All My Experience - Facilitated Naturalization

Visas, Permits, Passports and Naturalization
21
Thanks Kraft,

Well, i do have a solid job & have been paying good taxes, however they still contacted my references.

Does that mean, that they are doubting my marriage? Is it something I should worry about? Does this mean that for any reason they are finding my marriage not fair?

I am just confused with what you mentioned, not that I have something to be scared of or anything.

If anyone else can shed some light?

Best,

M

22
Hi M,

I did not mean that they check references if they smell something wrong in your application. It might be a very normal procedure in your canton as it changes conton by canton. FYI - I have been told that even if they fell something wrong in your marriage, they come and visit you and your wife at home and/or ask you two sign a decleration about your marriage.

I am sure all will be fine.

23
Thanks Kraft,

I think then it was just routine.

As far coming home, the cops have already been once.

Is it that they come for sign. again or what?

As for time frame do you have any idea? I started the procedure in Nov & the cops visited us in end of Jan. Last week all of my references sent the letters.

How much time should I expect???

Just want this thing to be over, whichever way it goes.

Thanks

M

24
my best guess is that you will join us by the end of summer :-)

25
Simplest thing (maybe not the easiest) is to take an exam in the local language. I took the Goethe Institute "German for foreigners (or some such name)" there are easier (lower level exams).

Once you have a certificate to wave around then nobody can argue with you about your language competence - if they do then ask to see their certificate of language competence

26
Hello folks,

I've read through the few posts on naturalization, but still have a couple questions.

I'm in Kanton Zürich, applied for facilitated naturalization in March, got letter from Bern telling me it'll take a whole life time for the process (ha ha), but in May I'm contacted by the Kanton with the common yellowy-orange form about my schooling and taxes, and recently I've been visited by the local police. Mine seems to be a pretty straight forward case.

Some of you are saying that your references were contacted and then had to write a ref letter -does anyone know if this is still accurate? Just wondering.

As of yet, no one's contacted me about an interview or language test. Do they call you out of the blue for a phone interview in Zurich?

Then, when it comes to the communal level (local Gemeinde) did any of you have your name/info made public? In the years I've been here, I've sometimes seen (in the local paper) a public call for the community to make objections (i.e. Mrs. Smith, born in Tokyo, 1950, now living Tälstrasse 23 Zürich is applying for citizenship. Any objection can be brought forward until June 2nd...).

Curious, curious system, isn't?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

27
May I ask what your qualification for facilitated naturalization is? I have a Swiss mother and have just begun the process myself (all the form filling-in and gathering the certified, recently issued legal documents). Just curious if your situation is similar.

28
About "a public call for the community to make objections" - so far as I understand this does not apply to facilitated naturalization cases.

29
I am confused, in Geneva, the first step to apply, was to fill in the yellow cardboard form and I also have to provide at the same time my documents stating how many years I have lived here, my tax document, my poursuites document and my acte de famille and 2 passport photos (one of my spouse and myself). The yellow document has all the questions including the references, there is also a white federal document which roughly asks the same questions. From what I read above, will they ask for more documents during the course of the investigation? Has anyone else done this process in Geneva?

30
I am also in Geneve and I have three multipage forms to fill in, the photos page and several certified documents to collect (and have translated!)...

31
Its facilitated. I have been married to a Swiss for four years ( i was also born in Geneva and have lived here for most of my life) I went with my friend who is in the same situation and it was exactly the same for her.We went in together at the OCP and we got a set of yellow documents, a set of white documents (the federal ones) and a green sheet stating the 4/5 documents needed to apply. Its just seems really weird since all the postings I do read seem to have a totally different process so i was wondering if it was a cantonale thing.

32
Maybe it's because you are applying based on marriage to a Swiss and I am applying based on having a Swiss mother?

It certainly does seem like a lot of documents to get and have translated (for me). Getting married in Jamaica seemed like such a good idea at the time... sigh.

33
I'm in Kanton Zürich, applied for facilitated naturalization in March, got letter from Bern telling me it'll take a whole life time for the process (ha ha), but in May I'm contacted by the Kanton with the common yellowy-orange form about my schooling and taxes, and recently I've been visited by the local police.

I was wondering above the post, it seems the poster applied and then received the yellow orange form. Is this a different form from the one we apply with...I am sorry, just really confused!

34
Sorry, meant to put the phrase in my previous post in quotes.

Even when the naturalisation is facilitated, there is a lot of stuff to be filled in....! I had to legalize my document proving that I was single and that was loads of fun to explain to the Indian consulate!

35
None of my documents can come from an embassy or consular office. I have to have them all issued from their point of origin and they have to be issued and certified within 6 months of my turning in my application. And in addition they have to be translated, because 1/2 of them are in English.

36
The document from the consulate was actually in preparation for the marriage and not for the naturalization. I should have added that to the posting.

37
Thanks for the response re: public objections. Hope you're right -seems like a cruel way to start citizenship otherwise.

***

To the other questions...

1. My naturalization is by marriage to a Swiss.

2. Re: Paperwork. There were two, white, multi-sided form bundles I filled out for Bern High Commission. In my case, there were no photos or many certificates -for the latter I only had to provide my Familienausweis (Family certificate which shows marriage and children born) and a copy of my current Permit. There were sections on my parents names&birth places, my previous employment&address (ever worked and lived), names of children (Swiss or otherwise), and 3 refrences (with address contact -curiously, no phone number needed).

The yellow-orange papers came from Kanton Zurich. A double sided one wanted more detail on my schooling (since Elementary), current employer or reason why not employed, and have I received any social benefits (i.e unemployment support) during my stay in CH. The next paper of the same colour was for me to take to my Gemeinde and get their stamp on what my tax-paying status was, and to get a current copy of my Betreibung status.

While that was in the process, the police gave us a surprise visit one evening and asked to see my permit, confirmed that we were actually living together (not just maintaining an address).

This has been my experience so far. Now that summer hols are coming up, I've no idea where my forms are in the process.

38
Thanks Havanah, in Geneva, we fill in the yellow document (which has lines for work, education, etc) as a starter point for the application for the procedure to start which includes well as the federal ones (the white ones) which is why I got a bit confused. Each canton really does seem to have its own system. I will let you know when I deliver my documents to the OCP hopefully next week.

39
Goodluck Pregny! I really thought it would take ages to hear anything back at all -especially since they are reportedly backed -up in Zürich doing this sort of paperwork. For example, I moved over a year ago and had to change the address on my permit, paid the money but have yet to receive a newly printed permit.

40
Interestingly enough having a swiss mother DOESNT mean you can have naturalisation. I still struggle with that .