Summary of Proposed Revisions

- Residency requirement for Permit C eligibility reduced to 5 years, down from 10
- Residency requirement for naturalization reduced to 8 years, down from 12
- Only "permanent residents" - however they are defined - will be eligible for naturalization
- This mean that holders of Carte de Legitimation or Student Permit B will not be eligible for naturalization regardless of years accrued

Two interesting and likely cases to consider:

- How will the law affect people on Student Permit B or Carte de Legitimation who will have accrued the 12 years currently necessary for naturalization only after the law comes into effect?
- How will the law affect people on Student Permit B or Carte de Legitimation who will have accrued the 8 years of residency needed to apply for naturalization under the new law?

Sources
http://worldradio.ch/wrs/news/wrsnew...aw.shtml?23502
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news_dig...l?cid=29649270

A similar article:

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news_dig...l?cid=29649270

Does this mean that only holders of Permit C will be eligible for naturalization? As a consequence, this would render Student B permit holders, as well as Carte de Legitimation holders, ineligible for naturalization - ever?

Exactly my sentiments, George! They do both mention that "only holders of permanent residency permits" are eligible... However, these are mere articles briefly summarizing what is only a first step in the proposed change (and I bet not much research was done in writing them), so I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

Years spent on a student B permit do not count towards any naturalisation requirement so the proposed change makes no difference.

I thought time spent on a student permit counts for naturalisation - though not for a C permit? This is what Shorrick says in this thread, at least...

Actually, years spent on student permit do count towards the 12 year naturalization requirement - this is, in fact, how so many students who come here and attend a sequence of international schools, undergraduate, and graduate studies obtain their passports (the above takes about 12 years).

But you're right in that they do not count towards Permit C.

in the proposal one has not to wait 12 years anymore to apply for citizenship, 8 years would be the minimum required.

Yup, but if Permit C becomes the prerequisite for naturalization, then students and staff members of international organizations will be, ahem, screwed?

What about the Cantonal Requirements? Do they remain the same?

Is there anywhere online where they specifically mention this?

The project (french & german) mentions the 8 years under:

- Article 9.b

there are more details on the requirements and what is calculated or not in the duration of stay.

Thanks for the link! It will be interesting to see how this works out - but my first impression is that the law makes naturalization much harder for non-EUs, while facilitating it for EUs.

not sure about that. According to the proposal a C permit can be delivered after 5 years if signs of good integration are given. I think that showing good integration is the key criteria for C or naturalization, it will be more and more important in the decision process.

If, by that, they mean that a C can be given after five years of residence regardless of the permit you actually hold (as long as you demonstrate integration), then you're right, and it will not only make naturalization more accessible, but also emphasize the importance of integration. Logically, however, this cannot be the case, because then anyone could come to Switzerland, study for five years, and get a C.

What I am concerned about is that, for non-EUs, Cs are virtually impossible to obtain because they require you to hold a permit B which allows you to work. Instead, what non-EUs were able to do, however, is to apply for citizenship on the basis of 12 years of study or work with an international organization bypassing the C requirement completely. If that is closed off, then naturalization becomes even less possible for non-EUs than it currently is.

What's even more interesting is the section in the draft bill that mentions that there will be harmonization between Federal, Cantonal and Community residency requirements, where the Cantonal and Community residency requirements cannot exceed 3 years. I think this is a good law.

Is the SVP out of the country on a holiday..?!

It depends on who's eligible to apply for naturalisation, in the first place. As George pointed out above, if the new law stipulates having permanent residency in Switzerland (i.e. having a C permit, which one could get through 10 years of uninterrupted stay usually on a B permit, which is very difficult for a non-EU to obtain) as a requirement for naturalisation, then it would be virtually impossible for non-EU citizens to acquire Swiss citizenship, thus making the whole naturalisation process even more stringent than it already is.

SVP is challenging it:
http://www.svp.ch/g3.cms/s_page/8073...ctor_year/2011

Thanks for this! The page tells us,
And if my understanding is correct, it translates to "the only real improvement in the proposal of the Bundesrat, the requirement of a settlement permit (C permit) for naturalisation ..." - so I guess that indeed, part of the proposal to the change is the need to have a C permit to be eligible for naturalisation? Should I, a non-EU carte de legitimation holder, bid farewell to my chances of applying for citizenship?