I have been reading EF for quite some time now and i really appreciate anybody who is posting on this forum. The information found here is so helpful as to what to look for and what you are in for when looking to start a new life in CH.

I would love to move to CH, i have been there many times and my dream has always been to live there. I am an American citizen woman (Non-EU) living
in the US at the moment. I am looking for a job as Oracle Siebel CRM Developer. I have more than 8 years experienece working in Siebel.
I speak both English and French fluently but i don't want to limit myself to the French speaking side of Switzerland.

I welcome any tips or any help i can get from the EF members.

Good Day,

Try to find a suitable job according to your candidature and then wait for the whole permit approval procedure (which is not at all that EASY)...

Best wishes..

Securing a permit as a non-EU citizenwill be your biggest challenge, especially with the current political environment where immigration may fall under tighter controls.

Focus on living in Romandie. I think you'll find adapting to Swiss life there much easier. (this coming from an American living on the German side of the Röstigraben)

I'd take this advice myself but I'm more comfortable in German than in French.

Although you do have specialized skills which make it easier for potential employers to plead your case, it is very hard to get your foot in the door and make someone want to apply for that work permit for you, because it is a long process. Employers don't decide who get the permits, the cantonal and federal authorities do, so even if someone wants you and knows you are right for the job, the authorities may still refuse the job's permit application.

I have seen 50 year old CFOs get turned down for work permits because they were non-EU.

So I would try to get in touch with a headhunter who can push your application to the top of the pile. Go on the job sites (www.jobup.ch is specialized in romandie) and try to talk to some of the agencies.

With an American passport I am so lucky I married EU otherwise I would not have had a snowball's chance in hades of getting a job here with my low-level skills.

As far as living goes, I speak fluent French as well but love the quality of life in the German part which is why I moved to Zurich after seven years in Lausanne. Here you don't have to hustle for apartments, wait on public transportation, tun to get all your shopping done before six pm...

Thanks for your advice. I am facing another challenge, not so many Siebel jobs advertised for Switzerland.

I thought about focusing in Romandie also but i thought i might have more options when it comes to jobs if i don't limit my search to the French side since jobs in my field are kind of scarce in Switzerland.

Thank you so much for this information.