No. They will not "take care of you immediately". You have a job that is paying you and giving you a roof over your head.

Anyway, if you've only been working for a month. Both you and the family can go register and figure out what you need to do go make it all legit. It's doubtful that you will get in trouble for such a short time.

Go tomorrow to the RAV and ask to see the jobs list. You don't have to register with them. Just ask questions and look at the job list. The best that can happen is that you can start a "shitty job that isn't this au pair gig" on the 1st of February.

Look I really dont know how it works, what I do know is that you need to be registered in a gemainde and your heimatchi (origin letter, kind of like a pedigree) needs to be in switzerland as well. For that, you have to have a rented apartment. But I really dont know how that would work for a swiss person who is not living here. Why dont you go to the nearest gemaide, Im sure there will be at least one person who speaks English and just tell them you are planning to stay here and what should you do. I would recommend you take any shitty job at least to be able to rent your own place or room and take it from there. You work, get a room, try to find a better job and its been said sooo many times in this forum is always better to find a job while you have one. Right now is not even ok to say to a future employer you have a job because when they look at the AHV or whatever they will realize you are working black and that does not look good.
Here in switzerland do the things right and it all will be ok, dont try any shortcuts is the only advise I can give you. And hey Im mexican and believe me, we know about shortcuts and I dont dare to try them here

I do not get that phrase, I would be homeless... so maybe I would have to go to a motel meanwhile?

I am here since 5 of January. She had lots of au-pairs before me, none of them with contract. She wants the cheapest way even if it is illegal.

Go tomorrow to the RAV and ask to see the jobs list. You don't have to register with them. Just ask questions and look at the job list. The best that can happen is that you can start a "shitty job that isn't this au pair gig" on the 1st of February.[/QUOTE]


That was I wanted to hear, thanks!

If you need them to "take care of you right away" you will be put into what is basically a homeless shelter. These are Salvation Army houses. You really do not want to go to one of those. You think you're not happy with your job? You won't like to live in this place.

Now, it's time to suck it up. Work and live with this family until you get a more or less shitty job and find a flat share. Some people have already listed this site for flat shares.

You think I am not nice? It's hard enough being a foreigner here sometimes, and when the Swiss do complain about people coming here to mooch off their social benefits, and it turns out they are right, it makes it even harder on the ones here, registered here, trying to follow the rules, and do the right thing.

The RAV is NOT going to help you right out the door. AND they are NOT the ones who give you any money. They will schedule you for an appointment within about a week. You will need to bring proper translator. They won't accept you if you speak choppy English or choppy German. As there are legal terms involved in the meeting.

They will then give you a stack of forms to complete, and in those forms they will ask for an Arbeitsbestaetigung from your previous employer. Which you won't get because you are working under the table. They will also ask for forms that prove that you are registered in Switzerland, which is sounds like you are not. Swiss people have to do this as well. Even those that never left the country but just moved from village to village. And since you don't have that it's a slim chance you won't even get the interview.

Now here is a new question...were you working for the last 2 years non stop in Spain? As you might qualify for something under EU commitments. This does not apply to NON EU citizens though.

So even if you found your way thru that...the RAV will only help you get a job or possibly recommend you for a language test to see if you qualify for German courses, and that may be a month well off.

If you want to have an apartment, you will have to find it on your own.

I think if the Au Pair experience isn't working out for you, you should just return to your home country, save up the proper money to take on the basic living expenses(apartment, health insurance, public transport halbstax, food, the flurry of taxes), and return when you can afford to live in Switzerland.

Why you should be a burden, then paying your own way, when you do have a choice is beyond me. It's not like you are fleeing a war zone, and came over the proper way. You are trying to get some one to foot the bill.

BTW, it's not a trial period if you are working un declared.

I said "trial" :P.

Ok, that explained a lot. So let me think, would it work if I finish my "trial" :P:P period, get out of here, register, pay a translator, go to RAV, say I was in a family helping and studying but without earning any money (I suppose I do not have to have a contract then...), ask for interviews, meanwhile pay rent with some money I saved up and ask for financial help the moment I get out of cash?

If you want info on the RAV or job help use this link...

www.rav.ch It's even in English if you click the icon on the top right hand side for the letter E.

Going there is not a guarantee anyone speaks English, and all the info is available on the site.

I might even have an RAV agent that can take your call and answer questions, I will know soon.

That would be awesome, the only problem is that they still think I am super happy here, that would be an awkward conversation if they hear anything, also they look if I made a call somewhere so it would be also weird

Hey you said you have a Swiss passport, as far as I know that you aren't illegally here, but you do have to declare yourself, otherwise you are just a tourist. And no benefits are afforded to tourists.

You have to declare, and register yourself. From there you can go about getting aid from the government with finding a job. You really shouldn't be into a flat if you don't have a job, but that's your choice.

You know I am not an expert on how it works to seek assistance from the government of anywhere, because short of receiving un employment benefits, I would never take welfare unless I was in a total dire situation. And even still, I would probably just move back the US and work there. Welfare should a be a total last resort, not a means to extend the little bit of money you have saved.
Also, you are a dual EU passport holder. Don't think because you try to get that Sozialampt loan that Switzerland can't track you down and make you pay it back if you are in Spain. Those agreements go both ways.

If you have a place to stay at other then where you are, register yourself at that town/address not where you are. Go there, do your studies, look for a job, and save some money, and then get the apartment, if you can. Otherwise you would be better off going back home, staying with some one you know there, saving the money, and arriving here when you can afford it.
The Unemployment benefits do not kick before something like the first year and a half worth of working.

Go to a Kiosk and buy a phone card and use a payphone...no offense, but really?

How awkward is it living under a bridge in the winter with no job and no legal reason to be here?

I think he said he was 1/2 Swiss. Makes him legal, but needs to declare himself.

Sorry, that's what I meant.

Waw you clearly didn't come here as an Au Pair for the experience, learning German and see how it is to live with people of another culture. As you said in your first post, you came here because this was your only chance...Oh really??
Instead of telling lies to your host family (they think that you are happy here but you want to stab them behing their back) why don't you just tell them the truth? Tell them that you are not happy because you don't want to work ( as you are hoping to somehow have some money from the Gov.), tell them you want to find a job (''hopefully'' you will find a great operator job that will pay you 50chf/h) and tell them that the next time they want an Au Pair they should hire one with a contract and all the right papers because if one day they will be caught then it is bad. In my country we have a say: the jug doesn't go alone to the fountain many times!
Lots of people told you what you have to do so just put your bone at work and do something about this situation.

You could also relocate to the fench-speaking side of the country. Language-wise you'll find it much easier, and the Romandie has been growing nicely and faster for the past decade than the german-part so maybe there are more job opportunities, specially in multinationals along the lake Geneva. Plus I find the weather marginally better in here and people nicer (not saying I dislike swiss, just saying that comparatively speaking I find romands nicer than german-speakers but I like both).

Ouch!

But, I don't know about the relationship with the family. After all if they are monitoring his phone calls, it can't be that great. No?

BTW, what is an "operator" job? Sounds like a mistranslation.
Thanks.

He didn't say why he is not happy (but I can guess the reasons). Of course ,I wouldn't be happy either with my host family monitoring my phone calls.
OP- why are you not happy as an Au Pair?


He said ''shitty operator job'' in his first post.
http://www.linguee.de/englisch-deuts...+operator.html

http://www.google.ch/search?q=call+o...w=1008&bih=455

Oh, you really meant operator as in telephone switchboard operator.

I know that in Vaud the receptionists need to be able to speak two of the important languages fluently before they are even considered. And their pay doesn't get to the good levels unless they can at least speak 3 languages fluently. In my wife's office it was a minimum of German, French and English. There were also those who could speak Portuguese, Spanish and Russian or some other Slavic languages, (sorry but to mean they all sound similar ).

Oh, and when I said speak, I really meant speak, read and write, well enough to be trusted to understand and even transliterate from one to the other. They weren't expected to be able to deal with legal matters but most of them were pretty close.

Another idea is visit the nearest Spanish social club you have to you. You might be able to find someone there willing to help you find a position where Spanish is an asset, or help in general. You can atleast enjoy a beer and a match on tv.