Hi everyone,

First off, I am American and my Husband is Swiss. I applied for the B permit directly after marriage the second week in February. We got married in our canton, Zofingen. At the same time, I was offered a job. My employer called the Canton (Aagau) to see the processing of my B permit. I know that I will get a B permit, because of our legal marriage, so it is just the matter of time. The question is..do I have to wait to have the actual B permit in hand to work?? Can the Canton give me some kind of letter stating that it is being processed and I am legal. The canton of Aagau is backlogged and still working on 2009 permits. The HR manager of my new company called and said it is going to take 4-5 months. Really 4-5 months is so long for myself and the employer to wait. I thought the average wait time was 6-8 weeks (I am at 8 weeks now). I don't want the employer to choose another candidate over me, due to the processing wait time.

On another note, I leave for Punta Cana in May for my sister's wedding. I am getting scared, that without my B permit, I will not be allowed back in the country. On my passport, it would look like I am over my allowed time in Switzerland, as my husband and I got married on my tourist Visa. Should I go to the U.S. Embassy and apply for a new passport with my married name? If I do, I don't even know if it will come in time. Any help with both of these questions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

I am not sure about your B permit but as for the new US passport, I got my new one last month. When I applied, they told me that it would take between 2 to 4 weeks. It arrived in 10 days.

As long as you have registered with your gemeinde and you have the paperwork that says it is in process, you should be fine. I am also in Canton Aargau, and also American, and I was working before I had the actual plastic card in hand (and at least I think it was legal). The only difference between me and you, though, is that my permit was arranged for by my work (and not through marriage). I don't know if that matters or not...

As for your second question, I also left the country before I had my plastic permit in hand, but again, I had the paperwork that said it was in process (signed and sealed by the gemeinde), and the passport control people both in and out of Switzerland asked for it. He actually told me on my way out of the country that if I didn't have that paper, I would not be allowed back in. If you don't have this paper, just go back to your gemeinde and ask for it. Explain your situation, and they will provide it for you.

And I wouldn't get a new passport before you leave. Wait until you return b/c, for one, it will probably not be back in time. For two, you applied for your B-permit under the old passport and if you change your passport, the B-permit process starts all over again. The permit is issued under a specific passport number (not a specific name). I actually asked this question before I left the US b/c my passport will expire soon, and they said that if I renewed it now, then the whole visa application and permit process begins again (once the new passport is received).

If you have other questions, feel free to PM me about them (I thought this was getting a little long)... :]

Hi

As I know from myself (my husband is EU citizen), I could not work before my permit is issued. But I dont know the regulations for swiss people.
I also got a job in a company and the HR called the migration office. I think they can speed up the process since they have the right contacts. Anyway I could get it between 2-3 weeks. I could get it faster if at gemeinde they would tell me that i need strafregister (criminal record). So I needed to go there two weeks later, bring this document and it was issued two days after (in canton Zürich).
You can just write an email to migration office and ask about it.

Good luck..

Hi, you can start working straight away.... When I got my job, I was only given the entry visa on my passport... I came here, started working and I had 8 days- I think to go to the Kreis Buro and apply for a work permit... Kreis Buro then gives you this registration thing, that proves your stay in the Kreis. I got my work permit within a month although I was told it will take up to 3 months.

However, I wouldn't advise leaving the country without your actual permit. I don't think you can even go to another Schengen country untill you get the permit.

Apparently the permit by marriage does matter, and you cannot work before you receive it.

Please Help. Am I allowed to work?