Dear all,

I started my postdoc in ETH recently and I've posted a question about B permit quota.

Now I got another surprise. Instead of the B permit promised on the initial paper, I received a L permit today. What does this mean? As I understand, L permit is not extended "automatically" every year.

This is infuriating since working on a project without knowing whether I can stay or not is not really gonna be easy. Also, knowing all the other foreign postdocs (who are EU, or US-cancada nationals) are getting B permits makes me feel actively discriminated and humiliated.

Any chance of converting this to B permit. I searched the forum, it doesn't look very likely.

JR

Neither are B permits.

You are probably being actively discriminated against, the Swiss make no secret of this, but you shouldn't be humiliated as it's their problem not really yours. It's also possible that your contract is determining the type of permit.

Suspect not - but you can ask.

Thanks a lot Swissbob!

I guess I will have to spend significant amount of energy fighting with the burocracy for the next few years.

JR

Called the ETH HR. They are gonna try to argue for me. Don't know how much it helps.

Fingers crossed.

Good luck!!!

I'm having a similar problem: 3 years on a B permit and when I changed my contract (full time permanent contract) I received an L permit. Now I have to wait 30 months to apply for B.

Can anyone recommend a good lawyer with know-how in dealing with the authorities on that.

I got words back from ETH HR.

Apparently they cannot do anything about it. How likely it is to get a renewal of L permit next year?

Well..... this is really unpleasant. After earning a PhD, and despite speaking fluent German and working in ETH, I am still considerred as much worth as a undergrad trainee in their eyes. And that discrimination is solely based on my nationality.

If it's any consolation, I was given an L permit when I first arrived, which was upgraded to a B permit in my second year here.

I'm an EU citizen, too.

Thanks for the consolation.

But I am not a EU citizen.

All men are born equal, some are born more equal than others.

I suspect you may have missed my point.

I am an EU citizen and still found myself in the same boat as you when I first arrived.

I see. Thanks!

Anyway, no use groaning about it. This is just the reality.

What type of employment contract do you have - it is most likely that the contract has determined your permit. Your L will be renewed assuming you are still employed at the time.

I got a one-year contract only. Don't know whether this is standard practice in ETH. This was probably the reason why they give me the L. However all the other postdocs got B.


Wanna thank everyone for tips and consolations.

My local deminde did that also, in the end i found out the woman on the " welcome" desk hated non swiss and always applied for a L permit instead of B, as people were supposed to get. She even denied they had any B forms and that you could apply only 1 time per year.. which was not true.

wait a minute. You mean it is the Kreisburo that decides which type of permit is being applied? I thought it depends on the employer.

What?! Can she do that?

i made a big complaint to the main office in ZH and i saw the copy of the form she filled in, she had selected L, with a full time contract it should have been B, also confirmed from the head office. They were not too impressed with the actions of this woman

1 year contract = L.

If others on the same contract got B then the mistake is with theirs, not yours .

I think this typical for post-docs in EHTZ. Zurich is just like that. In EPFL, however, you would get a B permit. Coming from EPFL, me and my wife were in a big shock when she got an L permit for her new post-doc at ETHZ.

That is terrible. It is rather insulting they make decision for you without telling you your legal rights, and that is hard to complain because they are the government guys. Feeling angry although I didn't experience this myself.