Hi,

here is the link (in French only) from the Geneva Canton with the relevant information (for non EU/EFATA-citizens):

http://www.ge.ch/etrangers-confederes/fr/travail/?rubrique=non-membre-ue-aele

Permis B

Les titulaires d'un permis de séjour B avec activité lucrative sont dispensés d'annoncer les changements d'employeur ou prise d'activité accessoire auprès d'un employeur suisse.
Les titulaires d'un permis B, membres de la famille d'un citoyen suisse ou de celle d'un étranger titulaire d'un permis C ou B durable sont dispensés d'annoncer leurs changements d'employeurs et prises d'emploi auprès d'un employeur suisse.

Hope this helps!

ah..this is interesting. It sounds like you have to announce changes of employer. it doesn't specifically say you must re-apply.

Thanks!!  very helpful indeed.

unless I really cocked up the French...which is also entirely possible...

If I remember well, your new employer ask you for your permit and take care of all paperwork (for tax and other purposes) and the change of employer will be notified when he applies for permit renewal the following year (in the case of yearly renewed permits).

It might be a good idea to call the number in the link if you have any further questions. They are very helpful and some speak English.

Great. thanks again!!

There is no question about your unemployemnt benefits, it is your right and usually can collect for a period up to either 18months or 24 months. And depending if your no kids 70%, with dependants 80% of CHF 126,000.

You canuld obtain the details from your unemployment department and the assigned consellor, usually in the first month you have registered.

You have to go to the Office Cantonal EMploi

http://www.ge.ch/oce/

then you get assigned Chomage office & counsellor

http://www.ge.ch/oce/caisses_chomage.asp

hmm. OK. I was told that without an EU passport that once I lose employment with my current employer I would lose my residency unless I switch employers immediately and would have to return to the states and cannot claim unemployment. if you are correct, that's really good news!

Not if you have a B permit, if I recall correctly. Even if you get unemployed, it holds its validity until the printed date.

BTW, sont dispensés d'annoncer les changements d'employeur = they don't need to notify [the OCP] about a change of the employer.

from experience... if you are a US citizen, then your B permit is linked to your current contract. If you were to leave the job, you would risk losing the permit. If someone else hires you, they might renew the permit, in some cases they will ask for "proof" that that company "needed" to hire you (i.e. no one else could do the job).

The startup company should do the paperwork for you and essentially you just take a copy of the contract to the Migrationsamt and they should extend your B Permit... 

for EU citizens, with a B permit, there is usually a larger window/timeframe to find a new position, as the B permits are valid for 5 years in their case... 

i'm an american, and when i had a B permit the communal office contacted me every 3 years ( back then ) when it was time to pay 70.00sfr and renew, regardless of being employed or not. also, after 10 years your B permit will be changed to a C permit.

this has a lot of infos too http://www.swissinfo.ch/ger/Specials/Klick_auf_die_Schweiz/Arbeiten/Arbeitsbewilligungen.html?cid=29082954

and this would pertain to you, as a US citizen http://www.bfm.admin.ch/content/bfm/de/home/themen/arbeit/nicht-eu_efta-angehoerige.html

Unemployment benefits are not rights. It is an insurance for the period while you are looking for a new job.

Unless you meet the conditions, you are not entitled.

One condition is that you have the right to stay in Switzerland - i.e. US citizen should have a valid permit.

In the past yr the law and the related practice became much stricter since the Swiss frank is strong and lot of people lost their jobs.

They even increased temporarily the insurance premium (deducted by your employer at source) to finance the increased pay outs.

Randy,

I recommend you to walk in the relevant office in Basel and ask them for information.

Here no-one is really a Swiss immigration lawyer or specialist in the chomage.

If you read the above, everyone shares their own experience but without really knowing the current regulations.

Anyways, since you resigned, as far as I can recall, you will anyways not be entitled to the chomage for a couple of months or so...

hmm, my B permit was changed to C after 5 years. Just wondering...

Even as an EU-citizen, the permit is linked to your contract. The permit is expired on the day, your contract ends - for any reason. As Réka says, you have to fulfil the requirements, i.e., stay in CH or close to in nearby France and look for work, to get chômage.

The good news is, as an EU-citizen, you can stay for three months and look for work. As a non-EU-citizen.. better ask OCP or a specialist.

Source: the OCP on Tuesday

Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer of any kind. Other people on this thread may be.

Reka,

Look at the logic, if someone is paying 1 year or 10 years for Unemployment insurance, is it fair to tell that person that after they were terminated that they woudl not benefit from that insurance?

It is each and everones right , when contributing to the insurance coverage, that they can use this insurance when necessary.

If this is not the case, then it is a 'unfair' social charge that subsidizes others at the cost of others.

I am sure this is not the case, but as I said earlier, go to the OCE (Office Cantonal du Emploi and apply for benefits, and you will also get too meet a counselor, but I do agree that if you resigned, you will be penalized severly and possibly loose all your benefits of unemployment.

Dave, the logic is irrelevant. You have to fulfil the requirements, you signed the insurance (chômage) under.

OMG,

Randy, go see the OCE and see with them, because your here 10 years and you should be covered.

Ferney, who singed the Insurance under what? Unemployment insurance was paid and there must be coverage or they will advise otherwise. If non-EU employees are paying insurance but dont benefit from it, then the system must be changed to ensure either they are included or dont have to pay into the Swiss system but paid insurance benefits are transfered to 'USA' or other.

Dave, paying for chômage is mandatory and therefore automatically "signed". There are also some rules governing it.. these including permit, proximity to Switzerland, and actively and demonstrably looking for work - but yes, go see the chômage office to hear it from the horse's mouth and not from a forum.

@Dave:  actually I apologize but my original post was a bit misleading. I've only been in Switzerland 3 years, 2 of that as an IA and 1 and a bit as a full time Swiss employee. But I've been with the same company 10 years. my bad...

thanks all for the interesting dialogue. It doesn't seem quite so trivial an issue.

It has nothing to do with 'fairness' as such and everything to do with the actual laws in place. One could easily make the case that it is 'unfair' to have different immigration laws and regulations for citizens of different nations, yet that is precisely the case in many if not most nations.

Anyone in this situation should consult a qualified Swiss immigration lawyer before going to the [un]employment office. There are legal consultation offices in every canton and for a minimal fee, you can get some competent non-anecdotal advice.

randy, by being misleading in your original post you have now created a loss of credibility in what you relate henceforth.

People here have spent time and effort trying to help you. This is exactly the type of arrogance that will not earn you any “friends”.

In any case, good luck in your quest, seems as though you will be needing it. And don’t waste anymore of our time here on glocals.

uh.....what?   arrogance?   am I missing something?  I haven't had access to my PC all evening so I couldn't jump in earlier and didn't appreciate my time here had that big of an impact. sincere apologies if I somehow wasted your time. Bit confused by your post.... loss of credibility?  (scratches head)....  sorry.

Dave - just get yourself a copy of the law and read it.

Giving misleading statements on a forum where you are not understanding the legal system of the country you are living in is not the best idea.

Yes, you can have an opinion (I was also shocked when an Australian friend of mine who came here as a researcher was granted a student visa, paid chomage and in the end, got zero money because he no longer had student Permit B...) but it does not help Randy giving incorrect information.

As we say it in Hungary: the road to hell is packed with good will....you just help him getting into a bigger problem.

LOL.

This is the funniest thing I have ever read here.

Coucou, Rena,

you are from the lucky old 15 EU Member States...still 5 yrs.

The rest of the EU does not enjoy preferential treatment since last November due to the Swiss German right wing push to exclude them....so guess we now have to wait 10 yrs.

Non-EU 10 yrs according to the current rules.

http://www.bfm.admin.ch/content/dam/data/migration/publikationen/swissemigration/broschuere-swissemigration-e.pdf

Permanent residence permit (EC/EFTA Permit C): Nationals from the 15 old EU countries and EFTA obtain this permit, of indefinite length, after a regular and uninterrupted stay of five years in Switzerland.

Other countries (so-called Third States) Short-term residence permit (Permit L): This permit may be granted to nationals from Third States for a stay lasting one year or more, up to the limit set each year by the Federal Council for nationals from Third States. Its term of validity is set to harmonise with the em-ployment contract. In exceptional cases, this permit may be extended up to a total maximum duration of 24 months, provided the employer remains the same. Also considered as short-term stays are basic and continuing education and training in Switzerland (see chapter “Trainees”).

Initial residence permit (Permit B): For nationals from Third States, this residence permit does not, as a rule, exceed one year the first time. Initial permits authorising persons to take up paid employment will only be granted within the limits of the maximum numbers set each year. Normally, these permits are renewed from one year to the next, provided there are no conflicting grounds (e.g. infringements, dependency on social welfare, labour market). Only in certain cases is there a right to an extension of the annual residence per-mit.

Permanent residence permit (Permit C): Nationals from Third States may, in principle, ob-tain a permanent residence permit after ten years of a regular and uninterrupted stay. Nationals from the USA and Canada are subject to special regulations. They may choose their employer freely and taxes are no longer levied at source.

Here it says that, as an EU national, you can continue residing in Switzerland provided that you have both enough funds to live and an adequate health + accidents insurance.

Note that if you move in France you will lose your B permit as you won't be a Swiss resident anymore.  The only permit you can get is G (frontalier).