Hello Everyone,

I ve heared that switzerland has granted 450 L permits and 50 B permits, anyone here from croatia that has already tried to get any of them? Or anyone at all that know the possibility and procedure to get them? Thx in advance.

The procedure is the same as for any other non-EU national, get a job offer which is approved by the Swiss authorities.

"The admission of Croatian nationals to Switzerland is therefore still subject to the provisions of the Foreign Nationals Act (FNA). From 1 July 2014, Croatian nationals will be subject to separate quotas (outside those for third state nationals) on access to the Swiss labour market. These quotas comprise 50 one-year B permits and 450 short-term L permits."

http://www.bfm.admin.ch/content/dam/...ts/fs-hr-e.pdf

As stated in the linked document the Free Movement Agreement doesn't apply to Croatia and won't for the foreseeable future.

To be able to employ a non-EU national here employers have to prove they can't find a Swiss, EU national or someone else already living here with a valid permit who could do the job.

https://www.bfm.admin.ch/content/bfm...zulassung.html

Thx a lot, i had trouble of finding proper sites to see what i need to do and still didn't get reply on email i sent to embassy. One more question: If i have family( my father) there that works there for 10+ years and has C working permit is it easier to get papers then normally?

Unfortunately no. You're an adult and the fact he has been here for so long means nothing. Only spouses and dependent children under 18 would be eligible for a dependent's permit.

Right thank you very much for your time and help.

Basically i could get in trouble if i do babysitting or anything without a contract in switzerland and i get "caught" before i get working permit and allowance to stay in country?

You're welcome. Good luck with finding a job here.

Thank you... Thread can be closed.

Depends on who you're babysitting for. If you're here on a holiday visiting your father and babysitting a nephew/niece for a few hours now and again, no.

But if you plan to come here and babysit professionally then yes, because you're working here illegally. You would need a proper employment contract and your employer would have to go through the non-EU hiring process to show they couldn't find someone else to do the job.

If you're thinking of doing something like au pair work then you have to be placed through an approved Swiss agency.

"The Law on Foreign Nationals, in force since 1 January 2008, has introduced the following changes:
Au pairs from third countries (e.g. USA, Canada, Thailand, etc.) can only receive permits if they are placed through an agency which is approved and licensed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Currently there are only few such agencies specialising in the placement of au-pairs (e.g. pro filia). However, we expect the number to increase throughout the year. Au pairs may now be placed only if they are between 18 to 25 years old.

Placement through an agency is not necessary if employing au pairs from EU/EFTA countries. The age range for au pairs from EU/EFTA countries remains between 17 and 30 years of age. Au pairs from "old" EU or EFTA member states (e.g. France, Spain, UK, Norway, etc.) receive their short-time residence permit or residence permit after presenting a work contract and registering themselves with the communal authorities. Au pairs from the new EU member states (e.g. Poland, Slovakia) still require a residence permit from the cantonal authorities."

Here's more info on what's required for both au pairs/domestic helpers and their host families.

http://www.perfectway.ch/en/for-families.html

Wow, great to have someone who knows the law so good thank you once again.

Does anyone know what is current status for croatian citizens on getting a work permit or visa to stay in switzerland.

Are we still counted as non-EU country?

Is it possible just to find a company that would sponsor you or we need special qualifications to be able to get a permit?

From ch.ch:

Here is the fact sheet:
https://www.sem.admin.ch/dam/data/se...ts/fs-hr-e.pdf

So in meantime nothing has changed?

I dont quite understand how it works. Are we still in the same basket as non -EU countries or we can actually get working permit even if employer can find someone from swiss or EU?

As i understood i dont need visa to stay in country? Is it just on certain period or i am able to move to switzerland and stay there while trying to find a job?

I'm no expert, Google is my friend.

https://www.eda.admin.ch/content/cou...timmungen.html

Its not too hard to find that but some info are not fully explained, atleast i dont understand.

From what i understood here i can go to Switzerland for up to 3 months just with valid passport. But if i intend to take up on employment i can just apply in vienna for visa.

And for me that would mean its not that hard to get working permit for croatian citizens if you can find company that would employ you.

As for au pairs are we still considered as non-EU country and age range is up to 25 years or we are considered as new eu country and age range is up to 30 years but still require a residence permit from the cantonal authorities?

As I understand it, a primary difference between immigration rules for Croatian citizens and non-EU citizens is that Croatians have their own permit quotas (namely, 50 B and 450 L permits). Otherwise, "the admission of Croatian nationals to Switzerland is therefore still subject to the provisions of the Foreign Nationals Act (FNA)":

https://www.sem.admin.ch/dam/data/se...ts/fs-hr-e.pdf

You are able to be here as a tourist for up to 3 months and there's nothing to stop you job hunting while you're here. But any employer would have to go through the non-EU hiring process to be able to hire you, i.e. they have to prove they can't find a Swiss/EU national who could do the job. For hiring purposes Croatians are still non-EU nationals as far as the Swiss are concerned because the protocol wasn't signed due to the Feb 2014 vote.

https://www.sem.admin.ch/dam/data/se...ts/fs-hr-e.pdf

The non-EU status applies to au pairs as well.

As far as a visa goes, here's how I read/interpret it. If you want to come here to look for a job for 3 months, you don't need a visa. If you then find a job that will have you here for more than 3 months, you'd need to go back to Croatia and get the visa.

The link I posted above to admin.ch implies that Croatians are considered as non-EU for hiring purposes, but have their own separate quotas. If I'm understanding correctly, that means an employer has to prove they can't find a Swiss or EU citizen for the job.

I can't answer the au pair question. Someone else more knowledgeable or with better links can. Or you can contact perfectway, as they are one of the recognized agencies. The link is above in Medea's post.

Edit - Medea and Mullhollander type faster!

Once again thank you

I was hoping that something has changed in the meantime but i see its still hard to get a working permit if u are not a specialist for something.

It's not going to change any time soon either. Until the EU/Switzerland sort out what to do regarding the vote to curb immigration from the EU, it's unlikely anything will be done about Croatia's situation on the Swiss side. And with the EU itself on the brink of collapse due to the migrant crisis the entire question may turn out to be pointless.

Yeah thats unfortunate

Do you know by any chance if i already had papers to get visa since i was under 18 and my dad was the holder of C permit and still is since he s working there over 10 years now, does that change anything or its useless? We canceled the process in the meantime since i decided to move back to croatia.