Okay, this is absolutely unbelievable.

Since mid-June, I've been having a nightmare trying to get a work permit processed for an unpaid internship. Let me repeat that, an UNPAID internship. I am non-EU and already in Switzerland, which have been at the heart of the problems with which I have been dealing.

To make a long story short, the most recent development (as a result of the changes made on January 1 2011) was that my employer and I needed to submit some more documents, one of which is a "letter of engagement to leave the territory after the end of the internship."

What the *&*%??

I want to continue applying for jobs (hopefully paid) during and after this internship. Does this mean that even if I get a job offer to begin shortly after the end of the internship, I am not able to accept it? Must I leave immediately after the internship?

Has anyone else been forced to sign this, and still been able to stay in Switzerland after?

*deep sigh*

Apparently they only do it for people who have i) ginger hair and ii) people who leave the country when they don't have their visa approved

That doesn't sound unreasonable. The permit is issued for a temporary period for your internship. After that you would need a new permit for visiting/job-hunting/work etc.

I don't know whether there is a set period that you have to leave for. It may just be a technicality.

I agree. These are the terms of THIS permit. If you want to stay you will have to apply for a new permit. Hopefully by then you'll have permanent offer.

Good luck.

Sounds fair enough to me. If you going to the U.S. and you casually mentioned that you were thinking of looking for a job, they wouldn't even let you in the country.

Apologies for the tone. Perhaps I should have taken a deep breath between finding out and venting on EF.

The thing that worries me is that now I am forced to sign a document that states that I will be leaving after the internship. But what if I receive another job offer to begin immediately after (which is the plan)? Will they deny me that opportunity based on this signed letter?

To me, it's kind of implicit that without a valid work permit, you need to leave unless you have another work permit processing. Why the need for this?

I have come across this in other countries and it is exactly as it stated. YOU MUST LEAVE after this visa is over. Then if you want to come back, you have to reapply outside of the country. More than likely you will not be given the same visa again. However, this is the term. Don't sign it, you don't get the visa. Sign it you get it but you must leave at the end, then re-apply for another one to re-enter.

This is a standard immigration procedure now to prevent people just swapping visa to prolong their stay.

No good complain about it, it is more or less standard in most of the European, USA etc.

No need to apologize. We get that it's frustrating. I'm sure that if you get an offer for a perm job with a company that will sponsor you that they will not trot out this paper. But I'm an optimist (when I'm not being pessimistic).

Yes they will. The law is in place to prevent this sort of thing happening - companies or individuals obtaining an easier internship or training permit and subsequently attempting to convert to a normal work permit without going through the standard procedures.

The permit you will receive requires that you have a break outside Switzerland before returning to take up employment. You will be subject to the quota system for the new employment.

The length of the break is not precisely defined but can be up to one year.

Are the rules any different in your home country?