Hello everyone,

My Masters course will start on 21/2/2012 in Switzerland and I submitted my Swiss student visa application on 22/1/2012 I was told the Swiss student visa process will take between 6-8 weeks. I would very much appreciate if anybody could tell me whether late applications are considered by the Canton of Bern or not. I know that I was late in applying for the Swiss student visa but I am really desperate to get an idea whether the canton of Bern would look at my student application or not. I do not mind starting my course late though.

Thank you very much guys.

Where are you from?

I applied for my student visa rather late (I'm from Canada), but was able to start my studies on time. I simply came to Switzerland as a tourist shortly before my classes started, while my visa was still being processed. I did not have to show my visa when registering at the university - nobody asked any questions, and as far as I have been able to find out, it's not illegal - either that or nobody cares about it. Then when my visa was finally ready I explained the situation to the embassy in Canada, and they sent it to Stuttgart where I could pick it up. (They couldn't send it to Switzerland, because in order to acquire a visa you can't be within the country.)

I study in Zurich, so I'm not sure whether they're as lax in Bern. But I had many, many phone conversations with the university's registrar office before arriving (since I was in a panic about the visa), and they told me it shouldn't be a problem.

And it wasn't!



Good luck!

Juliet

I had a friend who had a completely different experience. The Vaud authorities wouldn't issue a student permit because he came in on a tourist visa because the processing time for his student visa was too long, he is now facing a forced deportation. I think Juliet being from Canada and not from a third country worked in her favor, I don't know what nationality the OP is.

One thing is true: you cannot pick up your visa in Switzerland then go apply for the permit. If you choose to come in on a tourist visa, you need to go back to your home country to pick it up, or to Germany or something the way Juliet did if that is possible, and whatever you do, do not apply for the student B permit at the gemeinde until you have the student visa, even if you come in to start class on a tourist one.

My nationality is Jordanian. I believe Canadians have a different Panel and rules.

I do not want to apply for a tourist visa and get the student visa from there as this is another procedure for me to go through. All what frightens me is would the Migration office in Switzerland consider my application although I submitted my application late. I submitted my application on 22/1/2012 and my course will start on 20/2/2012. Officially, the visa takes 6 and 8 weeks and sometimes longer. I send them an email and they did not reply at all.

The best way to get any reliable information is to speak with someone directly. I phoned several times while waiting for a work permit to process (which ultimately failed, but that's a different story) and that's the only way I had any idea what was happening.

I'm not sure if there is anything that your university can do for you, but it can't hurt to check.