Unemployment benefits, B permit, Entrepreneurship

Visas, Permits, Passports and Naturalization
1
Hello! My partner (B permit holder from the EU) has been thinking a lot about leaving his current job but there are some unemployment (Chômage) related questions to which we cannot find answers to. Maybe any of you have had some experience and potentially some answers 🤞🏻

1. Is there any penalty on your unemployment benefits if you resign as opposed to being fired? In the forum it says 30days to 3 months but what does it depend upon?

2. Can you start entrepreneurship while on unemployment benefits? If so, are there certain limits when they stop paying you?

3. Is there any impact on your unemployment benefits if you move from one canton to another?

4. Is your B permit automatically prolonged or you’re given C permit (if the timing allows) even if you are on Unemployment benefits or could there be issues with this?

5. Would having received unemployment benefits have a negative impact on your application for Swiss nationality?

Thanks a million in advance in case you have an answer to at least one of the questions 😊

2

  1. Depends on RAV since they decide how long to penalise you for.

  2. No, you’d either need to start a company immediately and not claim unemployment or claim and be available to take any job offer you get that’s reasonable.

  3. Shouldn’t be any changes.

  4. That depends on how likely it is you’ll get a new job. RAV becomes your employer when you’re claiming so it’s up to them to decide whether to apply to renew your permit. And course you need to meet the requirements to do that, i.e. language proficiency, integration.

  5. Not in the long term since it’s not social assistance. But obviously wouldn’t try applying for citizenship while unemployed.

3
1- Most probably 60 working days. They don't like quitters.

2- There is an in between, you can try to work as freelance on your name, without setting up a company, and then declare this income to chomage which they will use to deduct from your unemployment insurance. However, if you earn even 1 more CHF than your chomage salary in a month, then they kick you out, because you become self sufficient.

3- When you change the canton, you will immediately lose your unemployment benefits. Then you need to go to the new unemployment office, declare yourself as resident, give your payslips again, etc. etc. The whole process starts from scratch. In the end you will get paid, but with probably 1-2 months of delay. It is called "Caisse Cantonale" for a reason...

4- Depends who the primary permit holder is. If the person getting the unemployment benefits is the primary permit holder, than you can be denied for permit renewal. In that case, make sure you change the primary permit holder before renewing. C permit application is another issue, because if I remember correctly, there is place in the form where you are supposed to get a stamp from your current company. You cannot get this stamp when you are unemployed. And people get rejected for C permit when they don't have a job.

5- Today, with the new law, you can apply for citizenship even when you are on chomage, they will accept it or not is another question. But unemployment is an insurance, not assistance; you pay it from your salary each month to be able to claim it if needed. Main issue with the chomage is its end date. Thus, the question of income at the naturalisation phase will be: what happens when your chomage finishes? Are you going to be able to support your family in Switzerland or not.