me in a more precise manner but what is sure is that I will pay more and more every year (unless, of course, I throw caution to the wind and stop saving for retirement at all).
Discrimination: I have already had one interview with a U.S. company here in Europe that didn’t even want to talk to me until I showed that I was a long-term EU resident. Clearly the fact that I was an American citizen was not a point in my favor. I have also had my bank give me trouble over certain kinds of investments because I am a U.S. citizen. From the stories circulating among other U.S. expats here in Europe it seems that Americans are becoming persona non grata in the banking communities in our host countries. From what I am hearing, I am probably safe for now with my existing accounts but may have trouble opening new ones which means not being able to change banks.
Lost opportunities: I have always wanted to work as an independent or start my own business here in France. A quick look at the U.S. tax rules for Americans living abroad who do this sent me running for cover. Ouch! Very complex. Potentially very costly. In addition, just as Americans are becoming pariahs to the local banks, local business is becoming less then eager to start up a venture with an American partner because of the onerous reporting requirements. And, finally if I have trouble opening new bank accounts here in my host country, I may be seriously limited as to the kinds of local investments I will be able to make in the future.
Stress: The FBAR/FATCA fiasco came out of nowhere for many (if not most) Americans abroad. The U.S. Congress is constantly cooking up all kinds of brilliant ideas that impact us and we are usually informed after the fact. I have to wonder what else they have planned for us. Over the past few months I’ve seen some pretty persistent people trying desperately to get the U.S. government, politicians, and the public to listen to our grievances and to take them seriously. While I am so grateful to all of the organizations and individuals who are tirelessly working on the behalf of all Americans abroad, I’m not seeing much traction. I feel like a pigeon waiting to be plucked with very little say over the next surprise to come out of Washington. I greatly fear that next year’s (or the year after) legislation will financially ruin me and my family.
Rejection: I am also getting very tired of reading headlines about how we are “tax evaders” and “ingrates.” Clearly homeland Americans do not love their diaspora. Since there seems to be a large number of homelanders who think we should “shut up and comply” or “get the hell out” I have to wonder why I’m even bothering to maintain my membership in the club as they seem perfectly happy to see me and others go.
On a last note, to be brutally honest with you, I’m just very tired. Tired of writing letters, tired of explaining, tired of fighting. There is so much about this that I simply cannot change. I cannot make homeland Americans feel differently about their expatriates. My influence (even as a U.S.voter) is practically nil. I have lost all faith in the U.S. government (Obama and company included). I no longer think it will improve – on the contrary I can think of a hundred ways it could get worse. And I have slowly come to the realization that American citizenship and globalization are an imperfect fit these days. Perhaps it will get better with time but that, it seems to me, is something I can hope for for my children’s sake but not something I am coming to believe that I can realistically expect to have for myself.
An excellent piece and presented in a temperate manner that could influence the opinions of those hostile to diaspora Americans
I read it at flophouse, and it is in the Victoria tradition, a well constructed article and good read. It has already been twittered about. 🙂 It is as Nendazman says, “temperate”, and so might reach out to those that are less receptive to the issue.
Good to have you back Posting.
Great article. The analysis was essentially the same for me except for the voting issue, since I have never voted in a US election and have no intention to start to do so. I also could not imagine leaving all of my friends now that I am so established back in my home country to go back to the US, so the right to work there doesn’t mean much for me. I was also shocked by US healthcare whilst resident there: Recently I got an X-Ray in Belgium done – The overall cost to me was only 63 Euros. I once had the same region X-Rayed in the US and it cost 700 dollars after the insurance company said it would pay 30%. What was the point of having insurance there? I was disgusted.
Anyway, the one issue that has me worried actually is if I ever get a job in the future where I would need to regularly travel to the US (or at all really). I am really concerned about being bullied at the US border for having relinquished citizenship and it got me thinking about the perfect solution: US “BNO” style passports, as the UK government issued to Hong Kong residents before the handover. They allow no right to work or live in the host country, but allow visa free access back.
This will of course never happen, but I would be thrilled to have an “ANO – American National Overseas” passport just to handle the border. It would be a fair trade in my view: I renounce any right to vote or reside, and in return you, the US government, renounce your right to act like I never left yet give me an olive branch in the form of the ANO passport or something similar like Indian Overseas Citizenship. I hate the US attitude – Either accept getting bullied to death or renounce to be free. There is no middle ground 🙁
Spot on! Thank you Victoria.
I fully sympathise with this feeling, but regardless: thank you for taking the time to write this. The media and public may be going out of its way to smear us all as rich tax evaders living the glamorous life abroad, but at least we know who we are and why we make our choices — and at least we have a platform where we can advertise those views to others.
A couple of years ago I had never heard of anyone renouncing U.S. citizenship besides Kenneth Dart, Dave Aldwinckle, Mike Gogulski. I thought it was an action for tax evaders and political protestors, not ordinary people like me. Then my high school classmate renounced. Then I came across Phil Hodgen’s writings on Hacker News. And then I found everyone here.
You succeed in poking holes in the mainstream narrative. Even if this does not overturn the unjust system, it might at least slow the rate at which it gets worse. That in itself makes a big difference for anyone who is on the fence about renouncing and honestly needs more time to make the decision.
Thank you, folks, for your kind comments. Feels good to be back.
@Dom: I’ve been thinking along the same lines. As a practical matter Americans abroad are not full US citizens. Elizabeth Cohen has a very nice methodology for determining degrees of citizenship that I would like to see applied to our case.
http://thefranco-americanflophouse.blogspot.fr/2012/04/semi-citizenship.html
Once we have some clarity then perhaps we could negotiate something like Overseas Citizenship.
@Eric: Thank you. I hope the piece does some quiet good. Have to admit as well that part of my fatigue is probably due to just having got out of the hospital. (and after I write this I plan to go straight back to bed – I promised my Mom that I would take it easy. 🙂 And as a parent myself, I do plan to keep on writing about this because, whatever my ultimate decision, I want a better world for the Frenchlings.
Victoria pretty much sums it up for me (I’m a 20+ expat with EU citizenship) living in the UK. What particularly is galling is the ignorance of homelanders thinking we’re traitors, they can just pass a law at a stroke of a pen and everyone abroad is suppose to roll over and comply.
And Victoria’s analysis of the “product,” the US passport is correct and it is a product if you want to be brutally honest. A pass to get around “Go,” a membership card that allows you to bypass all the usual membership requirements and allows to you temporarily enter other people’s clubs for a limited time before you must leave. And what makes matters worse is this membership has various costly “toxic get out” clauses associated with it as well ($450 renunciation fee, long dragged out process, members left behind making you feel guilty, exit tax if you’re wealthy).
Before I committ to anything in life I alway ask myself what are the costs for getting in, maintaining the committment, and getting out if I change my mind, that way I don’t get my fingers burnt. Hey Carl how does the US passport stack up against other passports in your honest opinion when this criteria is used?
The break even point of US Club Membership by cost benefit analysis is raised by FATCA If these terms of membership were used by someone trying to run a health club for example under US citizenship rules, the club would be empty.
Let’s look at Michelle Bachmann gaining Swiss citizenship:
entry cost for Swiss citizenship about 3300 CHF (or $3300 US) probably about the same as the US when you take into account all the fees, classes and other regulatory bullsh*t because the US passport is soooo good.
I think Swiss passports are cheaper (and then you have the ID Card for travel around the EU) – the standard US is $135 and only gives you 90 days in the Schengen Area.
-The Swiss don’t tax you if you leave Switzerland (except for Swiss held assets).
-Can Travel to Brazil or other South American countries and save on the reciprocity taxes Americans have to pay which can add up to over $500 US.
-Ya Swiss Taxes are lower, but at the end of the day when you include the “cost of living” tax, for most people on ordinary incomes it’s a wash if not the erring on the more expensive side of the equation.
-Swiss citizenship is harder to get, you can’t just walk into the country and drop the baby at the airport and expect the child will have a Swiss passport like Juanita crossing the US border from Tijuana- the Swiss are a little more choosy. Most Swiss citizenship is acquired by the Jus sanguinis principle (you have to have a Swiss mom or dad basically). There are small exceptions, but birth at the airport isn’t one of them. Did you watch Michelle Bachmann closely, her requirement was 6 years of marriage to a Swiss citizenship and close ties with Switizerland (did you hear her rattling off all the times she’s been to Switzerland, where, and about her husband’s family town to cover off that requirement).
-No Exit Tax or sour grapes if you decide to renounce.
One final point – could have Michelle Bachman been looking out for her interests? She actually voted against the The Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act of 2010 which contained FATCA. Maybe after the election dual citizen Bachmann may help repeal FATCA in a bigger way.
For Michelle it’s basically all gain no drawbacks to gain Swiss citizenship (except for some votes she’ll lose in her re-election campaign by homelanders because she’ll be branded as un-American or a traitor).
Bachmann voted against the HIRE act? If she is actually opposed to FATCA then she has my support. At this point I really couldn’t care less about her or any other US politicians’ positions. Any other notables who voted against the HIRE act? Good to know who potential supporters might be!
I meant that I couldn’t care less about any other position they hold other than FATCA: they could be a lunatic for all I care but if they oppose FATCA they are in with me 🙂
I’m eligible for social security payments when I turn 65, or 68, is it now? Albeit the amounts are very small because I didn’t pay in for much more than the minimum. I don’t think you lose that if you renounce because you earned it. Maybe someone who works in the legal profession can say definitively because it was rather hard to find on the internet.
I agree on the “has been” sooo much. I wish they would do anything and everything to avert the fall from grace. But it seems like they just can’t “see” it, mainly out of pride. Once this FATCA is firmly in place, a US resident citizen will have little option to immigrate/move assets outside of the US.
And the American Dream seems to be wearing thin too. Look at the sky high unemployment claims that doesn’t appear to be improving. Yesterday while having lunch, I saw the video of the police tasering and beating the homeless guy. I just ate my food quietly, hoping nobody there knew me or that I am American. People from here would look at the video and say “What is that!!? Why all the force for someone who is unarmed?”
Sometimes I feel like being American overseas is somewhat of a liability. With this cowboy crazy government, you never know who in the world the US is going to attack, which could make us walking targets or subject to abuse, even if we carry CLNs in our wallets. That’s why I keep telling people “PLEASE tell me which words I say that have an accent!!!” I want to lose all traces of there, if possible. I think the US is good for many people that live there, but for Americans abroad, I don’t think so– not even including the paperwork and compliance issue.
Wow that was good. I’ve already made the decision to renounce. I’ve lived in the UK for over 20 years and am a dual citizen through descent. It’s been a loooong time since I felt even remotely American. My hope is also that the US is a very different place by the time my children grow up. At the moment I feel their dual citizenship has gone from something to be proud of to something to keep hidden.
@geeze – I’m in the same position. i’ve heard this concern before. If you renounce, you keep your social security. I took will only get the the minimum. In years to come, I’ll probably just have it put into a US savings account and withdraw it by ATM overseas depending on the FATCA/political regime at the time.
@Scotgirl – I too have been in the UK for over 20 years, and my kids have dual US/UK. However, it’s of my opinion if they have a UK place of birth, some sort of british accent, how on earth are they going to be tracked by the US? At present they even enter the US on their British Passport, the US ones lay expired in a drawer and haven’t been used for years. Why should they pay $135 for a passport they’re only going to use entering the US, what a waste of money! Sorry my father is Scottish and my penchant for not wasting money wins out at times!
Going back to the kids, if the US’s tracking becomes too efficient then they can renounce at their convenience not Carl Levin’s.
@geeze, John
you do not lose social security entitlement by renouncing. depending on your country of residency you can have your cheques deposited to you local bank. Tax laws vary by country, in Canada social security is taxed only in Canada and is not reportable to the US.
Also the US has harminization agreements with many countries, where if you have not enough qualifying quarters for social security, your contributions may be blended into the pension from your country of residence
@John – that’s exactly how I feel! I only got them US passports because a very grumpy official at the US Embassy in London told me they wouldn’t be able to enter the US with me unless they had one (as I’d be entering the US on mine and they would either need US passports to or some “No Claim” form if they didn’t have a claim to US citizenship). At the moment their passports have expired and i’m loathe to renew them until I absolutely have to.
i will not, however, get them social security numbers, so other than these little expired blue books, they are British through and through. I’m getting increasingly alarmed at the recent changes – e.g. (UK citizen) DH was looking at taking out Junior Stocks & Shares ISAs for them. All of the “desirable” investment companies now make you declare on the application form that you are not taking one out for a “US person”. So unless you want to lie (not sure what the consequences would be – fraud or merely a closing of the account if uncovered), various financial doors are already being closed to Accidental Americans in the UK.
@Scotgirl – my kids have social security numbers, but it’s not going to make any differnece. They tick off the NO box, who is going to doubt them. Unless they start drilling down to the next level asking about their parent’s origin (which they could lie about again) all this becomes a non-sense. At the end of the day, if you walk in with a UK passport, buy their shares and they’ve done due diligence (as per FATCA), what does the investment company care or how is the US to know? There’s really only so far they can go with this. Let’s remember and people sometimes forget, we’re in a foreign country.
In my opinion if you are a UK citizen and investment companies are refuse services based on your US place of birth, that’s discrimination. How can a UK citizen born in India or Pakistan enjoy the benefits and financial freedoms other UK citizens partake in, and you as a UK citizen are excluded by virtual of being born in the US. It’s discrimination. It’s no different if a UK company placed a job ad in the newspaper stating “all applicants welcome except US citizens or persons of US place of birth.” It’s discrimination.
Place the link of one of these investment companies and I’ll enquire about buying some shares and after being refused I’m going to have a chat with their company solicitor about discrimination and see what they have to say about it.
see this link – http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/ombudsman-news/37/banking-equal-access.htm
“The Race Relations Act 1976 makes it unlawful to discriminate on the ground of race. It is unlawful to refuse a service, or to not give the same standard of service extended to others, on the grounds of race, colour, nationality or ethnic origin”
I’m not sure of all the ins or outs but it’s worth a discussion with the investment company. If you only hold an American passport without legal residenency the FFI may have an out, but as a resident UK citizen they are discriminating against you based on nationality or possible ethinic origin. Of course it’s down to interpretation.
Just found this in my mailbox from my friend, JJ, and thought it was perfect for the occasion/topic:
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.”
“Le pessimiste se plaint du vent; l’optimiste espère qu’il va changer; le réaliste ajuste les voiles. ”
William A. Ward (1921-1994)
Another well written piece, Victoria! Thank you.
Victoria has written a very well thought out and reasoned piece. I relate to all of the sentiments.
In this reply, I would like to elaborate on a real life experience related to the “protection” afforded me by the US government in times of crisis overseas.
I was in Egypt in 2010 when the government fell. Most people wanted out. I was lucky enough to have 3 options:
1) The US government was herding masses of people on to expensive flights to nearby destinations to get them out. I do not know if they provided help to get you to the airport. People reported chaos at the airport terminal.
2) The Swedish government (my other citizenship) told Swedish citizens to stay put and avoid going outside. They issued regular reports on the situation. They did not know when the crisis would end, but they were monitoring the situation.
3) My company organized charter flights for all non-essential personnel and their families out of the country. They have an insurance and as it was private, transportation was provided to the airport and the hangar that they used was not mobbed by masses of frightened and confused people.
I was in a position in which I could choose what to do and I chose the second option. I will not deny that there was danger and fear, but my assessment of the situation was that I would be safe following the advice of the Swedish embassy. I also had my company as a fallback. So in my specific case, I did not need the protection of the US.
What struck me about this entire episode was the two different approaches to the crisis by the US and Sweden. It has made me seriously question the value of this “protection” afforded me by my US passport. I think it was very responsible of the US government to offer its citizens an option for leaving. However, as it worked for me once already, if faced with the same situation again, even if I did not have a company to pull me out, I would follow the advice of the Swedish embassy again.
The situation has led me to wonder if the US was so responsive because its citizens were more at risk just because they were Americans. It seems to me that the “protection” required is likely correlated with the greater risk that comes from being American.
Quick date correction – it was actually January 2011 I was referring to in my previous post.
Unfortionately, what you say is totally correct. I wasn’t around at the time but below is all a true story:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Caper
@John: “Place the link of one of these investment companies…”
Here’s one. Just happens to be the first I came across. I’m sure there will be others. In fact, quite possibly TD is in the majority here.
http://www.tddirectinvesting.co.uk
Under “Open an account”: “To open a trading account online with TD Direct Investing you will need to meet the following requirements: You are a private individual aged 18 or over; You are a UK resident; You are not a US national”. Also, later on: “Please note due to international tax reporting it is not possible to open an account for US nationals living in the UK.”
good post @Victoria – and a temperate and interesting cost/ benefit analysis of your situation. best wishes for your recovery, and good to see your thoughts here again.
As someone living outside the US permanently, and from a very very young age, I never considered any economic aspect of US citizenship – because my decisions were always based on access and citizenship only as it afforded me the ability to visit and if necessary, to assist family in emergencies. I never knew about the expatriate banking and tax laws, the estate laws, and all the permutations, restrictions and draconian penalties that we are grappling with, until the end of last year. I had – and have no intention of ever moving there. Whether to be with family now, to work, or for business.
The cost for me and my non-US family is too high. There is no possible ‘benefit’. The requirements are too complex and intrusive, and the penalties and pitfalls are too numerous and seemingly impossible to navigate and comply with. When all types of savings – except the most basic options – ex. cash deposits are threatened by the labyrinthine reporting and incomprehensible rules – the layered and growing risks of inadvertent errors and subsequent obliteration by penalties – I can’t live with that. If I can lose even more than we have saved (entirely outside the US), – and possibly end up in massive penalty debt to the IRS – through sheer ignorance or lack of facility with the forms and comprehension of masses of technical rules, there is nothing in the world that could outweigh the jeopardy. I also can’t pay every year for expensive specialized tax and legal help with this – that just puts me further in the red.
My non-US family members do not want to live in the US, and would never consider it. We could never afford the lack of healthcare either. There is nothing in the US that I don’t already have here in Canada. I was too young to have had any say in leaving the US originally, and later on, it wasn’t really an option for me to dissolve my life and move there when I became old enough to choose. I had family here to look after here, as well as there.
I did not ever consider renouncing before – for reasons of family relations, and some kind of theoretical concept of heritage and history. The US won’t let me continue to honour that even symbolically, by keeping my citizenship without jeopardizing my family’s financial safety. It is very clear that Congress only wants me as a ‘taxpayer’, and penalty revenue source. The congressman in the area where I would vote doesn’t return my e-mails and calls – although I have been temperate I think, while still underscoring the urgent and harmful nature of our situation. That shows contempt for me as a ‘US citizen’ – since even if he does not support my views, and will not assist me in any way, I am defined as a ‘constituent’ by US law if I am eligible to vote in his district – and worthy of at least a form reply.
I am a law-abiding person. I pay all taxes I owe where I work and live. I am not safe from potential harm as a US citizen. My non-US family is not safe if I am a US citizen. There are no other options.
@Victoria – I think it follows the same sort of logic as this saying “It’s not the strong who survives, it’s not the smartest that survives, it’s the most flexible who survives” – changing your sails.
This is why I believe the public one-headed approach of the ACA solely concentrating on repealing FATCA isn’t enough. You need external pressure on the US as well to make people within the US to start complaining to Congress that FATCA is costing them REAL money and something needs to be done.
@Watcher
That’s very interesting! I have also come across restrictions on acquiring medical insurance (which is not valid in the US) at a subsidiary of my insurance company (previously posted in the FATCA discussion thread):
“Check this out:
http://www.asfe-expat.com/index.php?lang=en&page=Nos-Solutions¶m1=First-Expat¶m2=Indice-50
This plan is not valid for coverage in the US (you can see this if you download the tables of benefits pdf at the bottom of the page), yet it is specifically is open to any nationality except Americans (and is aimed at those in typical expat countries like Singapore and the UAE). I’ve delved into the legal mumbo jumbo and they don’t explain why as far as I can see.”