Hey guys,

I am now in the hunting of job. As a foreigner from South East Asia (i.e. Non-EU), I do realise how difficult it might be to get a working permit.

The thing is now I have sort of two offers; one from St. Gallen, another from Zurich. Personally I prefer Zurich (well, usually foreigners like to be there rite?) and the job also. I heard that it is a Kanton business to give working permit. The company in St. Gallen told me that it is possible to get a working permit for me...

Just I am now hesitating whether should I go for the job in Zurich (which due to the high competition/quota I might not get a working permit) or should I just choose St. Gallen? (I am not saying that it is easy to get work permit there, just surely it would be less competitive than in Zurich?)

What I am worrying is, if I go aheard with the offer from Zurich, I might end up having nothing due to the permit issue. But if I take the offer from St. Gallen, I might regret one day that I will miss the life in Zurich? I am more a city person. Just somehow St. Gallen is a bit out of way (only my opinion, no offence to people staying there)

What do you think? Thanks a lot for your opinion!

Non-EU Permits - a few bullet points.

Check that out, it may have what your looking for, I have no clue. Basically I read bits and pieces of your message and searched for Permits.

What did grab my attention was the 'missing out on Zurich' point. Sankt Gallen is a hell of a city and probably my favourite. Keep in mind wherever you go you're not really that far away from anything in this country.

Go with your gut, I think you know the answer you just want someone to suggest the same to add validity to it.

Or go another common South-East Asian auslander route and find an unattractive Swiss-citizen to marry, thats how my uncle got hooked up with a Philopino

You could always work in St. Gallen and commute to Zürich
for the party on the weekends.

Otherwise, you could take the job in St. Gallen and use it as
a springboard to find something else in Switzerland.


Usually when a reputable company offers a job, you will
get a permit no matter where you come from.

Quote from HollidayG:

"Usually when a reputable company offers a job, you will
get a permit no matter where you come from."

It is the sentence that is really nice to hear. I just find it unthinkable that any company must prove that the vacancy has been one year or more and neither Swiss nor EU citizen is fit for the job. I just got rejected by a company due to this reason. They told me that even when they apply for me with reasons, they would be asked to wait for another half a year or so for a suitable candidate from Switzerland or EU. I just hope it's just an excuse from them not wanting to fight for me and does not really reflect my beloved Switzerland's attitude for foreigner. I speak German (can considered fluently, as I studied in Germany for 4 years), I attended a German FH to be an engineer....the only difference is I hold a different passport. Sometimes it's just frustrating to think about it....

I read somewhere here that it depends on the mood of the official to decide whether to give you a permit or not. And the thing is, we can't sign contract with two companies in different Kanton and go for whichever that actually comes with a permit, right? That's why I got this idea whether it might be easier to get the permit in St. Gallen than Zurich? I know you can't be too far from anywhere in this country. But still, there is this one hour distance between the two cities...

Then maybe I got another question. Does anyone of you actually refused a permit even you got a contract from a company (be it big or small company...)?? Or is it always possible for let's say a short-term L permit and eventually go from there?

Thanks for your feedback!

Contract or permanent position?

Whatever the case is, a new permit will be entirely up to the officials and not single person working for the permit office. They may have some "excuses" or they may have some directives from "above". Whatever the case is, you have to take a risk to choose 1 job offer.

Good luck.

HAT
PS: I was told by my HR that it is slightly possible that the permit office will refuse to renew my B-permit, due to some retrenchments (mostly swiss people) from the bank where I work. Now...that is worrisome and unfair.
I've been here almost 8 years.

A one-year contract (Vertrag).

By the way, does one-year contract mean I have to work for them for the whole one year (means a bond)? I mean what is the difference between a one-year contract and a permanent position in terms of flexibility to resign? I mean I don't mind if I have to reapply after one year, as it depends on my performance and my interest anyway. Just I need to think twice if the one-year contract means if I want to leave earlier I have to pay them?

Does anyone of you know something about it? For obvious reason I couldn't ask them before I get the contract about the possibility of leaving early while I not yet start working right?

READ your contract with someone who can translate.
Or ask these questions to your HR manager whose job is to tell you these answers.

We or anyone on the EF, cannot answer them, cos we did not draft the contract.

Sorry.
HAT

Yes, I know it depends on the individual contract. I just feel if I get those basic information beforehand, I might save the trouble of them preparing the contract and then only I say no. If can I want to maintain a good relationship with the company. Of course I know I have to read the contract and agree to everything before I sign...Just I thought there is a general trend about the one-year contract in Switzerland....

Umm, sorry for the "duh" comment, but when the position was presented to you, did you agree on an one-year contract or on an open-ended contract? That's kinda the basic info you cannot get from us but rather from the company you discuss with, even before it gets to the "in writing" part.

They mentioned to me it's a one-year contract. Just I don't feel it to be so polite to ask "what if I want to leave the company before one year?" They seem to be more concern about explaining to me that although it's a one-year contract, the possibility to get renewed is very high if I perform well.

That's why I am wondering if there might be some general fact about those one-year contract, whether if one wants to leave the company just give a 3-month notice or I MUST work for the whole one year, else I have to compensate them...

Welcome to Switzerland, where there are more cantons and different rules and trends than number of stars in the sky.

In CH, there are no trends, sorry. Especially in job contracts.
Even legal documents such as work permits, vary kanton to kanton.
Therefore, we cannot help you.

HAT

Not quite since they're based on federal legislation.

Well if the contract is drafted within the basic legal prescriptions the minimum notice period is one month during the first year. There's nothing forbidding the negotiation of a longer notice period as long as it doesn't become a leonine contract...

However considering it's a one-year contract, you'll most likely receive a short-term permit which *in principle* is not transferrable to another employer (i.e. you cannot change jobs).

Quote:
you'll most likely receive a short-term permit which *in principle* is not transferrable to another employer (i.e. you cannot change jobs).


But basically, is it possible to let's say apply another new permit with another company while maintaining the current job; only if the new permit approved then I resign from the old company? I mean is there any regulation forbidding permit holder to apply for another permit while the old permit still going on?

We cannot comment on your contract without reading the pertinent clauses. "One year contract" might mean that you are not a permanent employee. They want you to work on a project that is expected to complete in 1 year. The immigration permit will also be limited to 1 year.

Hence, you are free to look for another job, which begins in 1 year. Your subsequent employer must then obtain another immigration permit.

Both your SG and ZH offers are 1-year contracts?

No. In your potential situation you need a letter from your employer - stating that he is happy to let you go and you leave through no fault of your own - that needs to be filed together with the application from the new employer.

The idea behind the short-term L permit is that you come for a specific time-limited job, and authorities frown upon them being used as a back-door for the job market.

I thought after one year, I am free? (as the name is a one-year contract?) Anyhow, I now realise that maybe by giving me a one-year contract, instead of an open-end, the employer effectively prevents me from resigning in the first year as it would be very difficult (or impossible) for me to get another permit if I were to change job (compared to if I had a B permit). Any comment about that?

Free to go, not necessarily free to stay...

As I said, short term placements are not to be seen as alternative entries into the workplace... You can always resign - but you have to return home.

When you said resign, do you mean I stop working before the end of the contract? I mean if I dutifully work till the end of contract, I am not actually abusing anything, ain't I? And I reckon that if I could find another job that starts from the enddate of the first contract, is it ok?

As a conclusion I think no matter what stated in the contract (notice period etc), a one-year contract means I have to work till the end of one year. If I want to leave earlier, it means I have to leave the country. It's indeed something to think about.