International Students
While students from Switzerland and EU/EFTA countries have easy access to the Swiss labor market, graduates from third countries face challenges.
With the completion of your studies or doctorate, a new exciting phase of your life begins: the search for your first real job.
In general, workers from third countries need a permit to work in Switzerland. This permit can only be applied for by the employer. Each canton has its own forms on which applications must be submitted. Various documents must be handed in together with the application. These include a copy of the passport, CV and proof of an unsuccessful search for a candidate in Switzerland and the EU/EFTA. Together with the application for admission to the labor market, an employment contract signed by the employer must also be send in.
In addition to professional criteria, integration criteria based on the candidate's CV are also taken into account. These include social adaptability, language skills and housing situation. In principle, the employer is responsible for the application and the submission of the documents for persons from third countries. Without a work permit for his employees he is liable to prosecution.
For graduates this process can sometimes be overwhelming and scary. To support you in your search for a job in Switzerland the ETH Career Center offers twice per year an event "Working in Switzerland", which you find in our external pageevents calendar. Also find below some helpful links.