3.1 Erstmalige Erteilung einer Kurzaufenthalts- und Aufenthaltsbewilligung (Ausweis L und B) (First issue of short stay and residence permits (Permit L and B)
Gesuch A1 (Rückseite durch Arbeitgeber ausgefüllt und unterschrieben) (Application form A1 (reverse side completed and signed by employer)
Kopie Arbeitsvertrag oder aktuelle Arbeitgeberbestätigung, woraus das Arbeitspensum sowie die Anstellungsdauer ersichtlich ist (Copy of employment contract or current confirmation by employer, showing the weekly hours of work and length of contract)
Kopie des gültigen Reisepasses oder der gültigen Identitätskarte (Copy of valid passport or valid ID card)
We moved here from another canton and there didn't appear to be anything different to the registration process elsewhere.
I grew up in rural Ireland and then the Derbyshire dales in England so I’m used to being in smaller places, although for the past 8 years I’ve been in Dallas so I’ll be readjusting. I’m looking at Altdorf specifically so any personal stories about how the locals are with foreigners would be appreciate, I’m sure it’s like the tiny villages in Ireland, you find both very reserved and also open people.
You have to like mountains because the canton is essentially a long steep-sided valley (Reuss) running north-south from Altdorf to Göschenen and another higher valley running east-west from Andermatt to Realp. There are other valleys running off the Reuss valley. It can also feel a bit remote because main roads either run through tunnels (Axenstrasse, Seelisberg, Gotthard) or over passes (Klausen, Susten, Gotthard, Furka, Oberalp) the latter being closed for a good part of the year. The nearest city is Luzern, which is a 40min drive when the roads are clear.
Altdorf has a cinema, swimming pool and theatre but most sporting and cultural activities revolve around clubs and societies.
We've also lived in Obwalden, Schwyz and in rural Zürich. When looking for somewhere to settle only Obwalden, Nidwalden and Uri were real options.
Yes, your wife has to apply for and obtain the long-stay visa application (Visa D) BEFORE entering Germany.
The following procedure is recommended:
1. In July 2022, your wife will apply for a D visa at the Swiss embassy at her place of residence (it is advisable to give the address of your future employer in the canton of Uri as the correspondence address in Switzerland)
2. At the same time In July 2022 you submit the documents for your work permit (A1 and documents according to the information sheet) to the Uri Migration Department.
After receipt of visa application D, the Migration Department will request further documents for family reunification from you.
But if everything will be fine, a simultaneous flight to Switzerland for taking up residence should be possible from September.
OP - where is the job located? In your post you seem to imply that the job is in Zurich but you want to live in Uri. In the translation from the canton that you shared, it would seem the canton thinks the job is in Uri. Might help to clear that up.
Unrelated to the permit - You talk a lot about your desire to be in a more rural place. Is your wife on board with this? How are her German skills? You don't have to tell us, but it's something to consider. Many "trailing spouses" find it hard to adjust when they're stuck in the middle of nowhere and don't speak the language. It can also be more challenging to find a job.
I am confused now though, if the steps in the email don’t make sense, what exactly would be the right way to go about this in order for us both to fly to Zurich together, obviously Step 1 (Have my US Spouse apply through the embassy here), but would I basically have to wait until we fly out to register in person with my EU Passport?
What a lot of people do however is both arrive as tourists, EU spouse applies for permit once here, then apply for family reunification for non-eu spouse and pray that they don’t have to go back home to get the D-visa (sometimes you can request to get it in another European country instead).
You get what you pay for with internet advice but here goes anyway:
Follow what you posted from Canton Zurich on your other thread . Enter together, register there within 14 days and sort any paperwork. Once here with permits in hand, you can always decide to switch cantons since you're an EU citizen.
Make sure your wife obtains a certified copy of her birth certificate before you come to Zurich. It has to be issued within the last 6 months. I had to have my mother get mine for me. Also, if your most recent driving licenses were issued within the last 3 years*, get copies of your driving records. It shows you've been driving longer and helps avoid being classified as under probation and higher risk for insurance.
* I think it's 3, could be 5 years. Either way I also needed my driving record when I came here because my most recent US license was too new.
You’re EU so that won’t be a problem. Your wife, however, may have one if she doesn’t have the correct visa depending on which answer you give. Type C is for short stays of less than 90 days while a Type D is for longer as granted under family reunification.
You could always contact the embassy/consulate that deals with your part of the US and ask them if she can get a Type D because you are planning to move to Switzerland and would like to travel together. Since you’re an EU national with a job lined up already I can’t see why they’d refuse to grant her a Type D to travel on.