I am a 3rd country national with an L permit in Liechtenstein who recently got a job in Zurich.
Can anyone provide information about the process involved in getting a permit to work in Zurich. I know the company has to apply for the permit. It is a startup and I read that the permit applications are perhaps easier for multinational companies. The job was widely advertised and I know there were no EU nationals to fill the position. Is it possible to convert the Liechtenstein permit to a Zurich permit? I had to apply through Switzerland to get to Liechtenstein, so maybe there just needs to be a conversion done (not a fresh application - I don't know). I'm a bit nervous, what with the quota system and everything.
All help and information would be appreciated.
I am a student in Liechtenstein, to clarify my status.
An opinion: your Liechtenstein residence status (L) is not relevant to the Swiss authorities. It would be no different than if you held a temporary work/ residence permit in the Netherlands or some other EU/EFTA country and wanted to move to Switzerland for work as a third-country national.
The Swiss Authorities Online (ch.ch) says this about third-country nationals working in Switzerland:
"Working in Switzerland as third-country nationals
Non self-employed
If you are a third-country national who has been offered a job in Switzerland, your prospective employer must submit an application to the cantonal immigration or labour market authorities. If the application is accepted, it will be forwarded to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) for approval. The SEM will then notify the parties and the cantonal authorities of its decision, but this decision does not constitute authorisation to enter Switzerland.
If you require a visa, the cantonal migration authorities will send a visa clearance certificate via e-mail to the Swiss diplomatic/consular mission in your home country. You can then obtain the visa there. Within 14 days at the latest of your arrival and before taking up employment, you will need to register with the communal authorities in the place where you are living and only then can you begin work.
The following requirements apply to employment of third-country nationals:
Authorisation is only granted if established quotas have not been used up. Third-country nationals may only be hired if no one with equivalent qualifications can be found in Switzerland or in an EU/EFTA member state. Only managers, specialists and other qualified workers will be admitted. “Qualified workers” are primarily the holders of higher education qualifications (i.e. from a university or university of applied sciences) who also have specific technical expertise and several years of professional experience. Integration criteria will also be taken into account when issuing residence permits: ability to adjust to a new occupational and social environment, language skills and age. Salary and working conditions must also be equivalent to those that apply to Swiss inhabitants." https://www.ch.ch/en/working-foreign...-requirements/
If you have a Liechtenstein "L" permit as a student (without work permit) and as a third-country national, you are generally not allowed to work. If you are a student at the University of Liechtenstein, you could work up to 35% of the time if the work is relevant to your studies but only after applying for and receiving a work permit. An "L" permit is only granted for the length of the student's studies:
"Alle Staatsangehörige, die eine Ausbildung / Studium im FL nachgehen möchten. Die L-Bewilligung berechtigt zur Wohnsitznahme im FL für die Dauer der Ausbildung, wobei die max. Gültigkeitsdauer einer L-Bewilligung 12 Monaten beträgt. Vor Ablauf einer L-Bewilligung kann eine weitere L-Bewilligung beantragt werden, sofern die Ausbildung im FL noch nicht abgeschlossen ist."
"Nicht EWR- und Nicht CH-Staatsangehörige, welche Studenten der Universität Liechtenstein sind, dürfen ebenfalls einer Erwerbstätigkeit von max. 35% gemessen am Studium nachgehen, sofern die Tätigkeit einen Bezug zum Studium aufweist. Die Erwerbstätigkeit ist in jedem Fall bewilligungspflichtig."
As your L permit ends with your studies, you won't be eligible to stay in Liechtenstein.
Thank you for the information. I am aware of the 35% limit and also made the company aware of this.
As you have explained, I would need to apply for a work permit in order to work. In this case, who would issue the work permit? Liechtenstein or the Canton of Zurich? Also, would the cross border permit be applicable in this case?
I understood/ assumed that you had a job offer to work in Zurich following completion of your studies in Liechtenstein. If this is the case:
a. You will need to leave Liechtenstein at the end of your studies.
b. The Zurich company, making the job offer, will need to apply for a Swiss work permit for you.
c. Grenzgänger G permits can only be issued to a third-county citizen in a bordering country onl if this person has a permanent (dauerhaft) residence permit in the bordering country.
"Eine Grenzgängerbewilligung kann nur an Drittstaatsangehörige erteilt werden, wenn sie ein dauerhaftes Aufenthaltsrecht in einem Nachbarstaat der Schweiz besitzen und zusätzlich mindestens seit sechs Monaten in der Grenzzone wohnen."
Thank you for your replies. They've been quite insightful.
I guess it's up to the company to apply for a permit. I'm quite experienced in the field (about 12 years work experience). Fingers crossed it all works out positively in the end.
When do you finish studying? When is the job due to start?
Is it too late to switch your studies to Zurich and then work as a student there? This would improve your chances of attaining a permit following your studies.