Hi all,

We really could do with some advise please. We are trying to find a way of staying in Switzerland and buying a flat, we know we need the B permit but we don't know how to get one.

Background:
We have both been working in Switzerland for the last 3 years, we work for Inghams (part of Hotel Plan ag), and are employed on 6th month rolling contracts meaning we always get an 'L' permit. for the last 18months we have been based in Davos and like it so much we would like to move here permenantly.

We have been forced into trying to get a B permit because Migros (our parent company) have decided that Swiss law states you can only have 1 'L' permit per year, this means we can only work for 6 months a year.

Problem: Our company whilst Swiss owned is actually left to operate as a UK company. We are given 6 month contracts but are payed Sterling in the UK into a UK bank account.

Help required: Whilst we are pretty sure that Inghams will give us a years contract we know they will not pay us in Swiss francs. We asked about the possibility of Hotel Plan AG employing us and apparently they will not.

The question is if we have a years contract from our employer is that enough to get a B permit? Financialy we can proove we can support ourselves.

One option is for us to be given a contract that states our wage in the equivilent Swiss Franc rate (this is actually how my current contract works), would this be enough or do we have to be employed by a swiss company.

Something else we thought of is to be registered self employed and essentialy pay ourselves - I guess this is like many IT workers do. However this is a very scary option as we have no idea about how to do this and don't want to fall foul of Swiss law.

Last option is find a new job.

If anyone can give us some advice or point us in the right direction then that would be very much appreciated.

I don't see that you have written the most important information: What are your nationalities?
Oh-sorry- I saw it now in the title: New EU? Old EU?

We are both english

Added some more info to the thread title. I think you'll get more action on the thread now.

Good luck!

Two possible options are: you can apply for a B permit, showing that financially able to take care of yourself without working, or apply saying you are looking for a job (these were mine- I chose the former and had no problem).

I'm pretty sure that in Graubunden at least the L only lasts for 183 working days per year - it is also restricted on rights to buy, with it we can buy a new build (and only 30% are open to Auslander), but unfortunately living in Davos is not cheap and we have to buy an old property. We sought advise from an Estate agency who said we had to have the B permit.

We do know the law changes from town to town baecause we can buy in Kublis without any permit at all, basically because nobody wants to live there, but it's not ideal as we'd still need the B to work...

Any more thoughts greatly appreciated.

Please go to: http://www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/en/home/...llte.0021.html

all your questions should be answered there. And if not, you also you can go to the Gemeinde where you are registered and they will help you. The rules have changed since when you first came here three years ago and there are more permit options to chose from (see mine from above post). It's very easy to recieve a B permit now.

Jennifer

Well, I hope you are right, sounds like we might be going to try the same way you did.