Hi Guys,
My cousin from Canada was here visiting and applied for work as she had intentions of staying in Switzerland. She was given a offer for a job but then they said they could due to her not having a work permit.

Is the law not once you get a job you can get a permit to stay in Switzerland or am i missing something here. She left for Canada this morning and would like to come back as soon as she can to start her new life.

Does anyone have any advise that i can pass on for her. She wants to work and live in Switzerland.

Gavin

If she does not hold a EU or Swiss passport, the employer will have to show that he/she could not find another candidate from Switzerland or the EU.

So you do not automatically get a permit as non EU/non Swiss if you can find a job.

Plenty of threads in the forum - permits

See "Working in Switzerland as third-country nationals" at ch.ch:

"Non self-employed
If you are a third-country national who has been offered a job in Switzerland, your prospective employer must submit an application to the cantonal immigration or labour market authorities. If the application is accepted, it will be forwarded to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) for approval. The SEM will then notify the parties and the cantonal authorities of its decision, but this decision does not constitute authorisation to enter Switzerland.

If you require a visa, the cantonal migration authorities will send a visa clearance certificate via e-mail to the Swiss diplomatic/consular mission in your home country. You can then obtain the visa there. Within 14 days at the latest of your arrival and before taking up employment, you will need to register with the communal authorities in the place where you are living and only then can you begin work.

The following requirements apply to employment of third-country nationals:

- Authorisation is only granted if established quotas have not been used up.
- Third-country nationals may only be hired if no one with equivalent qualifications can be found in Switzerland or in an EU/EFTA member state.
- Only managers, specialists and other qualified workers will be admitted. “Qualified workers” are primarily the holders of higher education qualifications (i.e. from a university or university of applied sciences) who also have specific technical expertise and several years of professional experience. Integration criteria will also be taken into account when issuing residence permits: ability to adjust to a new occupational and social environment, language skills and age.
- Salary and working conditions must also be equivalent to those that apply to Swiss inhabitants."

https://www.ch.ch/en/working-foreign...-requirements/

If your Canadian cousin is between the age of 18 and 35, she might be able to qualify under the Youth Mobility Program:

"Switzerland currently has a Youth Mobility Program available to Canadians

In order to be eligible you have to be a Canadian Citizen between the age of 18 and 35 (incl.), and

have a secondary education and have completed a 2-year training, OR
study at a post-secondary institution, OR
have completed your post-secondary studies"

http://www.anyworkanywhere.com/whv_ch.html

The rules for the hiring of non-EU nationals is laid out here:

https://www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/en/home...zulassung.html

So no, she can't just turn up and get a job, sorry. She'll need to be highly skilled and have several years experience to back it up to stand any chance.

She might be able to do the Youth Mobility programme that Mullhollander mentions, but may need to find an employer willing to go through that process to get a permit.

https://www.eda.admin.ch/countries/c...-exchange.html

https://www.eda.admin.ch/countries/c...ind-a-job.html

Nor will just any job do, it must be related to her study/training.

Employment requirements for students

Employment must be in the field of studies. For students, salaries should be comparable to those paid to Swiss students working at universities, colleges or institutions of similar level. An Undergraduate Student may take up a trainee position without pay if he or she is able to indicate proof of sufficient funds (bank statement required).

Employment requirements for young professionals

Employment must be in the field of studies or activity in which the applicant has received training. Trainees must be paid in accordance with the rates that are customary locally and in the industry.