Permit C Question

Visas, Permits, Passports and Naturalization
1
Long time lurker - first time poster. It is a great forum and I really found it useful over the past few years.

I have been in Switzerland for 5+ years. Non-EU (Non US/Canada). All in the beautiful canton of Vaud and with the same employer. First 1.5 years was on L permit followed by 3.5 years on B permit.

I inquired the foreign office in Lausanne if I am eligible to apply for an early C permit on completion of 5 years. They replied last year positively.

However, recently I received a letter stating that only years on B count. I am a bit lost as there is conflicting information out there.

Is there anybody with similar experience.

Have a nice evening!

2

For early B (either due to citizenship or good integration) you need need 5 uninterrupted years on B. Why? Because stay on permit L is considered as temporary, and temporary stays do not count (exceptions apply).

See SEM Directives 3.5.2.1: https://www.sem.admin.ch/dam/sem/fr/…ngen-aug-f.pdf

3
The rules changed a couple of years back.

4
A decade and a half or 15 years.