I'm writing this question as it doesn't seem like there are too many posts on the short-term L permit.
In short, I accepted an internship position at a university and am wondering about the 1) processing time for the permit and 2) the chances it would get rejected.
Here's some information about me (Non-EU) and the situation: I just graduated with my master's in Applied Math with a focus in computer science (machine learning). The internship contract is for 8 months and the salary is fairly low but maybe comparable for an internship (< 50,000/yr). The start date is also Dec 1st, but I plan on moving over there earlier around Nov 7th. The internship is in Lausanne.
So anyways, given that it is already August and I am Non-EU, what do you think my chances are of getting the permit in the first place as well as my chances of being able to fly over in time?
Likewise, are L permits generally easier to get and also granted faster compared to B permits?
Your university will have a better idea on whether they can get the permit. Yes, that's a very low salary, but I assume you will take shared student accommodation to keep your living costs very low...
And NO, you cannot move over until everything is approved - normally within 3 months from whenever the documents were correctly submitted....
So if you decide to come earlier, make sure you have quite a substantial amount of 'pocket money' to cover your initial living costs - up to two months until you get paid (here we are paid at the end of the month) and if you want to book a flight, make sure it's fully transferable in case your permit does not arrive...
And don't quit your day job until you are sure you have it all approved....
Immigration might require your employer to revise the contract to 4 months instead of 8. Up to 4 months, employers don't have to follow the order of priority, and IIRC it also doesn't count towards quotas. My wife's internship was originally planned for 6 months, migration said no, we'll only approve 4 months, for those reasons.
Permits are slow to be approved these days. Your employer shouldn't wait to apply if they hope you can start in December. Be prepared that you might have to start a bit later. The permit, you'll get once you're here and are registered, but you need at least the notice of approval and the Visa D before you actually travel, otherwise you might have to go back and collect the visa. Particularly if it ends up being four months, depending on the canton (I don't know how they do it in Lausanne), the permit and visa can be one and only (I.e. You only get something printed in your passport and are not issued a card format permit), in which case it cannot be delivered in Switzerland, only at the Swiss representation in your country. So I'd be very careful about arriving before you get the visa.
About the salary, consider that 1 year income of PhD researcher is around 40-55K before taxes. If it looks low it's simply because intermediate jobs in universities is not the place of good income, even in CH.
Thanks for the information. So I have a question then: if the authorities only approve for 4 months, then could the employer just extend the L permit to the original contract length of 8 months after getting approved? That seems like a big flaw in the system, though.
I thought that once your VISA gets approved, you can begin work even if your permit has not been received. Granted, this might mean that I would have to work remotely in the US but then as soon as I can stamp my passport, I can move to Switzerland. Is there any truth to that?
Time line: Permit gets approved You submit visa application Visa is approved You move over and register residency Permit gets activated, and you are allowed to work. You get invite for biometrics You get the permit card (which is not THE permit but only shows that you have a permit) AFAKI for short stays of less than 6 months no permit card is issued (too much bureaucracy).
Regarding the first two bullet points, can they operate in parallel? As in, can I submit my visa application before my employer handles stuff on their end? Or do I have to wait until my employer gets the permit (wouldn't this take 3+ months)?
You shouldn't need to apply for a visa. The final notice of approval for the permit is a document issued to the Swiss representation abroad (with your employer and you Cc'd) instructing them that a residence permit is approved for you and that they therefore should issue you a Visa D. From then you just go to the embassy or consulate to get the visa, which shouldn't be too long. They might need some additional document, or need you to make an appointment, or take some time in actually putting the visa in your passport but we're talking days, not months like for the permit application.
In cases where you'd apply yourself, and not the employer (which is not your case), it's inverted, you apply first for the visa with all the documents required both for the visa and the permit, and the Swiss representation forwards that to immigration in Switzerland. But when the employer applies, you don't have to contact the embassy until after the permit is already approved.