C permit after 5 years in Zurich only for certain EU members?

amaice · 4 October 2021 12:36

Hello, I am Hungarian citizen. After 5 years in Zurich my B permit expires and I was interested in requesting a C permit as I have the B1 German certificate.

I always thought that all EU citizens can apply for C permit after 5 years if in possession of a German certificate, and that some EU citizens like Germans, Italians, French don't even need the certificate.

I reached out to the immigration office and I was told that as a Hungarian essentially I need 10 years of residency before I can ask for C permit:

Staatsangehörigen von Ungarn kann die Niederlassungsbewilligung im Rahmen des freien Ermessens nach einem ordnungsgemässen Aufenthalt in der Schweiz von zehn Jahren erteilt werden, sofern sie in den letzten fünf Jahren ununterbrochen im Besitz einer Aufenthaltsbewilligung waren, keine Widerrufsgründe vorliegen und sie integriert sind. An den ununterbrochenen Aufenthalt in den letzten fünf Jahren werden vorübergehende Aufenthalte nicht angerechnet.

Has anyone been able to obtain C permit earlier even if not from the countries with special agreements with Switzerland?

evafrienni · 4 October 2021 12:41

See this thread here which I found by googling "switzerland c permit hungary" https://www.englishforum.ch/permits-...t-refused.html

leophillalo · 4 October 2021 12:41

Search for Vinta on the forum. There are a lot of threads about it.

Kalizaan · 7 October 2021 10:43

It is available as a Hungarian as well if you

1. Worked continuously in the last five years (1 day on Rav can crash the whoke thing)

2 Have B1 german certificate

It is important that you have to start an early c request, not a normal one. (The normal c request will be cancelled automatically)

nergi · 7 October 2021 17:58

https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home...c_eu_efta.html

C EU/EFTA permit (Settled foreign nationals) - Last modification 01.03.2021

If they meet the required conditions, nationals of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden as well as EFTA nationals (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) are granted settlement permits pursuant to settlement treaties or reciprocal agreements after five years’ regular and uninterrupted residence in Switzerland.

No such treaties exist for nationals of the other EU member states.

nergi · 7 October 2021 18:18

This seems to be the part of the law which allows for a C Permit (in German "Niederlassungsbewilligung"), for citizens not fortunate enough to be a citizen of one of the magic list of countries, before 10 years has elapsed.

https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/2007/758/de#art_34

3 Die Niederlassungsbewilligung kann nach einem kürzeren Aufenthalt erteilt werden, wenn dafür wichtige Gründe bestehen.

3 The permit can be granted after a shorter stay, if there are important reasons.

In the document called " Weisungen und Erläuterungen I. Ausländerbereich (Weisungen AIG) " of 1st January 2021, Section 6 explains what counts as "important reasons" ("wichtige Gründe"):

6. Vorzeitige Erteilung bzw. Wiedererteilung der Niederlassungsbewilligung aus wichtigen Gründen

Die Niederlassungsbewilligung kann nach einem kürzeren Aufenthalt als der in Ziffer 4. aufgeführten Aufenthaltsdauer wiedererteilt werden, wenn dafür wichtige Gründe bestehen (Art. 34 Abs. 3 AIG).

Wichtige Gründe liegen vor, wenn der Gesuchsteller die Niederlassungs-bewilligung schon früher während mindestens zehn Jahren besessen und der Auslandaufenthalt nicht länger als sechs Jahre gedauert hat (Art. 61

Abs. 1 VZAE).

Nebst den zeitlichen Voraussetzungen müssen die Integrationskriterien nach Art. 58a AIG erfüllt sein. 6. Early granting or re-granting of the settlement permit for important

important reasons

The settlement permit may be reissued after a shorter stay than the period of stay specified in paragraph 4. if there are important reasons for this (Art. 34 Para. 3 AIG).

Important reasons exist if the applicant has previously held the settlement permit for at least ten years and the stay abroad has not lasted longer than six years (Art. 61 para. 1 VZAE).

In addition to the time requirements, the integration criteria in accordance with Art. 58a AIG must be fulfilled.

Toacierver · 7 October 2021 19:04

I'm also a Hungarian citizen and never got to understand why would anyone need an early C permit. I would personally pay more taxes, so better to stay on Quellensteuer as long as possible...

Btw I know people who got it after 5 years without any problems.