Hello all!

My boyfriend (who is American) is here working with a B permit with a two year contract. If we were to get married, would the marriage visa allow me to work? I am an American also, and we're trying to figure out all the rules.

We'd really appreciate any advice/help!

Thanks!

Well, this is Switzerland, I suppose you could try and look for work, *after* you have done the shopping and cleaning, but will you really have time ?

My wife came here with the spouse B permit, and it does allow you to work. She was able to find a job, although it took a few months.

ETA: We're both Americans.

What did the Swiss authorities tell you?

Does that mean it does give me permission to work?

How exactly did you make that happen? Did you get married in the States, then come here? Did you have to wait for the visa to be approved?

Nothing's changed since Monday.

We had been married for some time already when I got a 2 year contract here in Switzerland, and I had the same question about whether the B permit for my wife allowed her to work. Turns out that it does.

Because it took us awhile to adjust and settle in, she didn't really start looking for work until about 3-4 months in - by that time, we had already received our permits. I think it helped that I'm an engineering postdoc, and that is considered "specialist" enough that the B permit was easily approved for me (and consequently, her).

I should note that her job is in a field that she is uniquely qualified for. I'm really not sure if the whole pain in the ass process of proving that there isn't a qualified Swiss citizen then EU citizen applies when you have the spouse B permit, but if it does, this may be the reason for the ease with which she got this job.

That was very helpful, thank you! We've been discussing marriage for some time, and your advice is very much appreciated!

Be aware that with a fixed term contract the B permit may be of the restricted type which does not automatically provide the spouse with the right to work.

My wife had a B permit but I couldn't just start working. My employer had to jump through some hoops as well. This was four years ago.

We were both non EU citizens.

I found that actually becoming an EU citizen, makes everything go a lot more smoothly. Of course that's not an option for everyone.

What was the problem that your employer faced?

I don't know that they had any real problems, but it took 3-4 weeks from the time I was offered the job until the time I could start.

Just Swiss paper work I think.

My wife's permit says "mit Erwerbstätigkeit", so that was a sigh of relief for her employer, as I think this means they didn't have a boatload of paperwork and she could basically start immediately. I am guessing that this is not the restricted type, then. She began work within a few days of receiving the offer.

Just giving you our experience - I have no idea how they divvy up the different permit types, but I'm sure others on this forum have a better idea.

Actually as far as I know if your partner has a B it is decided on a case by case basis what you can get. I guess if you get married before coming to CH, the paperwork's easier as it can be done in one go and most likely you get the same kind of permit your spouse has.
I'm still awaiting approval as we've just got married and I registered not long before that, so at the moment I'm only 'accepted' but don't really have a status. But we got married after coming to CH, so it's not so obvious what kind of permit I'll get for my birthday. (He's on a 5 yr B, BTW.)
Good luck and do have a look at other threads, I've seen such stories on EF before.

I am a female US citizen and I will be starting a position in August. My employer has already started the paperwork and everything is in motion, and she tells me I will be receiving a B permit for my 2 year contract.

My partner (also US citizen) is searching for a job, has a M.S. in physics and much experience, and so he is hoping that will qualify him for some more specialist jobs, but we're getting nervous.

My questions are:
1. Would my work visa allow even a residential permit for my partner? Perhaps it could be transitioned into a work visa later on with marriage?
2. Would getting married in Switzerland after arriving (within the tourist 3 months) be sufficient for getting him a spousal permit if a job would not come through by then? Or is it better to be married in the US beforehand?

I have already sent the paperwork in with my current legal status ("single"), but I'd like to know if we should be considering other steps. We plan to get married someday, I just did not anticipate it may have to be like this and not surrounded by our family and friends My ideal would be to wait but if need-be, marry legally in Switzerland and come home to do the wedding later on.

Thanks for your help!

Your employer does not control (unless the employer happens to the Swiss government itself) whether you'll get an L or B permit. It's the cantonal authorities who decide that. Even if the employer asks for a B permit (not sure if that is even possible) the canton will decide whether to give you an L permit or a B permit. Not that people dont get B permits - but the cantons have their only guidelines to issue them. Being a US citizen does not guarantee a B permit and they are pretty antsy about issuing B permits.

Better be open to the idea of your boyfriend / spouse having to clear hoops to find employment and work here - meaning

1. He'd have to find a prospective employer
2. That employer must be willing to do his work permit.
3. The employer must be Ok to hire a non German / French speaking person (unless ofcourse your partner can speak these languages - that is a definite plus)

There are instances where spouses with advanced degrees (where the spouse work contract is open ended, senior position, respected swiss company) cant find a job (even when there are jobs that they can take up) because they are on dependent L permits and employers are not willing to convert them to work permits.

Good luck!