Hi, I'm a Singaporean economics undergraduate studying in Singapore and I have a B1 proficiency in German.
I am interested in a 5-month internship in Switzerland. I have read through the forums and it was stated that to apply for an internship visa, I have to prove that the internship is compulsory in my degree program.
However, completing an internship is not compulsory for me to graduate. My school is able to provide a letter stating that internships are encouraged for students to aid in the learning process and provide a competitive edge when looking for jobs upon graduation.
Is there a way to obtain an internship visa in this case?
What about full-time employment after I have graduated? How easy/difficult would it be for me to find full-time employment in Switzerland? Taking into account that non-EU citizens will have the last priority in the hiring process.
Thank you.
What are you studying? Why Switzerland?
Anyway, it won ́t be easy. Have a look around here, loads of information on studying here and how to find a job
The answer to both questions is it’ll be difficult. Maybe you might be able to get an intern permit, but not being a required part of your course will again put you at the back of any queue for such permits.
Same for employment. The non-EU hiring criteria is here:
https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home…zulassung.html
The main point being not only do you need a degree but also several years of experience in your field. You won’t have that as a new grad.
I'm studying economics (Volkswirtschaft).
Oh well, guess this door is closed from the looks of it.
This one is quite simple: if it's not a mandatory/compulsory internship and your university/school is not willing to issue a letter to say it is mandatory/compulsory (even if it's strictly speaking untrue), you stand no chance to get a permit to do this internship, even if a company were willing to hire you.
Saying it's "encouraged" in a letter is not enough. It must contain the word compulsory or mandatory.
Full-time employment as a non-EU immediately after graduation with no experience is near-impossible too, unless potentially you are a highly sought-after specialist, but that's unlikely in economics.
You're better off looking elsewhere or gain sufficient professional experience in Singapore first (not such a bad place to be, really).