Hello,

I wonder if anyone here could help me. I am a non Eu-citizen wife of an EU15-citizen.

We arrived in Switzerland a year ago. We applied for a EU-B permit and due to quota restrictions got an EU-L.

My husband got a permit saying:

Kurzaufenthaltsbewilligung EG/EFTA
gultig fur die ganze Schweiz L

I got:

Kurzaufenthaltsbewilligung EG/EFTA
gultig fur die ganze Schweiz L

So exactly the same one as my husband. We went to renew our permits 2 months ago knowing there was only a slight chance of getting a EU-B, and that we would probably get an EU-L again.

This morning got our permits through the post, no surprise we got an L.
But here is the trick, my husband still has a permit that says:

Kurzaufenthaltsbewilligung EG/EFTA
gultig fur die ganze Schweiz L

But I got a different L permit that says:

Aufenthaltsbewilligung
Kurzaufenthalter L


Why did I not get the same permit I had before?? I mean I understand that we didn't get a B because of quotas, but now they have given me a restricted L.

My understanding is that has the wife of an EU-citizen on an EU-L-permit I should also get an EU-L-permit, especially if the first L permit they gave me was an EU-L-permit.

Why is that now they have given me this restricted one?? do I have a right to complain??

I am just on the process of getting a job. There is a 90% chance that I get a job offer soon. How will this different permit I got affect my job prospects??

Thanks for your anwers

Simply put you can complain and they have got it wrong...

I think you certainly have a right to complain as the Swiss would be breaching the bilateral agreement with EU by doing this. I would have thought that it is a mistake. Did you speak to your local kreisburo/gemeinde?

In terms of your job offer, yes, you won't be able to take up employment if you have a restricted L. Anyway, as I said, I am pretty sure that it is a mistake.

Please keep us updated on the progress and all the very best!!

Hi thanks Richard,

Just to get it clear, they have then got it wrong? I should have also got an EU-L-permit and they have to mend their error because they gave me the wrong permit?

Also because my new permit only says L (no mention of EG/EFTA) does that mean I cannot change cantons or work freely? Do I have the right to work freely on this new permit like I had when I had the EU-L-permit?

I mean why would my husband have the right to free movement in Switzerland and the right to change of work and me not?? especially if I had that right on my previous permit.

Which rights/laws should I mention when putting in my complaint?

Thanks,

Marion

You don't have to quote any laws. All you have to do is go to your gemeinde/kreisuro or even the migrationsamt and explain them the situation and you should be able to sort it out there and then

i am facing a similar issue. While the restricted permit is actually usually transferable with some paperwork in the new canton, I find that some companies are actually not willing to go through it as they are used to a non restricted permit. I am not sure if anyone has had any experiences but I know a couple of people who are having a problem transferring to the French speaking cantons.

Hi,

Richard you were right, they did get it wrong. We went this morning to our kreisburo and they straight away identified the problem.

My permit has gone to the migrations buro for correction. Hopefully they will correct it fast and I won't have to wait 2 months again for my permit to come back.

The person who took care of us said this mistake was no surprise to them. Apparently the migrations buro in Zurich does a lot of mistakes. He said that it is not rare for example that they send you your permit back without the picture.

But he said hopefully this time round they will get everything right and I won't have to go back. And here I was thinking Swiss administration was effecient and that this sort of errors were not common !!!

Oh well at least the problem is solved. I hope this thread will help others with the same kind of problem.

Thanks again,

Marion