I think you are getting confused, the trip does not include accomodation, we could leave him in France though

Huh...? That was not nice.

I think most cities have a "Gassenküche" and a "Notschlafstelle".

At least in Bern you can get a meal for 5.- and a bed for 5.-

I think it's mostly for junkies / alcoholics though...

www.sleeper.ch

Well we do not want to share our chicken

Of course not, but for 150 CHF (or what is left by then) he should be able to get a chicken foot or something

It's the truth...what if we get stuck somewhere and we'd have to rely on each other to survive. I need people who have managed everyday life already...

This is your country man and you must be welcomed here , even they must pay you the fly ticket if required to come back to your racine , they should take care of you so no need at all for this 130 CHF ..

if your country will shoot you out so who will say to you welcome ??

there is rights for you here as anyone born and grow here ,take it easy

Gee thanks, you already counting me off?

SOrry OT

Good luck - if you are really doing this for you, then great, go for it but approach it sensibly - you could fly to Thailand with 150 bucks and maybe last a month, here maybe only 48 hours. I would seriously advise applying for jobs at hotels or restaurants before you book a flight. That way, if successful, you have a job, maybe even incl accomodation and food (taken off your salary but much cheaper than going rates) and a starting point. If you have to suck eggs and wash dishes, sweep terraces for 12 months then so be it as it's what eventually got you here. You're too late for the ski resorts for this season as all jobs will be taken since a month or so already - of course people quit or get fired, but normally all employers would have a backup list of CV's ready.

Once you are here you can get settled and start investigating the job market and meet with the social services for them to give you as much advice and help as possible. If you've got yourself a job and board before arriving in Switzerland, it'll look good in their eyes and they'll be more inclined to help you with job leads fitting your profile.

The idea of immediately registering with the military is also a good idea. depending on your age, you'll have to do your mandatory time in the military anyway - why not do it immediately when you have no house no money for food and no job ' Otherwise you'll end up potentially starting a promising career and then they call you to take 3 months off for your service. In the time in the military you could potentially get a good grip on at least the day to day basics of German or French (Italian less likely due to numbers) and also it would be brilliant for networking. You'll become close with lots of people there, albeit probably mostly younger than you as I'm assuming you're not 18, some of who could become lifelong friends. You'll also have the chance of learning a skill, possibly try to work in the kitchens for the duration ? That may give you a better chance of getting a kitchen job after your time.

Send me a personal message if you'd like any informal chats about anything and I'll give you whatever help/advice that I can. Been living here 10 years now and have a good idea of how things work here on a broad scale.

Of course....that's what ANY country has waited for...a broke citizen, who has never lived here and doesn't speak the language. I can just see the people at the "Sozialamt" getting ready to give him a huge welcome hug and a nice big cup of hot chocolate. Heck, he could even stay in the mayor's guestroom until they've finished off the complimentary villa for the long lost son. Sarcasm aside, yes they have to help...but the help he'll receive isn't going to really make ends meet plus it will be an almost impossible task for him to get a job..because he doesn't speak the language and he's not accustomed to the culture.

to the op, how old are you? the military wont take you if your older than 25.

i got another option: i recommend enrolling at a university (you probably need to apply first, but that shouldnt be a problem). they have different institutions that gives financial aid to students, and they have still reserves (at least the one in basel), because most students dont apply or dont fullfill the requirements. like that you can survive and check out your opportunities. having a law degree in the states is not that bad overhere, but you need time!

@ big mac (oh im so hungry...=)): military takes only trained cooks or bakers for the kitchen (because of the hygiene regulations).

Wrong! How many people here have lived here for donkeys years, haven't learnt anything of any national language outside of Ja, Nein and Bitte, never made any effort to integrate and yet still receive their monthly salary for whatever job it is they do.

At least the OP seems willing to learn a language and plus GOD FORBID, investigate about the situation instead of just turning up here expecting to be looked after - that show's me someone who is adaptable and willing to learn.

The OP, lacking German at C1 level and in his late 20s, could apply for a Masters ( many are taught in English ) from the States and obtain funding as a local student before coming over. Students are given allowances for travel, lodging etc.

It's because those people have been here for donkey years..and that's when Switzerland needed any sort of workforce. This is a new day and age and people with great qualifications won't get a job because they don't match the job description 110%.

agreed with you but in the end he is citizen and there is at somewhere who will handle his situation for integration ....to be as normal person at his society ,

lets say he find /put his self at international issue where all the media talking about him (( i believe the Swiss authority ( as any citizen in all the others countries ) will take part of any negotiation or care ... and not the country where he lives

Daboy, do you know where your commune (Gemeinde) is? Do you have your Familienbuchlein? I believe it is your Gemeinde that will be responsible for housing and feeding you. If you don't know which one it is, you may get stuck in limbo.

Sure, it's not a long term solution. But sometimes it's nice to give someone a fresh start and a helping hand.

I understand the difficulty in the present day market of finding the right/ideal job etc, but to find a basic job without speaking the language of the land is far from impossible. There are well over 100 bars/restaurants in Switzerland where English is the spoken work language. There are Irish pubs, AMerican Diners, OZ bars, English pubs, S.African restaurants etc etc and the most are alway willing to take on English speakers, especially when they have a Swiss passport as the paperwork is significantly reduced.

@ daveAust - Thanks, didn't realise that the military was so strict in that respect, thought surely that would be enforced with basic induction training - Strange they won't take new inductees in, I mean the soldiers don't arrive with guns in their hands do they!

We don't really know if Daboy's situation is true. But it's an interesting topic for shooting the proverbial ****.

I recall reading an article about a Swiss family in Argentina who had fallen on hard times. They had no money, no contacts, and could not speak any of the local Swiss languages, yet Switzerland paid for their repatriation, including travel costs.

I think EF is the only place in Switzerland where broke people get that amount of attention.