Application for a residence permit

Application for a residence permit for foreign workers based in Switzerland

Foreigners can now work in Switzerland. But this permission to work is subject to several conditions, including the application for a residence permit. How to obtain this residence permit?

Permits B and L are the authorizations required to stay in Switzerland

The announcement procedure is only given to workers who are hired for less than three months per year. This procedure is only granted to workers who are citizens of the EU-25 and EFTA member states. However, this procedure is not granted to citizens of Bulgaria and Romania. If the work lasts longer than 3 months, an application for authorization must be filed. This authorization goes through several steps and levels before being accepted and implemented.

What documents are required?

As soon as the activity of an employee from the European Union is taken up, the company is obliged to submit to the Foreigners and Confederates Service (SEC) of the cantonal population office:

  • the first and second pages of the form, completed, read and signed by the employer and employee. This form shows commitment.
  • the documents mentioned on the second page of the form will be added to it

What is the duration of the authorization?

The duration of the authorization varies according to the length of the contract. It lasts five years for open-ended contracts (CDI) and slightly more than twelve months for contracts of less than one year.

It lasts five years for open-ended contracts (CDI) and slightly more than twelve months for contracts of less than one year. Provisions to control wages and working conditions were introduced in place of control of wages and working conditions. This is despite the fact that the B and L permit quotas were abolished for workers from the 15 old EU member states as well as Malta and Cyprus on June 1, 2007.

The agreement on the free movement of persons provides for the safeguard clause by the Federal Council of 24 April 2013. This measure insists that as of May 1, 2013, the quota for B residence permits issued to citizens of EU-8 member states be maintained for another year. Similarly, the measure is also extended from June 1, 2013 and for one year, to residence permits B issued to workers from the EU-17 area.

What are the special conditions for the engagement of Bulgarian and Romanian citizens?

The employer is obliged to look for and recruit a person with the desired profile through the publication of advertisements, consultation of placement agencies…

The employer must prove that it has done its research properly by recruiting competent people who deserve their place.

The qualified authority thoroughly inspects the working conditions and verifies the individual’s salary. Wage dumping is the most common case in the interstate labor sector. To avoid problems, the employment contract, which must be in writing, must be signed at least by the employer and must be presented. The information about the worker must be known and no detail can be overlooked.

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