Are there many cash in hand jobs going? 

Be very, very careful about this. It is illegal to work and not declare income.

If caught, either a fine or most likely banned from re-entry

Get a job at the UN ? eg World heath org or other health related NGO

What out for those Australians!! 

You can assume, with a relative amount of certainty, that her license and qualifications will not cross-over, nor be recognized in Switzerland. I'm not saying that she couldn't become qualified to work as a nurse here. It's been done. However, a close friend of the family, licensed as a Registered Nurse in the USA, is currently working toward that goal. She reported, just this past weekend, that the process is basically akin to starting her nursing training all over, in French. And, she speaks, reads and writes fluent French. So,....first consideration your partner will have to look at is her linguistic abilities. I say that, because she will be required to speak and work in whatever the local language is, wherever you reside. (And by now, you should know that none of those are English;-)

Of course, that's if her intent is to work in the public sector. However, I would agree with Sean, in that other possibilities may exist for her, with the UN and/or the WHO. 

Wishing you and your partner the best of luck in your upcoming relocation. You've picked a great place to live and work.

KEN///    

First and foremost, if you want to apply for a UN post, do so from where you are now.  The enoluments between international and local recruitment are considerable and obviously

more attractive if the applicant is recruited

from outside Switzerland.

In any event, while WHO does recruit hands-on medical and other health professionals for field work, there are no such openings at its Headquarters in Geneva where the need is for highly skilled and experience administrators in the international sector of their particular expertise.  True,  nursing experience might be of some value in certain secretarial positions but such openings will be few and far between.

A much more important consideration is the geographic representation of staff positions, which means that nationality and gender can play a decisive role in the selection of any one candidate rather than another.  Linguistic skills are also required in many positions.

As already mentioned, it will be difficult for your partner to work in the public sector without gaining official accreditation via a course of study or supervised training.  I’ve heard tell that there are occasionally unpaid opportunities for nurses in charity work but, here again, and depending on where you decide to live, a working knowledge of the local language will be required.

Otherwise, it is possible to work in the private sector as a nanny or an au pair but, as Sheila C pointed out, your partner should ensure that all the necessary paperwork has been correctly processed before accepting such a position.  Working illegally can cost you dearly.

Meantime, if you don’t already know French or German, start learning the basics right away.  Even a very elementary knowledge  will make your life much easier all round.

 All the best, R.

Thanks for the heads up.  

Hi Sean,

        Yeah I will get her onto that.  Looking at local private fertility clinics too which may recruite her and accept her experience as an overriding factor.   From my limited knowledge making babies is the same in Europe as it is in Australia!!!  

Cheers,

Pat

Hi Ken,

           Yeah there seems very little reciprication between Australia and Switzerland.  Thanks for the advice and taking the time to pass on your knowledge.

Cheers,

Pat 

Thanks Ritchie for some very good advice.  I will follow up on this with her.  

Cheers,

Pat

There are countless activities that are common to both Australia and Switzerland, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to have a permit to pursue them in Switzerland either nationally or even on a cantonal basis.

In matters of employment, private clinics have to conform to the same rules as public institutions.

As you will discover, CH is a very regimented country.

R.

Hi,

For the record, just because you do have an EU passport does not guaramtee your right to live in Switzerland, they do allow you free entry, but residence is a different issue, know this as I am British, and took me 2 years to get a resident permit.

About your girlfriend the rules for non-EU are quite simple actually, she needs a job offer (where the employer sorts out the permit) or come here to study (must be registered with the educational institution first, and they only do part of the paperwork for the permit, which is also a very limited one). However in the medical field they will validate her Australian qualifications if they offer her a job.

Good luck on your immigration.

Roberto