Does this ''rule'' apply only for C permits? or they also apply for people applying for a Swiss Passport? Thanks.

I am for this. And you may say typical you already have your C permit.  Maybe we can return to the days of ten years ago when one foreigner was refused a passport because he told a local that the cowbells kept him awake at night.  How un-Swiss can you get.

Any doubts about how to qualify then get the DVD out of the local store

Les faiseurs suisses

Die Schweizermacher

incredibly funny but based on fact

When I first came to Geneva years ago, I already spoke French albeit with an English accent. First thing I did was to enrol in a French course at Migros to improve my French. Through work I met people from all over the place including Swiss people. Which was great as it meant that I learnt about the culture, etc. Am always amazed at how many expats /migrants move to a country and don't make the effort to learn the lingo or take the time to learn about their host country. One misses out on so much when one doesn't speak the language. 

One solution would be to declare English a national language… It is already widespread for communication between French Swiss and German Swiss, most Swiss multinational companies use it as their working language, the Federal State translated a big part of its website into it and it has probably more native speakers in the country than Romansh.

Has anyone had to recently renew their C permit - I understand there will be testing for renewal but I do not have experience with this.

They are still discussing this, its not a law yet, but the "Parlament" (Nationalrat + Standerat) have to agree first, but Im sure they gonna accept this law, which is better for all people who are prepared to integrate themselves. At least it does not apply yet in Canton BS + BL.

Simplified or normal?

If you are doing a simplified one, you still have to show language and integration, it depends on the canton and the actual 'investigator'

Normal anyway has to go through the permis c as its 12 years of living in CH

according to the first poster - who copied from wrs news, this is not the law.

I know there is testing for swiss passport but I talked about this at work, and people tell me that when they renewed their C permit, they were asked questions about integration and language/

I meant to type - this is now the law/

Well, actually, this was passed by the Federal Council, not the Parliament. Here is more information from swissinfo.

"Presenting the set of proposals on Friday, Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga said language skills to master everyday situations were crucial for successful integration.
 
Three other criteria have to be fulfilled for full residency or for the extension of temporary licences: immigrants, including their family members, have to respect the values laid down in the Swiss constitution, including equal rights for men and women; they have to be willing to work or get some form of education; they must not have a criminal record."

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss_news/Cabinet_agrees_criteria_for_permanent_residency_.html?cid=35179784

The Parliament may not accept all parts of the proposal, according to the the swissinfo report. The more conservative parties do not like the section of the proposal that include the establishment of a legal right to residency if all criteria are met among other issues.

However, you are correct in observing that cantons appear to be more assertive in requiring language skils as proof of integration.

Le Conseil national passe au vote et prend plusieurs décisions importantes. Par voix 129 contre 59, il décide  d'exiger du candidat à la naturalisation un permis C. C'est un durcissement. La durée de séjour minimale en Suisse est fixée à 10 ans (et non 8 ou 12 ans) par 111 voix contre 76. C'est un assouplissement. Le National ne veut plus que les années entre 10 et 20 ans comptent double par 103 voix contre 77. C'est un durcissement pour les jeunes étrangers

IIn a gist(and i am sure there are more eloquent translators) it has been decided today, that any candidate that wishes to obtain the Swiss Nationality must already have the Permis C. The candidate who wishes to obtain the Swiss Nationality must have lived 10 years in CH and now the years between the ages of 10 to 20 will not longer be doubled.

I am glad permits will be conditional, unfortunatly i can only anticipate and expect descrimination. This measure is too open and does not include any conditions of appeal or other protection. As some smaller cantons are more 'old fashioned' and they will want to kick out all foreigners.

As far as I know they are still discussing this issue in the Parlament, it was in the newspapers today and they are discussing about the Swiss citizenship and they want those who apply for it, to be integrated and can speak at least one of the 4 swiss languages.

Benoit - was this a renewal or a first application.

many thanks for your post.

This has been a really helpful forum. I have a permit C and was thinking of applying for the swiss passport. I speak fluent french and have a high level of written french and live in Geneva. Does this mean that I will now  have to learn German to B2 level? What a pain!!!! 

The person who posted about his experience stated he lives in Zurich and therefore knowledge of German is required.

One must show one is well-integrated into the canton where one has lived and where one is applying. 

World Radio Switzerland

Thursday, 14 March, 2013, 06:30

As parliament debates making it more difficult for foreigners to become citizens, the Federal Office for Migration has released data on citizenship through naturalization, and the numbers show that the demand is dropping.

Some 35,000 people became Swiss through naturalization last year.

That’s 10,000 fewer than five years ago.

The Federal Office for Migration says there are now fewer requests from European Union citizens, and many cantons also now have more difficult requirements, such as tougher language skills tests.

It’s a reversal of a previous trend, as numbers boomed between 2003 and 2008.

The Office says that increase was mainly due to citizens no longer being allowed to vote on whether their neighbors should become citizens. 

No delseta you dont have to learn German, as long as you understand French fluently, thats enough. There are not much Swiss from the Romandie who speak Swiss German, and vice-versa

So no pain, everything is gonna be ok as long as you didnt have problems with the law and speak the French. If you would live in a German speaking part then of course you should be able to communicate in German or Swiss German.

Good luck

I've been all over google and I can't find any details on this.  How shall a candidate prove their language competency?  To what level must they learn the language?  Is any Swiss language good enough or must the language match their canton of residence?

All of the above questions are easy to answer when dealing with naturalization but what about this new C permit law?  Will it be the same?

There you go:

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss_news/Cabinet_agrees_criteria_for_permanent_residency_.html?cid=35179784

You will need to speak the language of the canton that you're living in. Which sort of makes sense. There is some hypocracy though in that I'm sure many readers of this thread will have been employed by Swiss companies because of their command of English.

To avoid possible misinterpretation of the law, a minimum required level should be set. Oral B2, written A2 should be enough not to be a burden on Swiss society.

That was the measure agreed to by the cabinet.  The final bill may not be the same.

At present, the Canton of Geneva currently requires B1 oral attestation:

"Toutes les personnes qui ne sont pas de langue maternelle française
ou qui n'ont jamais suivi un enseignement en langue française,
fournissent une attestation de connaissance de la langue française
de niveau oral B1 selon des critères européens (Portfolio européen)"

http://www.ge.ch/naturalisations/doc/procedure-naturalisation-bien-se-preparer.pdf

I think VD requires B2 for the accelerated C-permit process but apparently nothing for US/Canada persons doing it on-schedule?  My employer says they've had quite a few B to C conversions for US expats and language has never been an issue.

I reckon that's about to change...

So they'll be loads of anglophones who after five years saying, "Yeeeahh. I can  sort of speak it but I understand more than I can actually speak. Does that count?"

Joking aside, I think if people are looking at staying here long term then getting to the level B1 is fair enough in five years. 

Hey there,

I have to correct you on this one.

The level for the Canton de Vaud will be or is already B2. When you take the exam, you take the B2-level exam as an entity and you have to achieve at least 60-65 % in all parts (writing, reading, listening and speaking) of the exam. I'm afraid an A2-level in writing skills won't be enough.

Private language schools usually have a full up-to-date description of what is required as they usually offer classes (language and integration courses).

Cheers.

Yes, however, I think there has always been the reality-- according to my Swiss lawyer friends -- that Cantons Vaud and Geneva -- have always been a bit more flexible. However, this is, indeed, tightening up. I know two US citizens who got their Swiss nationality about 5 years ago and neither really spoke any french to speak of. And they couldn't name all the cantons, the major rivers, the passes or sing the national anthem either. (Then again, many Swiss I know can't sing the national anthem either.)

Sorry, I meant to write "I think that has always..."

Nationality?  Or C-permit?  Just want to make sure that we're not confusing the two...

This change in law concerns naturalizations, not C-permit, as far as I have read. Of course, things could change as Parliament continues to review.

Here is latest article from Tribune de Geneve:

http://www.tdg.ch/suisse/passeport-suisse-devrait-difficile-obtenir/story/28697161

(A little French reading comprehension test...)

Unless you're Tina Turner, of course, then you just have to have an interview and promise to learn a bit of German!

http://www.thelocal.ch/page/view/zurich-resident-tina-turner-becomes-swiss#.UUsTTheOSjs

The few billion in her Swiss bank account probably helped a bit as well....

 in der Schweiz, die Flüsse sind tief und die Berge sind hoch!

You're right,  Carolyn is amazing.

Tina Turner has not gotten the Swiss citizenship yet, she only applied and must or is learning German now.