Time for SEM to process C permit request

Visas, Permits, Passports and Naturalization
1
Hello everyone,

Does anyone have experience with waiting for the SEM approval for a permit request ?

In my case, I applied 2 months ago for a permit C anticipé. Two weeks ago, I received a letter stating that my request was approved by the Canton de Vaud and that my application was forwarded to SEM for federal approval. What should one expect in terms of waiting time for this step ? Is it a matter of a few weeks ? or rather Months ?

Thanks a lot in advance for any info!

2
Hello,

In my case it's been a month now, but still no news from SEM.

I would appreciate if you can update us if you get any news.

Thanks ☺️

3
Hello,

I received my C permit yesterday.

So in total, it took approximately 9.5 weeks.

~7 weeks for canton approval

~ 2.5 weeks for SEM approval

Faster than I expected !

4
Probably even less in terms of approval time, because the application can also sit for a while once approved at all levels before the permit is actually physically made and sent. Last summer I called migration after we waited for two months for my wife's permit, and was told "oh yeah, I see in the system that we approved it, and the SEM has also approved it three weeks ago. Permits approved on that date go to production tomorrow and so it should be ready by next week"

5
Hello Ziyep — I am curious, how did you go about requesting the C permit anticipé? Did you wait for the time when you were supposed to renew your B permit? Are you a non-EU citizen? And lastly, what documentation did you give to your commune?

Thanks in advance!

6
Hello, I simply called my commune on the phone and asked for how to proceed for a C permit anticipé. I am non-EU (from Africa) and studied here 5 years + worked here 2 years.

Long story short : at first the lady on the phone said they didn't know about the rule stating that after two years of employement on a long-term B permit, the years spent studying here counted for the early C permit.

Then after checking with a colleague they told me it only applied to EU citizens and that I needed to wait 8 more years to total 10 years on a regular B permit.

When I said that I found it weird and that it's not what I read in the law on foreigners, after checking for a while they told me that it should be 3 years on a regular B permit anyway, not 2

After insisting and citing the law, they told me that in any case it's not them that make the decision, that I could send them my early C permit request, and that they would simply forward it to the canton authorities.

Basically, when I asked them what was required they told me to send them an e-mail containing as attachements :

Motivation letter Passport Current permit Current work contract Last 3 payslips Certificates of no debts & no criminal record & no social help received Language certificate (in my case I provided a copy of my bachelor diploma since I studied here in a local language) I didn't wait for permit B renewal, I simly sent all documents by e-mail and I received a confirmation 2 weeks later that they forwarded it to the Canton. Approximately 2 months later I received my C permit in my mail box.

7
Hello, with what permit you were during these 9.5 weeks? Did you need to apply for B in parallel?

The rule says hat you can apply for C once your B is expired, but what do I do in between B expiration day until I received C? Being without permit?

8
Same rules as for B renewal. You can apply 3 months in advance.

9
You can apply before expiration as long as you fulfill the requirements. In any case, you need to have a valid B permit before starting the process. If you want to apply for C at the time of B renewal, then you don't need to worry about not having a valid physical permit, since your application is being processed. Same as when you wait to receive your renewed B permit. Even if for some reason your C application is denied, you will receive your renewed B permit instead (as long as you still fullfil the requirements for B).