Opinions even* ?
I'm especially worried about not being in any clubs etc..
*classic example of fool rushing in where angels fear to tread - esp on a Friday evening
Suggestions, anyone......?
For me, this is a tough one because I generally avoid clubs even under the best of circumstances. I look around here and think "I should join a club" but the closest I've done is join the local fitness studio.
Suggestions:
1. Improve your French. Not just in the "trundling along" way, but with gusto and determination, with the same burst of hard work you would do if you suddenly found out that keeping your job was dependent upon your passing an exam in your field. Elsewhere, I think you wrote that you and your child(ren) are going on a trip this summer school vacation, and that they speak French. Ask them to teach you French. Pay them, if need be. Do your homework with them. During the vacation, make your "with daughters home French class" obligatory, twice a day, at least 30 minutes. They are old enough to understand that your improving your French is a contributory factor to the long-term safety of all family members. Take responsibility for doing homework and learn really hard between lessons, to impress your children each subsequent day.
2. Go ahead and join a club or group or organisation. You can usually find a list of them at the municipal offices, or online. Look at the ones local to your home, near your work, and all along your commuting route. If you can't find a club you want (= no interest in anything they offer), see if you can become active in any club in which your daughters participate. Or could start participating. This includes helping out at their sport or music events, putting out the chairs, cleaning up afterwards, something that makes you visible.
3. In the motivation letter, state whatever is true about your wish to continue living here. No sugar-coating, but explain truthfully something of what you like about Switzerland, what you perhaps didn't know to start with but have now come to understand and appreciate, what you embrace fully about the way things are done here.
Examples could be: stable and good schooling for your children, public transport for your daily commute, feeling safe that your children can use that public transport too, hope for their growing up to be strong women who have rights of self-determination, transparent Swiss systems with direct online access to the laws, rules and procedures, and with checklists, fair working conditions with proper social security deductions, general safety of living, polite and quiet neighbours, an honest landlord, and a general sense of order. Remember: whatever you name, that you appreciate, will show something more about who you are and how you conduct yourself in your Swiss environment.
If it is your personal truth, also state that you feel this is the place you call "home", in addition to - and in many aspects of every-day life even more than - your country of origin. Or that you can imagine growing old here.
I've been thinking about the clubs. In some ways, joining clubs when, in fact, you don't really want to do so, is a fake exercise only to demonstrate that you're integrating. Then going along can be a drag.
This morning I remembered a story my German teacher told me, long ago, of an immigrant man who (like you, DantesDame) didn't like clubs at all, and didn't feel particularly interested in any of the subjects of the clubs in his town. Even so, he obtained the list of clubs and re-arranged it from the least likely for him (about which he knew least, or in which he had the least interest) down to the most likely. He started at the top of his list, and went along to them, one by one.
There he declared, completely openly: "In my country of origin, the social life of a town is not really based on clubs. By nature, I am not really a club kind of person. At least, not in my experience up till now. Now that I live here, and keep hearing that clubs are important, I've decided that I want to learn how things work here; I want to understand local Swiss life. That's why I'd like to visit your club, please, even though I don't understand much about what you're doing. I'm sorry I don't speak better German, but if I may, please, I'd like to come along every week and learn from you. Please teach me how you run your club, and of course about THIS-CLUB'S-INTEREST."
Then he persevered with all sorts of activities he might otherwise never have done: knitting, model trains, cooking, jazz dance, cycling, repairing, playground maintenance, yoga, woodwork, the local museum, etc., etc. At each club meeting, he was polite, participatory rather than a mere observer, ready to learn, and always doing his best to speak German and to avoid resorting to English.
When he could no longer stand a particular group or their interest, he brought along a cake to the club evening, and as they shared it, thanked the club members for having let him join in for those few weeks or months.
Then he moved on to the next club. Repeat. Repeat.
He kept telling everyone that he was doing this to learn about local life, he told them which clubs he'd already tried out, how well he had been well received (this is almost guaranteed if it is an "interest group" club, because such people nearly always welcome others who share or would like to know about their special interest) and how grateful he was that people had taught him what they did, and how much he had learnt, (maybe also how much he had laughed at himself) and how much his cultural understanding and his German were improving as a result.
His everyday life in his town improved, because it is affirming to be greeted with recognition in the Migros or at the bus-stop.
In his Gemeinde, naturalisation of foreigners was done by vote of the locals. By the time his vote came along, dozens of people already knew him (as the polite, helpful man who was truly working on his integration) so of course, it went in his favour.
Having done a lot of (internet) research these past two days, i share my understanding, for the benefit of all members:
CLUBS : I have not come across a single mention of these in any of the pertinent (revised) laws.
and
For Permit C based on good integration:
1. Law abiding
2. Learning a national language
3. Participation in Economic life : Job / education
4. Encourage all other family members to integrate
For Naturalization, not a 'mere' Permit C, the additional integration requirements are:
1. Knowledge of Geography, History, Politics - there will be a formal test
2. Participate in Swiss cultural & social life - could be clubs, but not necessarily, and only.
3. Have contacts among the Swiss population.
The above three may need to be confirmed in writing by a Swiss citizen. (Vouching)
Note : All or any of the above may be 'diluted' at the discretion of the authority in case of exceptional family duties.
HTH.
Question: is the motivation letter welcome regardless of the type of permit or it can be perceived negatively / waste of (their) time / overkill ?
Thank you very much, doropfiz for posting that story. It is a good one. Being in Basel, I am sure that there are no end to the variety of clubs on offer. I guess I should just buckle down one of these days and look at them more carefully.
I doubt that the FB Boardgame group counts
Hi!
Sorry if this is hijacking the thread, I could start another one but figured this would be less annoying, let me know if otherwise, please.
I'm an EU B-permit holder living in Vaud. My permit expires October 21st (after 5 years of living here continuously employed by the same company who wanted me to come over and helped me get my permit initially).
I had to call "contrôle des habitants" today to announce them a change of address within the same city (Lausanne), and took advantage of the call to ask them what the process would be to renew the permit. They said they would send me a letter beginning of September and then I would have to go there with some documents to renew it, but it would be straightforward. So far so good. I then asked whether my permit would be "automatically" upgraded to a C, they paused a moment (guess they were checking my file) and said yes, it would be.
Now the questions: will it really be that easy? And, more importantly, why would I want a C permit?
I'm aware that it would allow me to buy property, which I'm not interested in for the foreseeable future (nowhere near having enough savings for a down-payment in this area), and that it might shorten my wait for an eventual Swiss passport, which I'm not interested in applying for. So no advantages there for me. On the other hand, I would go from "impôts a la source", which is incredibly convenient and what I'm used to (coming from Spain where it works like that for everyone), to having to hire an accountant for at least a year to teach me to sort out my taxes myself. Would I at least pay less taxes?
Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for your help!
Wonderful! You already have all the answers !!
Except for the taxes ....
If you own a house and spend on repairs, or have very high medical bills, you MAY end saving a bit. But then, it totally depends on your individual situation (married, kids etc etc..), and you can work it out with an accountant.
Hello,
Does anyone have a german motivation letter already written, so I could take some ideas?? My husband and child will receive C this month, they told me that I have to write a motivation letter otherwise I will receive B, and have to wait to March (I came in March 2013) to apply again, I have already spent some money in the papers, and having a C right now would open more possibilities to apply to other jobs, I'm work part-time (30%) and would like to apply for other jobs.
thank you
@Safira
you have already listed one of your motivations: employment possibilities. Now, try to phrase that so that the emphasis is on "contributing to society".
If you received the news, today, that all your permits had been cancelled, and you had to leave Switzerland within 60 days... what would you miss, what would make you shed a tear if you thought of never seeing/having/experiencing it again? If you imagine returning to some other country in which you lived, what seems bad about that, what about the way they do things there, makes your heart sink? If you think about your husband and child... in what way would it be good for them if you, as a family, all have the C-permit? Can you explain how rooted you are here? Is your German at the level it should be? What can you bring to your town, and the people around you?
I hope these ideas help you to distill what your own, particular motivation is. Any letter you write must be about how you feel.
Perhaps a silly question but...
Is this to be written in a local language or is English OK?
In a local language may enhance your "intergration profile".....maybe
Hochdeutsch would probably be better.
They expect you can write on A2 level.
I know this is old, but:
Unemployment benefits (Arbeitslosenentschädigung/ chômage) is NOT social help (Sozialhilfe / Aide sociale) and it is your good right to apply for it (if eligible). Neither are IV/DI, nor AHV/OASI considered as social help but.
Unemployment benefit, IV/DI, AHV/OASI are all social insurances for which you have to pay before you can get anything https://www.ahv-iv.ch/en/Social-insu...-insurance-ALV
Social help (a.k.a social assistance) is a last resort help when everything else fails and none of the social insurances has to pay (or does not pay enough).
Of course, I just doubt that A2 level of writing can produce much "impactful" content.
I do agree however that writing in German (high) will show that integration part more meaningfully.
In Kt ZH there is still only a formal list for the early C as it was mentioned previously (3 yrs ago) in this thread.
We've posted our requests through the Kreisbüro in Zürich, they wanted all those papers in a return mail, we filed them and...:
- SO and kid got the C just two weeks after submission in the post
- Mine is still pending 10 weeks later (we are unmarried)
I'm a bit afraid to escalate this, but I'd like to apply for new property rentals and I'd love to get rid of taxation at source... what was your lead time to get your permits after you applied?
A question about the impact of early application for C, or even renewing a B, or applying for a C when possible, or Swiss Citizenship when possible.
Case:
Person in question is non-eu, married to eu who has "c" already. unfor. she had cancer, and, had to go on sick leave since feb. company has requested her to file this form:
Hier sende ich Dir den Link bezüglich der IV Anmeldung:
So the question is: will this impact her ability for Swiss Citizenship when she qualifies? What about "C" or "Early C" .. etc.. etc..? Or this is not considered social aid, or whatever they consider as a hard no?
Thanks in advance, helpful answer for a situation that just arose...
Thanks,
inZug.
IV is not social aid.