For many new arrivals entering the Swiss working world proves difficult. Below is a compilation of information which may be of potential help to people looking for employment, or seeking validation of their qualification, or intend to embark on some training.

Since 1 June 2007, citizens of the 15 original member countries of the EU, Malta an Cypress and the EFTA member countries have enjoyed full freedom of movement of persons. Thus, persons from these countries no longer need a work permit. The registration and the application for issuance of a residence permit are made at the Residents'Registration Office before employment begins (a valid travel document, employment agreement or confirmation of employment must be presented). Cross-border workers must report directly to the Migration Office.

Citizens of an EU/EFTA member country who enter Switzerland in search of employment must only report to the Residents' Registration Office of their municipality of residence within eight days. The Resident's Registration Office will forward the data to the Migration Office, which will then issue a short-term residence permit for six months that bears the annotation "Seeking Employment". If an employment agreement is made, the entrant must once again report to the Residents' Registration Office. A new residence permit will then replace the prior one. If the entrant fails to find a position within this six-month period, the short-erm residence permit may be extended by another six months.

Visa requirement for citizens of the new EU member countries eliminated as of 1 April 2006.

With the extension of the Free Movement Agreement to the 10 new member states of the EU, i.e., Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Malta and Cypress, the citizens of these countries have new opportunities to work in Switzerland and take up residence here. The condition is that they find employment or be able to cover the costs of their subsistence with their own funds. Freedom of movement is being introduced in a gradual and controlled manner. The Agreement also governs the coordination of social security and the recognition of diplomas. With citizens of these countries, no preference is given to the national work force, and there ist no control of pay or terms of employment. The permit process is consistent with the provisions of the 15 original EU member states. No preliminary decision of the Labor Market Authority is necessary. The requirement of having a permit before beginning employment does not apply. The power to grant the residence permit is vested in the Migration Office. The provision for the new EU member countries is to apply until 30 April 2011. The brochure "EU-Bürgerinnen und Bürger in der Schweiz, was ändert sich mit den Bilateralen Abkommen zur Personenfreizügigkeit" (= EU nationals in Switzerland, what changes as far as the freedom of movement of persons is concerned due to the coming into force of Bilateral Agreement). This brochure may be ordered by way of www.bfm.admin.ch.

The Agreement on the Freedom of Movement of Persons recognizes three types of permit:

Short-term residence permit

This permit is issued for employment limited in time to less than one year and is valid as long as the employment agreement is in effect.

Long-term residence permit

This permit is valid for five years and applies to employment relationships entered into for more than one year or for an indefinite period.

Cross-border work permit

This permit issued to employees who continue to reside in a EU member country but work in Switzerland.

For citizens of other countries, the employer must file an apllication for a work permit in the canton in which the position is located. These work permits are awarded restrictively and only to well-qualified employees. The terms of employment and pay are controlled and a preferece for Swiss residents applies.

Preference for residents and control of pay

The employer in Switzerland must demonstrate that it has engaged in recruitment efforts in the domestic labor market but has not found any appropriate labor (Swiss or foreign labor integrated into the Swiss labor market) here.

The same terms of pay and employment offered to domestic labor must be offered to labor from the new member states. Before a permit is issued, the Labor Market Authorities will verify whether the employment agreement is consistent with the essential provisions.

For nationals of the 10 new EU member States a limited number of Work Permits has been set aside prior to the popular vote on the Bilateral Agreements. It is the employer's task to apply for the Work Permit of a potential employee as the Cantonal Employment Office in question is charged to watch over both working conditions and pay
checks. In addition and as a rule "Inländervorrang" will apply, i.e. Swiss nationals, EU nationals (from the "old" EU) and nationals from other countries holding a C-Permit take precedence. There is the brochure "Schweiz - EU. Die Ausdehnung des Freizügigkeitsabkommens auf die neuen EU-Länder" (= Switzerland - EU. The
extension of the agreement on the free movement of persons to the new EU States) which may be ordered from www. bfm.admin.ch.

Additional information is available from the home page of the Migration Office www.bfm.admin.ch.

Additional Regulations Concerning non-Swiss Nationals neither Married to a Swiss Citizen nor to the Holder of a C-Permit
Visiting Switzerland even with a tourist visa does not entitle the holder to work here. Persons seeking asylum (Permit N) and further temporarily admitted persons (Permit F) may start work in Switzerland after a waiting period of between three and six months only. Pertinent permits are issued by the Cantons who may define (limited) fields of work open to holders of Permits N or F, respectively. There are no such limitations for persons of recognized refugee status. Such persons do, however, need a Work Permit as long as they are holders of a B-Permit.

Additional Regulations Concerning non-Swiss Nationals Married either to a Swiss Citizen or the Holder of a C-Permit
Such persons are legally entitled to a B-Permit:

• citizens of an EU or an EFTA State's B-Permit is valid for five years due to the agreement on the free movement of persons,
• B-Permits issued to nationals of a non-EU/non-EFTA State are valid for one year

Holders of a B-Permit are in no way limited as to their fields of activity with the exception of activities for which a C-Permit or Swiss citizenship is required such as for custom officers, or members of the police force.
Employers of B-Permit holders must, however, apply for a Work Permit to pertinent Cantonal Authorities. Non-Swiss nationals with a B-Permit acquired by marriage are equal to Swiss citizens in every respect as far as their right to work is concerned and are no longer subject to any "Kontingent". Cantonal Authorities in question will therefore grant them a Work Permit even in times of high unemployment. If required the Authorities will grant holders of a B-Permit even several Work Permits in parallel which will enable them to accept several part time jobs with different employers. Still, every single employer is required to apply for a Work Permit for each of his/her employees that holds a B-Permit.

Is the B-Permit a Stumbling-Block for Finding Employment?
Employers frequently prefer hiring holders of C-Permits over hiring holders of B-Permits because they are unaware of the above quoted legal situation.

Suggestion: person looking for employment (or partner of such person) may inform an employer that since the potential employee is holding a B-Permit he/she is considered equal to a Swiss citizen, i.e. not subject to any "Kontingent" (= quota regulation) meaning that a Work Permit is sure to be granted. All a potential employer will have to do is filling in an (easy to fill in) form and then sit back and wait for the Work Permit to arrive.

Finding Employment in another Canton?
Being married to a Swiss entitles one to a Work Permit regardless of whether one does reside and work in the same Canton or not. In case work (or training as the case my be) is located somewhere remote from
the place of residence renting a second dwelling (apartment/room) may be indicated. Although Swiss law foresees separate dwellings for married binational couples this quite often will render pertinent Authorities suspicious: the Migration Office may suspect the marriage being one of convenience only.

Looking for Employment
It makes sense to compile as comprehensive an application file as possible with curriculum vitae, diplomas, work references and, if possible, personal references.

Where to Look

• reply to job offers in newspapers
• direct personal inquiry at potential employer's (take along curriculum vitae, copies of references of previous employers, ask for the head of the personnel department)
• Schulzeugnisse ? Bescheinigungen über Berufsausbildung ?
• Empfehlungen früherer Arbeitgeber ? etc.], ask for the head of the
• personnel department)
• place your own advertisement in a newspaper
• write to companies that have not advertised
• register with Regional Placement Office (= "Regionales Arbeitsvermittlungs-zentrum, RAV")
• The RAV does accept new arrivals for placement irrespective of whether they have worked in Switzerland before. Proof is required of one's personal prior efforts to find employment. (Unemployment)

Suggestions for Entering the Working World

• offer potential employers one or several working days on a trial basis in order for them to be able to assess your skills. This can make up for the lack of working experience in Switzerland.
• as an entry ticket to a chosen sector or some skilled occupation it may be advisable to first complete some on the job training. This approach requires a great deal of flexibility early-on as status and compensation of trainees are low; it may, however, prove beneficial in the long run.
• proper networking could well be a door opener
• contacts established in Switzerland at an earlier stage (e.g. while a person was still seeking asylum) may serve as reference
• a number of regions in Switzerland provide further support to people looking for employment such as meeting points for unemployed or church-affiliated organisations (look for pertinent offers locally at your place of residence).

Validation of (Professional) Certificates/Qualifications Acquired Abroad
It is suggested to check whether your qualifications from abroad can be validated in Switzerland. Although there does not exist any one office in Switzerland that were validating qualifications from abroad "Bundesamt für Berufsbildung und Technologie (BBT)" (= Ministry for Education and Technology) has compiled information broaching the subject plus where to address yourself to at www.bbt.admin.ch/dossier/anerkenn/d/index.htm.

Training

How Do I Gain Access to Training ?
In each Canton there exists at least one career guidance office serving both juveniles and grown-ups. They provide information on teaching and training opportunities, respectively and about requirements to enter these programs. For detailed information visit www.berufsberatung.ch.
Some areas have made-to-measure offers for migrants.

Where does one look for jobs?

(The RAV can accept newly arrived persons for job placement whether or not they have already worked in Switzerland. Proof of your personal job-seeking efforts is required). ( Unemployment )

Internet Access Concerning Integration

Basel Stadt/Basel Landschaft: www.integration-bsbl.ch
Bern: www.integration.bern.ch; www.deutsch-in-bern.ch
Frauenfeld:www.infomig.ch
Genf: www.ge.ch/integration
Luzern: www.stadtluzern.ch
St.Gallen: www.enzian.ch
Winterthur: www.integration-winterthur.ch
Zürich: www.integration-zh.ch
www.eka-cfe.ch/d/adressen.asp

How About Finances ?
Basically, each person (parents/partner) pays for his/her training out of his/her own pocket. Information concerning potential support is avaialable under www.berufsberatung.ch/dyn/2680.asp. As to grants, scholarships and loans such matters are dealt with by the Cantons. Also, each Canton sets its own rules on who is given a grant and under what conditions. Competence is with the Canton where the applicant last resided when handing in his application. For more detailed information as well as addresses of pertinent Cantonal offices go to www.berufsberatung.ch/dyn/1385.asp. Some Cantons do provide grants to holders of C-Permits only.
In addition, financial help may also come from private endowments. Contributions from this side are often small and sometimes conditioned on whether the applicant is eligible for a scholarship. The above homepage will provide a link to a directory of pertinent private endowments.

Completing an Apprenticeship (Acquiring Qualification)
For people who have assembled a great deal of practical experience but lacked the opportunity of a formal apprenticeship there is in Switzerland the so-called "second way" to pass an examination and acquire officially recognised qualification. Admittance to said examination is conditioned on having been active in the field one and a half time as long as the duration of a regular apprenticeship. At this examination set at equal level as the one for regular apprentices general knowledge and trade specific know-how will be required. It is up to the applicant whether to acquire the theoretical background needed visiting courses of his/her own choosing, sitting in with classes of regular apprentices, or by self-studies. For details go to www.berufsberatung.ch/dyn/1454.asp.

Support from spouse and surroundings
Help from a Swiss spouse when looking for employment may prove vital on the road to integration into the Swiss working world. Finding a proper balance between reasonable support and overprotection is not always easy. Some immigrant partners decide to make up for missed training opportunities in their former country in order to arrive at a more satisfactory professional status in Switzerland. Sometimes this will impose upon couples a limited barren period during which they will have to make do with unfamiliar allocations of roles and duties and with financial bottlenecks. Under such conditions benevolent support from family, friends and neighbours is of particular importance for the couple in question.
See Lopez, Gloria: "Was braucht es für eine gelungene Integration?"
(= What Requirements for Successful Integration?) in IG Binational Themenheft 2004/1 pg.15-17

Last revision: July 2008