I have been searching the forum about the following question but i have not been able to find a similar case.

I am a non-EU citizen (Canada) living in Lausanne and working at EPFL as a postdoc. I have been offered a job in Zurich. The company has already applied for the work permit (in Jan. 2014) but yet no news from the canton. This will be my first work permit in CH.

The problem: my current permit (permit B avec formation for EPFL) is valid only until the end of this week.

My questions:
1) What will be my status in CH once my permit is no longer valid?
2) Is it true that I can stay as long as my work permit request in under process?
3) Is there anyway that the process in another canton can be accelerated because of such a situation?

1) Tourist
2) Yes
3) No

Thanks for the reply. Do you know any reference for your answer to question 2? I mean a link to a webpage?

No, sorry, I don't, but I have seen reference to this in some threads here on the forum. To be sure check with your cantonal migration office. Hopefully, they'll sort things out in your 3 month tourist period anyway.

So, after talking to the HR people, they are telling me that they THINK that the file has been sent to Bern. The contact person in the immigration office in Zurich is sick (sighhhh) so no official confirmation about this!

Question: is it possible that the authorities in the canton send the file to Bern without officially informing the company?

I do not know in Zurich, but in the canton of Bern we always get information when the file is sent to FOM in Bern for final approve.

p.s. The final at FOM can be quite quick. Our experience is that it takes 2-3 weeks, if they do not need to further check your background.