Happier Abroad Forum Community

I am an American who lived in China for 10 years. I want to warn everyone of what can happen to Americans if they live overseas too long. I have been having a moral crisis because I recently realized that everything I want to do in China is illegal or immoral. I cheat on girls, live with my Chinese girlfriend, work illegally, can't use net cafes, watch pirated movies, don't pay income taxes, and want to buy a car, house, and a business, but I don't know how.

I want to have my own place, but all the hotels I have been to tell me that foreigners aren't allowed to stay there.

I tried to use net bars in China, but some of them wanted a Chinese ID card even though I am a foreigner.

I want to watch legitimate movies, but every movie here is counterfeit.

I don't pay taxes in the US or China.

I also don't have a degree and I work illegally.

I do not qualify for Social Security benefits if I become disabled because I did not pay in to Social Security for 10 years in the USA.

My US military college benefits have expired.

I have not paid my medical, credit card, and student loan debts in the USA.

My college credits have expired.

I am risking my health. Chinese air is dirty, I have lost a tooth because drinking water in China does not have fluoride, and I was once beaten and robbed.

I rarely read books.

I haven't voted in years.

I am not religious anymore. There aren't even real churches in China.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/04/world ... tican.html

I would like to leave China, but my girlfriend wants to stay here.

I don't want to live overseas if everything I do makes me feel like a criminal. Not all of my problems are the result of living in Asia, but I just wanted to let foreigners know that if you live abroad, get careless, and let things slip, you might regret it.

Other laws expats should be aware of when living in foreign countries are:

Sex tourism has been outlawed.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/200 ... ists_x.htm

Americans are not allowed to travel to Cuba.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/05/trave ... all&src=pm

People who owe child support are not allowed to have passports.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la- ... 3074.story

Americans must report any currency that they carry over $10,000.

http://imperialvalleynews.com/index.php ... 9&Itemid=2

Americans must pay US taxes on worldwide income.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/26/busin ... wanted=all

Americans must also pay income taxes to foreign countries when they work overseas.

http://www.sars.gov.za/home.asp?pid=44773

Americans must pay taxes on foreign gifts given and received.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/24/your- ... wanted=all

http://www.irs.gov/businesses/article/0 ... %2C00.html

Americans cannot have US or foreign bank accounts while living overseas.

http://blogs.wsj.com/hong-kong/2011/03/ ... d-through/

Americans who do have overseas bank accounts must report them to the US government every year.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124804796387763807.html

Foreign workers are forbidden from working in many countries.

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?f ... ec=central

Some countries require websites to be licensed by the government.

http://articles.latimes.com/2005/jun/08 ... -chinaweb8

Airline passengers can now be added to “no-flyâ€￾ lists, searched, and required to have an ID.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/us/22tsa.html

Americans are now required by law to have health insurance.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington ... ling_n.htm

Americans are now required to have a passport to visit Canada and Mexico.

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles ... =fullstory

londonexpat wrote: I want to have my own place, but all the hotels I have been to tell me that foreigners aren't allowed to stay there.

Plenty of foreigners at the hotels I've stayed at.

Most of what's on your list could easily be solved or prevented if you did some research. It sounds like you burned your own bridges back home which is something you should never do.

Better call a lawyer. You might be able to do some bankruptcy things to get out of some of that mess. 10 years is many years past statutes of limitations some of the things you f***ed up on.

I don't know what to tell you regarding your girlfriend. You might be stuck there in many ways if you cannot earn enough money to fix your mess.