I know it's a bit of an unusual case but anyways: I had a C permit in Switzerland and when I left did I follow the process to "park" it - to be reactivated when I come back within four years. Or so I thought.
I cannot find any information on "my" cantonal website, but both federal as well as any other canton seems to say "up to four years". I am away for three now and for family reasons considering to return... so talked to my former Gemeinde who to my surprise told me "We checked with the migration office and they said your C expired last year".
Is the "up to four years" of parking your C something "flexible" the migration office can freely decide on or a clear cut right?
It very much depends on why you left CH in the first place, 4 years is the exception rather than the rule. When I enquired they wanted to know exact dates etc & the acceptable reasons for leaving were very slim.
Did your gemeinde/commune actually tell you it was okay to do so or did you just go through the process without checking? The usual, accepted reasons are few: being sent abroad by your Swiss employer, military service or further education. For any other reason, the default answer is “no” and you have to make your case for being put on hold. If you didn’t do this, the application probably wasn’t accepted and the C permit expired on its due date.
I went through the process and the Gemeinde said it's ok. (It was the "sent abroad by Swiss employer" case). On a second thought am I actually sure that it wasn't the Gemeinde but the cantonal immigration authority. Turns out it was apparently ok for three years, not four and I am surprised by this as I remembered four. I did not understand that this is a case by case assessment, but rather a "you can go up to four years" rule.
I will still clarify this with the immigration office as I do not expect a city hall employee to know the details of these cases...
Well, they should have informed you if they only agreed to 3 years. Was the contract abroad extended at all?
Up to 4 years is just that. It could be, but it’s not guaranteed without prior approval for that period of time. Very much case by case, depending on each applicant’s circumstances.
It's probably deep in the paper works and I just remembered 4 years. Thanks god am I an EU national and can just come and get another B then... did not plan to buy a property or machine gun any time soon... (which were the two tangible upsides of the C I found.)
Well, you never needed a C permit to buy property here anyway.
" EU/EFTA citizens
As an EU/EFTA citizen living in Switzerland, you enjoy the same rights as Swiss citizens when it comes to buying real estate, meaning you do not need a permit."
And stashing it? That's actually a very interesting question but since I don't have one and did not really intend to buy one... not really important. And even then - a German I know in Switzerland wanted a license for his guns to import them when he moved to Switzerland. "But that's just a hunting rifle?!" Apparently does anything below assault rifle not really count.
When you are living here the 'C' permit is valid for 5 years, then you are checked out again for extreme crimes and employment, and usually the permit is renewed. But you were not here, so it didn't get renewed. I think your Gemeinde means that you were here for 2 years, and then after you were away for 3 years the 'C' permit lapsed. Tough, but a 'B' permit isn't too bad, or is it?
(Edited to make the post clearer, the permit 'C' lasts 5 not 10 years, I've been here too long!)
I recently acquired a c permit and I need to renew it after 5 years not 10. Also didn't have to undergo any criminal record checks and I was on RAV when it was granted.
Same here, never had a C permit that lasts for 10 years. We renew every 5 years and have done since we changed from the B permit back in 2003. Last renewal was in 2013 and date for the next one is in 2018.
I am sorry, but that's a completely misinformed post. Do you actually get what the others are talking about? I am not "going away" with a valid C permit, I legally deregistered and left Switzerland. But in order to not lose your C on the spot can you inform the authorities that you intend to come back after some years and according to the law can your C permit be renewed if you are less than four years away.
Looks like this duration is a case by case issue and I can well imagine that they tried to send me a letter which did not arrive (I changed address and not every country forwards your mail for years like Switzerland does...). At the same time does it look like the last upsides of the C permit are watered down to EU-B permits anyway... except of said assault rifle. So I think I will in case we decide to move back simply ask for it and clarify it with the migration office, but in the end does it not make a difference as it seems the EU B is good enough to do professionally whatever I want and even buy property if I feel like it. Or am I missing anything?
I stand corrected, the Permit 'C' is issued for 5 years in Fribourg not 10.
The tax records, criminal records and debtor's register are of course checked without your knowledge. If you have no income, ie without RAV payments, your permit renewal could be refused, as they don't want you to live on social security. Here they take about 10 days to check you out, and the bill is about Sfr 70,--
If you left, and parked your 'C', it will lapse when it is 5 years old. Maybe they wrote to you, maybe they didn't, but it seems yours has lapsed now. Anyway, you should get a 'B' when you return if you were a good boy (around question 7 they ask if you have a criminal record) and apart from paying your taxes, buying the gun, and a few other things, you won't notice much difference (Of course renewing the 'B' will be every year).
The situation has probably changed a number of times since Sbrinz came, but I've just noticed that there is a number of excellent guides in English, for EU nationals in Switzerland, on the web pages of the Federal Office of Migration, which explains all this stuff. One is even called "Living and Working in Switzerland" (and it is not by David Hampshire - or at least he is not acknowledged)
For those, like me, who have not already seen it, its
The difference now is with the new citizenship law you must be on a C permit ti apply, if you are at all interested, and in some places C permit holders can vote on municipal elections, if you are at all interested.