Hello All,

I, like many others have some questions about Permits.

My husband has a C permit (EU- citizen) and I am getting my B permit soon. (US citizen)

I have 2 questions:

1. Currently I have an L permit and in the process of getting a B permit. Once I get my B Permit am I allowed to quit my job? The workplace is horrible and instead I would like to take full time German courses.

2. I would like to bring my mom from USA (US citizen). Is this possible and if so what would be the best way? She is 55 years old and does not recieve pension yet. (would be at 65). Can my husband ask to bring her since he has the C permit and it has more power? My mom is not married and perhaps she can be our dependant? Would showing something like 20-30K in the bank account help?


Thank you so much in advance!

1. If your husband has enough income this should not be a problem and your permit is not depending on your work.

2. 20/30K is not going to help you, having "double" of that as yearly amount to freely spend on her and proof of housing might.

Meloncollie has discussed this at length, but basically the fact that your husband is an EU citizen, doesn't count. It's your parent you're talking about and unfortunately the answer is only your spouse and any children you have under the age of 18.

https://www.ch.ch/en/family-reunification/

And as has been said many times before, is it really right to separate your parent from all that is familiar to them and plunk them down in an unfamiliar environment where they may not even be able to communicate with anyone but you?

As a US citizen she would also have continuing US tax filing obligations and restricted banking access here.

That is if they want to try this under family-reunification. Besides the practical problems, and the fact that this might be very costly in the long term if they can provide all the housing and money which according to the Swiss government is needed I do not think this is impossible. But the husband must have a way above average income.

Personally I am more surprised that the mom would want to do this, for me it would be a horrible thought to hold my hand up to my children for pocket money to be able to even buy a cup of coffee in town.

Her mom does not have much other chances to get and stay here, unless she finds a job here or has more than sufficient money.

Does your mom actually want to come here OP?

60k per year?! That's a hell of a lot of money to sustain a mother-in-law.

They would have to fully support her and the government does want to see a certain minimum amount of income and capital being available to do this.

Besides how hard it already would be to manage to do this, (there are rulings for elderly dependents for which she is to young) but it is not 100% impossible, but if she will not work they are supposed to show that they can financially support her for the rest of her life according to Swiss standards to avoid that she would be a burden on social security. So we might be talking of a total of millions in such case.

Several threads linked in this one all on the subject. I suggest the OP read them.

https://www.englishforum.ch/permits-...itzerland.html

OP, whatever you end up doing, please don't let your mother find out about this forum. We already have enough old ladies with way too much time on their hands making a mess of this place. Thanks.

I'm making a mess? Why did no one tell me!

well you seem to be one of them.

Yes she does want to come here since im her only family. If she was allowed she would like to work, im not sure if the visa she would get would allow her.

Visas don't allow you to work, residence permits may or may not.

Bringing a parent here would not allow her to work, if allowed at all (which is unlikely if not retired or independently wealthy).

Tom

Very true, but having "60k/year to freely spent on her..." is "a bit" too much, no?

Architec, take a look at this from the SEM:

https://www.sem.admin.ch/content/dam...nnachzug-d.pdf

EU/EFTA-Angehörige mit einer Aufenthaltsbewilligung EU/EFTA oder einer Kurzaufenthaltsbewilligung EU/EFTA (Arbeitnehmende, selbstständig Erwerbstätige, Nichterwerbstätige, Dienstleistungserbringende) können begleitet werden von:

o ihren Ehegattinnen oder Ehegatten und den Verwandten in absteigender Linie (oder denjenigen der Ehegattin oder des Ehegatten), die jünger sind als 21 Jahre oder denen Unterhalt gewährt wird;

o ihren Verwandten oder den Verwandten der Ehegattin oder des Ehegatten in aufsteigender Linie, denen Unterhalt gewährt wird (gilt nicht für Studierende)
und zwar unabhängig von deren Nationalität.

The interesting part is this (roughly translated):

"their relatives or relatives of the spouse in ascending line who are receiving support (not applicable to students) regardless of their nationality."

---

This seems to me to say that you might be able to go the EU route based on your husband's status. If so, you would have a much easier time. More on Familiennachzug for EU folks:

https://www.ch.ch/en/family-reunification-eu-efta/


Now - I know very little about EU permit issues, so I hope some the forum folks who do know this stuff will chime in and clarify.

Good catch MC, I haven't seen that document before. Here it is in English:

https://www.sem.admin.ch/content/dam...nnachzug-e.pdf

However, there may be a catch. It may be that your husband would already have to be financially supporting your mother in her home country.

"• Parents and grandparents, if they can be supported financially (if they need financial support, proof of support must be provided before entering Switzerland)"

https://www.ch.ch/en/family-reunification-eu-efta/

This is a new wording of the EU/EFTA rules and it also in the first document.

"o their own parents or their spouse's parents who receive support (this option is not available for students)."

So you'd need to check to clarify whether it means that you/your husband must be financially supporting her already or whether it just means he earns enough to provide that support once she comes here.

OT for a moment. I think the number of “old ladies” posting here is dwindling, and not because they’re dying off. And they’re not the ones making a mess of this place, either.

In what way are we "old ladies" making a mess of EF? And 55 is old?

Well said! I am one of these ladies who doesn't post much here any more, EF isn't the place it used to be.

This is one of those things that sounds great in principle, but in reality:

1. It will put immense strain on your marriage... what man really wants his mother in law living in the same house She will nag, she will interfere, she will get bored and irritable when she feels isolated and become like a limpet to you guys.
2. Everything will be new and unfamiliar to her and will likely stay that way to her for the rest of her life. She will likely never integrate or learn the local language this late in life. It's not impossible of course, but unlikely, and this will then go back to point 1.
3. You want to quit your job AND bring your mother as a financial dependent? To me it sounds like you don't give your husband much consideration.

Why do you really want her to move here? Does she have no friends? No job? Special needs? Can she not take care of herself?

This is really going off topic as far as visa questions vs my personal life, we have considered it all and have good reasons for wanting it. Also I can't get the job that I want without good German so that is my priority. Thanks for worrying though.



Thank you so much!

Architec, has your mother visited you here for an extended time?

If not, I'd suggest that as a first step. Before you start the permit ball rolling, have her come over here for three months, the tourist visit limit.

Living with you for three months - as in, sharing the daily grind auf Deutsch - might paint a different picture of life in Switzerland than what one sees on a holiday. Before you, your husband, and your mother commit to this it might be wise to do a 'trial run'.

Again, all the best.