Switzerland’s remarkably high wages by international standards and the relatively low tax burden in many cantons are important factors that particularly attract many highly qualified people from India, UAE, Ireland China etc to settle in Switzerland. In terms of employment, Switzerland is characterized by excellent opportunities for qualified professionals in fields such as engineering, information technology, financial services and medicine offering excellent career prospects. In addition, the unemployment rate in Switzerland remains remarkably low. For families, Switzerland offers a high level of security, an excellent education system and numerous leisure opportunities. The criteria for obtaining a residence permit vary according to nationality, length of stay and purpose of stay.

Self-employed foreign nationals wishing to work in Switzerland require a permit from their first day of work. Persons whose spouses have Swiss citizenship or a permanent residence permit (C permit) are exempt from this regulation.

The Office for Economic Affairs examines the application from a labor market perspective and forwards it to the Migration Service. The Migration Service examines the relevant immigration aspects.

If your application is approved, the Migration Service will issue a residence permit. This depends on the duration of your employment or the nature of your economic activity. Once issued, you will receive your permit from your municipality of residence.

Work permit:
As a rule, a work permit is only issued if a Swiss employer is looking for a qualified worker and the competent authorities (cantonal and federal) approve this.

There are several stages in the procedure for obtaining a work permit.

An application to take up gainful employment (or a work permit) must be submitted by the employer to the Office of Economic Affairs (AWI).
You can find more information here.
The AWI issues a preliminary labor market decision (work permit).
The AWI forwards the positive preliminary labor market decision to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) for approval.
If the SEM gives its approval, all documents are forwarded to the Migration Office so that the application for a work permit can be examined from the point of view of immigration law. This is because a permit can be refused despite the existence of a positive labor market decision if there are grounds for revocation.

If the requirements under immigration law are also met, the Migration Office will issue the permit for gainful employment.

If the person concerned is still abroad when the decision is approved, the Migration Office will authorize the foreign representation to issue a visa by means of an entry permit. If there is no visa requirement, the Migration Office will issue a confirmation of authorization to the employer.

After entry, registration takes place at the municipality. The person concerned will also receive an appointment at the municipality to have their biometric data recorded. You can find out everything about your biometric ID card here.

The person concerned must appear in person at the Migration Office to have their biometric data recorded.  The ID card will be produced and sent to the person concerned by post.

Other options in the context of short-term gainful employment

Foreign nationals who have received an entry permit to work in Switzerland or to provide cross-border services for a total of four months within a 12-month period do not have to register and do not require a foreigner’s identity card. Instead of a foreigner’s identity card, the persons concerned will receive an entry permit. Persons requiring a visa require a visa issued by the Swiss representation abroad in addition to the entry permit.

If you are a non-EU/EFTA national, you can only obtain a work permit in Switzerland if you hold a position as a manager, specialist or other qualified professional. The professional qualifications must match the new duties. When assessing applications for a residence permit, factors such as professional qualifications, adaptability in the professional and social environment, language skills and age are also taken into account in order to ensure sustainable integration into the Swiss labor market and society.

All foreign employees are entitled to the same salary and working conditions as Swiss employees. This provision is intended to ensure equal treatment of foreign and Swiss employees. Employers are obliged to provide the labor market authority with information on the duration of the employment relationship, the working conditions and the salary. The employment contract must be comprehensive and up to date and must be based on the conditions customary in the location and industry. The federal government’s salary calculator at www.salarium.ch can be a useful tool when calculating your future salaries.

Around 3/4 of the labor market in Switzerland consists of three strong, dynamic sectors:
mechanical engineerin
the chemical industry and
the service sector.
In addition, British specialists are sought in the following areas
Medicine and nursing
Technology and engineering
Teachers
Employees in the hospitality industry (especially in the tourist strongholds)

What are the advantages of moving to Switzerland?
Switzerland is a country with a low crime rate, a good labor market and a transport system that is unmatched anywhere in the world. The economy in Switzerland is very strong and will have one of the highest per capita GDP in the world. According to the U.S. News & World Report, Switzerland is the safest country in the world and several Swiss cities such as Zurich, Geneva, Basel and Bern top the list of the world’s most liveable cities.

Switzerland has long been a country for people who want to live where clean air, a good standard of living and safe streets are a priority. Switzerland is a safe place to live, surrounded by people with strong values and ambitions. Apart from that, switzerland’s income as well as waelth taxes are among the lowest among the industrialized nations. Apart from this, income and wealth taxes in Switzerland are among the lowest in the industrialized world.

Retired people can be granted a residence permit if the following requirements are met cumulatively:
older than 55 years
Proof of close ties to Switzerland
Proof of sufficient financial means
neither gainfully employed abroad nor in Switzerland

Wealthy Citizens:
If you have enough money and are not dependent on state aid, you can live in Switzerland as long as you meet the other residence requirements. You must be able to prove all of this, when applying for a residence permit. To emigrate to Switzerland as a wealthy foreign citizen, it is highly advisable to consult a qualified immigration lawyer who can help you with the specific requirements for the residence permit. It is important to prove sufficient assets (often at least CHF 10 million) and a reasonable standard of living (e.g. CHF 400,000 to 600,000 per year) in order to obtain a residence permit.

Permit B (residence permit)
Permit C (settlement permit)
Permit Ci (residence permit with gainful employment for third-country nationals)
Permit G (cross-border commuter permit)
Permit L (short-term residence permit)
Permit F (temporarily admitted foreign nationals)
Permit N (asylum seekers)
Permit S (temporary protection for persons in need of protection)

The main countries from which English
speakers want to move to Switzerland . . .
Moving to Switzerland from Australia
Moving to Switzerland from Canada
Moving to Switzerland from US
Moving to Switzerland from UAE
Moving to Switzerland from UK
Moving to Switzerland from Ireland
Moving to Switzerland from New Zealand
Moving to Switzerland from China Hongkong
Moving to Switzerland from India
Moving to Switzerland from Singapore or Malaysia