Handbook for Investors. Business location in Switzerland.

6.1.3 Application procedure
1. Persons requiring a visa must submit the visa application to
the Swiss consulate that is responsible for the area where they
live. Travel documents and any other requested documents
which explain the reason for the journey must be submitted
along with the application. The consulate homepage provides
detailed information about the required documents and the
relevant application forms. All documents, letters or certificates
that are not in German, French, Italian or English must
be submitted with a translation.
2. If the consulate requires a letter of sponsorship, the foreign
visitor must complete the relevant form and submit it to the
sponsor.
3. The sponsor completes and signs the form and submits it
along with the required documents to the cantonal or municipal
authorities in charge.
4. The letter of sponsorship is checked by the relevant cantonal
or municipal authorities and is entered into the Central Migration
Information System.
5. The results of this check are presented to the consulate without
delay, after which the consulate decides whether to issue
the visa.
If the visa is denied, the applicant can appeal to the Federal
Administrative Court in Berne within 30 days of notification by
requesting the decision for a fee from the Federal Office for
Migration.
Visa application form
www.bfm.admin.ch
Languages: German, English, French, Italian, Spanish,
Portuguese, Russian, Chinese
6.2 Residing in Switzerland.
Residence and permanent residence permits are issued by the
cantonal and migration offices. Stays of up to three months do
not require a permit, while stays of over three months do. It may
be possible to work depending on the type of permit issued.
Foreigners who reside in Switzerland receive a residence permit
indicating which type of authorization has been granted.
6.2.1 Types of permits
Fig. 21: Types of permits
L permit (purple):
B permit (grey):
C permit (green):
G permit (brown):
F permit (light blue):
N permit (dark blue):
Ci permit (red):
S permit (light blue):
For temporary positions and other temporary stays.
For residents (foreigners who are in Switzerland for a specific purpose for a longer period of time
with or without employment).
For permanent residents (foreigners who have received a permanent residence permit after
living in Switzerland for five or ten years. There is no limit on the amount of time they may stay in
Switzerland).
For cross-border commuters (foreigners who reside near the Swiss border and work in Switzerland).
For foreigners permitted to stay in Switzerland provisionally. This permit is issued by the cantonal
authorities based on approval by the Federal Office for Migration.
For asylum seekers. This permit is issued by the cantonal authorities based on approval by the
Federal Office for Migration.
This permit is issued by the cantonal authorities to the employed spouses and children of members
of foreign consulates or intergovernmental organizations.
For people in need of protection. This permit is issued by the cantonal authorities based on approval
by the Federal Office for Migration.
Source: Federal Office for Migration
Handbook for Investors 2010
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