Originally I was happy with my decision to come here, but in hindsight there’s some special things about being a non EU student that changed my mind. There are many good things about it of course, but my goal today is to share some aspects that I noticed many non EU students only realised after moving here. It’s one of the very few countries where a student permit does not come with a small work permit. In Germany for example you get 15h a week. Here you get the possibility to get a permit, but the employer has to apply for it, and many aren’t willing to. For example all jobs at a short notice won’t be possible because the process takes about a week every single time, and costs about 100chf. You’re really not supposed to stay here and work after your studies. A tiny tiny fraction of graduates manage to get their work permits approved, but most employers straight out filter your CV if you’re non EU, too much of a hassle and its unlikely to get approved for one because of the quota system. (8k non EU work permits per year may be issued in all of switzerland) Even if you get a phd or postdoc here, you’ll still be under the student visa regime, meaning only up to 3 years of your total residency here counts towards permanent residency or citizenship. Meaning that if you did a 4 year bachelors 2 years masters 4 years phd 2 years postdoc, it doesn’t mean anything for your long term stability. It’s as if you just lived here for 3 years. You need to work for the count to go beyond 3 years, and back to point #2 on why this isnt’ realistic. In Norway for example if you work 3 years as a phd student you automatically get permanent residency, in Australia 5 years and you get it. Most countries I researched actually. France goes further and puts you on a path for accelerated citizenship if you did your masters there. Conclusion: While there are many upsides to coming here, having almost no legal pathway to settle down made me somehow less invested in friendships and dating, because I know for sure I have to go. And it’s much harder to get internships or student jobs because firms know they ultimately can’t hire you, so you end up getting very little work experience during your studies. Basically, come here for studies as a non EU citizen if you fully accept that Switzerland is just a step on your path but never a destination. submitted by /u/Aywing
Originally posted by u/Aywing on r/Switzerland