Through a longitudinal qualitative study of 42 individuals reflecting on their international mobility, we examine the relationship between their representation of international mobility and the extent to which it manifests as real international mobility. We identified four categories of individuals corresponding to different international mobility representations (Cosmopolitan, Refractory, Mercenary, and Pragmatist) based on the compatibility of international mobility with personal and professional life aspects. This typology of international mobility representations constitutes our first theoretical development, enhancing our understanding of the willingness to leave and work abroad beyond motivational factors. Each type can be further characterized by the representation individuals hold regarding the contribution of international mobility to their career success and their behaviours in terms of the efforts they deploy to make international mobility feasible. Based on our data, we develop a double self-fulfilling loop international mobility model. This model illustrates that each representation (in terms of compatibility and in terms of contribution of international mobility to career success) leads to a particular behaviour—either facilitating or refraining from international mobility. In turn, these behaviours reinforce the initial representations. The interplay between representations and behaviours has significant theoretical and practical implications for individuals’ willingness to live and work abroad.