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Saturday, July 02, 2011

Swiss C Permit Reject

My husband just returned from Alphorn School. We just had a three hour dinner and German conversation with my Swiss neighbor. And we submitted everything ((including salary statements for three years and forms that stated we did not owe anyone any money (that ironically we had to pay for to receive) the Swiss government requested.))

None of this matters. I’m still a B.

After waiting five years to apply for the C permit, my husband and I were rejected because we went on vacation and therefore missed the short deadline they gave us to complete the paperwork.

Yep. Wait five years and they give you seven days. Nice.

The annoying thing is, the Swiss government knew were gone. Because we had to run around to Aarau at wee hours of the morning and pay CHF 180 for the Visa for the honor of leaving the country at that lovely time when your permit expires but they can’t seem to process another one fast enough in order to avoid you paying them more money for their tardiness.

We came back from our vacation only to collect our mail and realize they had given us only seven days to complete the paperwork—even though they knew we were gone.

The reject letter that came a week later basically said, “better luck next year. You can pick up your B-permits for CHF 220 and you have only 10 days to do so.”

Thanks, Switzerland. We love you too.

22 comments:

  1. Nooooooooooo!!! Well you have my sympathy, and know that you're not alone - I busted my butt getting everything in time for that ridiculous deadline and they STILL denied me because my German test wasn't official enough, even though they were willing to accept it for a friend who submitted the same week. 1 year, several hundred francs, and a 8 hour German test later, they finally gave me my C. Sorry and better luck next time!!

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  2. Terrible! I'm so sorry this happened to you. It's so annoying to have to renew your B every year and pay so much for it.

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  3. It could be worse: we were a B, and now we are L...

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  4. How crappy! At least you're not going to get kicked out of the country, I suppose!

    I hate all the beaurocracy that immigrants have to go through. I am a Brit in the US and it just goes on and on.

    The Swiss are especially officious, in my (brief) experiences of the country.

    At least I got three weeks warning for my next appointment.

    Paul
    http://fromsheeptoalligators.blogspot.com/

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  5. Hmm. Talked this over with my husband. We had a "B" permit the whole time we lived there, which was 13+ years. I can't remember why we never got a "C" permit.

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  6. Feel you on this.

    I married my German husband in September and when I needed to visit my family mid-January. I still hadn't received my B-Permit. So I had to head to the migration office to get the travel visa. Of course the same day a letter arrived telling me I needed to go to the notary and say I'm not a criminal as a place mark for the FBI background check they also wanted.

    So of course when I arrive at the migration office I have no clue what they are talking about for the notary. I'm frazzled because I need to leave the next day. (We went two week before to try and do it but they said "come a few days before") $250 later and tears I finally got it. B-Permit arrive in April. Luckily mine is valid till 2016 but we leave soon anyways.

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  7. Bummer Chantal. I feel your pain. Next year for sure -- if you guys are still here. You seem ready to leave.

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  8. Thanks for the sympathy. Of course, it's not the end of the world, but it's one of those things that you get your hopes up for and put in the time and money only to be disappointed. At least now I can sympathize with how hard it is to be an immigrant! All of your stories sound somewhat similar to this.

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  9. Anonymous3:41 PM

    Oh no, that is unbelievably frustrating! Better luck next year!

    Stephanie

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  10. I am sorry to hear that Swiss bureaucracy frustrates you. But I hope you will still love Switzerland despite
    its bureaucratic quirks. No one is perfect, ey?!

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  11. Just wanted to add my sympathies. I know you will get it next year!

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  12. Anonymous7:23 PM

    Funny that they required a language test for a C, I'm a US citizen and didn't even apply for a C when I got one. I just got a letter in the mail saying I had a choice to renew the B or receive a C.

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  13. ...Google translate, I'm assuming?

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