Self-Initiated Expatriate (SIE)
entry by Julie M. Marx, Global Family Expert at Expat Valley
An individual who relocates internationally under their own initiative and at their own expense, without organizational sponsorship or employer-assigned status. Distinguished from the assigned expatriate (AE) by the absence of employer mandate, package, and support infrastructure, and by the individual’s personal rather than organizational motivation for relocation.
Comparable terms
Assigned expatriate [AE — the organizational counterpart; contrasted with SIE in research]· Self-directed expat (community usage — informal equivalent) · Voluntary migrant (migration studies — broader; includes permanent resettlement) · Independent expat (coaching, community) · Self-initiated foreign worker [SFW — earlier research variant; Suutari & Brewster, 2000]
Why this matters
SIEs often have high motivation and agency but less formal support and safety net. They must build networks, knowledge, and coping structures largely alone. Understanding this profile helps coaches and employers design more suitable offers and supports.
Cross-references
Accompanying Partner Career Disruption (Family Dynamics); Social Network Building (Family Dynamics); Positive Mobility (Transitions & Mobility); EAP (Wellbeing & Mental Health). Social network building is a particularly critical self-management skill for SIEs, who lack the organizational peer network that AEs typically receive through employer onboarding. Positive mobility describes the intentional, growth-oriented orientation toward the internationally mobile life that SIEs (who have chosen mobility independently) are often well-positioned to adopt. EAP is relevant because SIEs without employer-sponsored EAP access may face mental health support gaps that self-funded alternatives do not adequately fill.
Sources
The phrase “self-initiated expatriate” was coined by Suutari and Brewster (2000) to describe self-initiated foreign work experience that transcends organizational and geographical boundaries. Suutari, V. & Brewster, C. (2000). Making their own way: International experience through self-initiated foreign assignments. Journal of World Business, 35(4), 417–436.
The SIE concept remains contested in terms of definition boundaries — some researchers require full self-funding; others include those receiving partial employer support. See: Andresen, M., Bergdolt, F., & Dickmann, M. (2014). What makes a self-initiated expatriate? International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(16), 2281–2298.
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