Swiss work permits and the priority process

Categories
Employment Law

Following the acceptance of the initiative “Against Mass Immigration” (February 2014), the Swiss Parliament adopted the revision of the law on Foreigners and Integration (LEI), mainly aiming at implementing these newly adopted political policies. The priority process aims to give an advantage to domestic job seekers registered at a regional employment agency and therefore reduce […]

International contracts: Is the coronavirus a force majeure event?

Categories
Employment Law

International commercial contracts governed by Swiss law As a general rule, parties to international contracts are free to choose the law governing their contract. Swiss law also provides that contracts are governed by the law chosen by the parties. In practice, particularly in the context of international arbitration, Swiss law is one of the most […]

I am an employee: What are my rights under COVID-19?

Categories
Employment Law

If I fall ill, will my employer pay my salary? Yes, as a general rule, your employer must continue to pay your salary under Swiss law. However, the applicable rules depend on whether your employer contracted or not a daily allowance insurance in the event of earning incapacity and loss of earnings. Pay then special […]

Amending an employment contract in Switzerland – Do’s and Don’ts

Categories
Employment Law

In the context of the global pandemic, many companies try to avoid bankruptcy by reducing their costs, among which the salaries of employees. Before unilaterally deciding on salary cuts, be aware that Swiss law imposes mandatory rules in favor of the employee when amendments of the employment relationship disadvantage the latter (for instance: salary reduction, […]

Swiss immigration: The 10 golden rules you need to know

Categories
Employment Law

The Swiss immigration system is one of the most severe in the world for any non-European citizen planning to move to Switzerland. Following the 2006 voting initiative by the Swiss Conservative party, “Against mass immigration”, the federal law was modified, tightening and restricting conditions for obtaining a Swiss residency permit and Swiss citizenship. These modifications […]

Are you an expat planning to apply for a B/L permit in Verbier ?

Categories
Employment Law

Planning to move to the canton of Valais and apply for a B/L permit in Verbier? There are a few things you need to consider beforehand. Apply for the right Swiss permit Upon arrival, any foreigner must announce himself/herself to the commune within 14 days and apply for the appropriate residency permit, where the procedures […]

Starting a business in Switzerland as a foreigner

Categories
Business

Offering a legally, politically and economically stable framework, Switzerland an attractive place for foreigners to launch a fruitful business. Its geographical location, in the very middle of the EU and its strong economy reinforce this position. Regarding the legal framework, launching a business in Switzerland is relatively easy and accessible for Permit C holders (ie. […]

Obtaining the Swiss citizenship

Categories
Swiss Permits

What changes under the new law? In June 2014, the Swiss Parliament modified the law regarding the conditions to obtain the Swiss citizenship. This change reflects the Parliament’s wish to facilitate the obtention of the Swiss citizenship to foreign residents who are well integrated in Switzerland. Currently, there are between 30’000 and 40’000 individuals obtaining […]

What is happening in 2017 with Swiss work permit quotas?

Categories
Swiss Permits

The quotas for work permits attributed to non-European citizens in 2017 have been now established by the Federal Council. Bern decided that Switzerland must be able to recruit high skilled workers from countries not necessarily part of the EU/EFTA to sustain the economic market and remain in accordance with the agreement on the free movement […]

Applying for Swiss citizenship before 2018: how to proceed…

Categories
Swiss Permits

Applying for Swiss citizenship while holding a légitimation card is still possible before the end of 2017. From January 2018, the naturalization law (LN) will change and applicants holding a C permit only will be considered for citizenship. Therefore, expatriates planning to obtain the Swiss citizenship and having lived in Switzerland for more than 12 […]

Non EU-27/EFTA citizens: how to apply for a work permit?

Categories
Swiss Permits

Applying for a work permit to hire skilled non-European staff is an important step for any international company based in Switzerland. The type of permit delivered is dependent on the length of the contract. A contract going over 365 days will result in a B permit while a contract under one year will result in […]