Hi

I know this has been covered but the threads seem to degenerate and become confusing. Can someone confirm whether I'm right with the following.

The situation:
-I'm moving from London to Zurich shortly, my company has sponsored my visa. I'm good to go. I'll be there for 6 months.
-My girlfriend is going to move over with me, the intention is for her not to work.

So I think we have to:
-Call the Swiss embassy in London and apply for a visa
-Wait for that to arrive or come over to Zurich as a tourist until it does
-Come back to London to collect the visa
-Re enter Switzerland as a resident
-I also understand that she could get the visa sent elsewhere. She has family in Germany so that may be easier.

I understand I'll also need to arrange for her to get health insurance for the duration of her stay. Is there anything else I will need to do?

Thanks

It might help if you told us where you are from. Not everyone in the UK has a UK/EU passport!

Both live in London with UK passports.

No problem, just jump on a plane and the jobs done. I came here with no job and just applied for an Auslaenderausweis B permit which lasts for 5 years.

What so no need to apply in advance or anything?

Nice one.

Thanks.

Correct... I arrived over 3 years ago and as far as I am aware the rules haven't changed. Once I have been here 5 years, I can apply for a C permit.

Check out this site...

http://www.bfm.admin.ch/content/bfm/...u-17_efta.html

None of which applies to the OP's situation .

Also, if you arrived without a job, and got a 5 year B permit, then you came as the spouse of someone who did have an employment contract?

No, no need to do any of that.

This will depend on whether she is allowed to stay .

1. You will only get an L permit with a 6 month contract.
2. Your girlfriend has no reunification rights because she is not related to you
3. Without a job your girlfriend would normally be treated as a tourist i.e. max 90 day stay

However, it is not all doom and gloom. If you go to the local town hall with proof that you can support your girlfriend while in Switzerland (typically people have been quoted as needing 30K in the bank in similar situations) then she may be allowed to stay the full 6 months on a similar L permit. If she can get a job then it's much easier as she would be here as of her own right. This is not written in law and can even be effected by the whim of the town hall officials you talk to but it's your only realistic option.

See this is why I decided to post my own thread. There doesn't seem to be a concrete view on any of this.

@swissbob

I'm not worried about my work permit. My employer is sorting that out as part of my secondment. However, as it is only a short term secondment they won't have anything to do with my girlfriend's permit.

I had heard off someone who did something similar that he just took his girlfriend to the local authorities when she arrived and was told that he needed to cover her medical costs (insurance) and if she was asked to leave the country he would pay for her to do so.

I don't have 30k in the bank but financial security won't be an issue as my employer is covering all my costs (rent, bills, insurance) and giving me a decent sized living allowance on top of my current salary. So all I would need is to feed and insure her.

I'm glad to hear that it's not written into law as I've been looking everywhere for something concrete! I guess it will be a case of turning up on the day and trying to convince them.

Any more comments would be appreciated.

Hi
Seems like we got into the similar situation.
The difference is I dont hold the Uk passport but the UK Residence for 5 years as my husband is EEA/EU national. HE already got the contract and L permit and also has a contract set for 6 months.

He talked to Canton in Zurich and lady said usually when spouses apply from embassy of the residence country , they should be able to travel to Switzelrand as visitors and then go back to collect permit, and also she said even if we go there in person to Zurich it wont represent the problem for me to apply for dependant permit. So, as my husband said the goverment of Switz want clearer ways in Immigration system so they say we have to apply form residence country as imagine if eveyrbody comes freely to Switzerland and apply from there, we would all burden the offices and probably create a backlog of jobs for them to solve regarding permits. So I guess also from canton to canton you are about to apply with, not everyone is the same.
I was thinking that I should go with him as a visitor and go there for consultation as see if they will allow for me to apply from there if Not I will come back to London and then apply with Swiss embassy . I think I will not loose anything as I will go with him as a visitor and ask for the advice and consultation.
Its a bit confusing but I understand their system, they just want everything nice and clear and I agree but why do we have to wait for 6-8 weeks if I put all the essential documents in a front of their nose , and even though they are probably sending our applications furthermore to more than one authorities in the coutnry still should not take long. Seems like they r slightly faster than Uk but still not enough fast such as Germany for example.. they issue residence permits up to 1 month, Netherland even faster.
Doesnt metter, sometimes is better to change the point of view rather then the whole system

The op is not married. You are. So no similarity at all

1. You do not need a work permit - only a residence permit and your employer should not be involved at all. Your girlfriend does't need a work permit either.

2. You misunderstand my point. Your girlfriends right to be in Switzerland in the circumstances you describe is not written into law. The law says she does not have that right and if the official quotes this at you then you are stuffed .

Is my situation easier than as I am a spouse of EEA/EU national ?

Would you think I should give it a go and see myself in a person with a officials at the Canton in Zurich whether they can issue me with residence permit or not according to my husbands L permit ( I am non EU spouse of Eu without Entry visa required, already in possesion of EU member state's residency card)?

Thanks

Swissbob

Just had a word with her about this and when my girlfriend was looking into she saw this:

L permits without gainful employment are granted to job seekers from all EC/EFTA States. However, this practice does not create an entitlement to social insurance.

On here:
http://www.bfm.admin.ch/content/bfm/...l_eu_efta.html

Seems to say she can get an L permit for up to one year as a job seeker.

Good point. Yes, she can register as a job seeker - she may need to prove she can prove she can support herself and she will need Swuss health insurance.