Jerantut

Hello!!

Does anyone know or have any experience with hiring non-EU citizens in Switzerland??? I have found a job and an employer to sponsor my permit, but apparently since June 2002 they only give work permits to EU naitonals and rarely to other countries.... I spent 1 year working there (hopefully that will help me) but I am not that highly specialised...... I only have 3 years working experience but am a chartered management accountant (Canada).

I am now waiting for the answer (takes 3+ months) but its pretty nerve racking!!! I need to know ASAP in order to make important decisions (appartment, car, job, etc)


Any info would be appreciated but as this site is named britishexpats.com I doubt there are many people in my situation!

Thanks a million
Guillaume

NC Penguin

Have you looked at the Swiss Embassy's website for the country which you hold nationality of?

There's probably pages on how to obtain a work permit for Switzerland.

That's where I'd look if I were you.



NC Penguin

I-Bee

Hello there

Well, I can tell you that it's almost impossible to get a work permit if you're a non EU-citizen!

I talked to the immigration department and asked for my Australian boyfriend because he'd like to come here (to Switzerland) and start working.

Well, they said, as it's become easier for EU-citizens to come here and work that's why it's become very hard to get a work-permit for non EU-citizens.

But if you already have found a job then your employer has to take care for the work permit etc. and he also needs to prove that he was looking FIRST for a Swiss or EU-employee before he hired you. Etc. etc. etc. many other complicated and silly rules.

As you can see, it's just soooo hard. But hey, I wish you GOOD LUCK and hope you'll have fun in Switzerland even though it's so expensive, lol.

jgombos

I have no experience, but based on I-Bee's response, it seems dual citizenship might be the way to go. Do you have any European ancesters? If so, try to get citizenship in whatever country that might be (hopefully there won't be much of a residency requirement), then you can work anywhere in the EU (ie. Switzerland).

This is one of the reasons I'm exploring where I can get dual US/EU citizenship.

metalman

no chance sorry mate ...i live in austria and work in switzerland as many people do here.jobs are hard to come by...even for us here in austria and we are eu.
so without a eu passport you wont have much chance.....to
many unemployed swiss people.......

i wish you luck......metalman

Jerantut

Metalman,

Thanks for your reply. Switzerland's unemployment rate is 3.6% right now, which is one of the best rate in the world. Ok, it has gone up in the last 2 years but still very low. I don't believe it will affect greatly my chances of getting a permit (remember, I already secured a job offer). The thing I am worrying the most about is how strict they are with the rules. The rules say if you are not from the EU, you must be highly qualified and have special reasons (ie no swiss or european can do it) to get a permit. I know I pass the qualified part (by looking at the immigration website) but not sure if they are strict on the "no Europeans can do this part".


I will see. I should get an answer within a month (its been 6 weeks since my employer sent the forms)

Thanks all

Guillaume

Jerantut

Just had an email and the regional immigration office approved my workpermit request.. Now I need to wait for the federal immigration office to approve (ahhh the joys of swiss bureaucracy) but the toughest part has been successfully done.


Looks like its not that hard to prove that no swiss or EU citizens can do my job :-)

jgombos

That's pretty encouraging.. I wouldn't expect there to be a shortage of business folks anywhere. Does the work permit expire?

Jerantut

It's renewable each year - but this is only paperwork it pretty straight forward. It takes 5 to 10 years of full employment ot get permant resident status, depending on the country you are from.

lolek123

Hi,
I am also from Canada (IT sector). How to get in touch with Swiss workpermit rep. (is it in embassy?)?
Do you need to secure a job for yourself as the first step?
Thanks and good luck.

Jack

Jerantut

lolek123,


As a canadian you must secure a job offer first, and your employer does the paperwork for you. Pretty difficult but feasible. Another interesting thing is the exchange agreement between switz. and canada - you can work up to 18 months in switzerland if you are under 35 and the job is in your field of study - check www.experience.ca for more details - I did this first (two years ago) and now my swiss employer is doing the paperwork to keep me permanently.

good luck