This means that I won't be kicked out of the country at the end of my temporary visa, and it means that I am legit living here. I can finally get bills actually sent to myself. Wait, why is that a good thing?
Getting a work visa was definitely an extensive process that started back in October. I had to fill out a plethora of forms and get various signatures for my application for a long-term (longer than 3 months) work visa. All of this paperwork was then submitted to the Swiss government.
My visa application was finally approved in early January, which meant that I could then fill out several more forms, get some mug shots, procure a money order for the visa processing fee, and then FedEx my passport along with all of these accouterments to the Swiss Embassy in Chicago. The Swiss Embassy then gave me a 3-month work visa in my passport and FedEx-ed it back to me.
Once in Switzerland, I was required to register within two weeks of my arrival at my neighborhood Kreisbüro (a Kreis is a neighboorhood in Zürich, sort of...) to let Switzerland know that I was living there and that I had obtained an address. I had to pay a rather large fee to register, which started the process to get my long-term B-class working permit. I also had to set up a second appointment to get fingerprinted and screened at the Immigration Bureau.
My immigration appointment happened on the same day as my big move, which meant my day was extra crazy. However, I was duly fingerprinted and photographed and questioned for my permit. (Apparently this whole fingerprinting thing was a relatively new institution that was started a week or so before I arrived in Switzerland...)
Also, since my move between flats also entailed a move to a different Kreis (from 3 to 12), I had to re-register at my new Kreisbüro the day after my move and pay another fee so that Switzerland still knows my location.
I also had to change my address with the Post (and pay another fee) so that I could get my work permit in the mail, since all of my immigration paperwork was registered to my first address.
Finally, yesterday I got a notice in my mailbox that there was something waiting for me at the Post. I trundled over to the Post, took a number, waited in line, then showed my slip and my passport, and finally had a B-class Swiss work permit in my hot little hands.
Good heavens!
And that's not even the end of it, since the bank still doesn't know where I live. They would only take my first registration papers, since you have to prove residency to get a bank account. So I still have to go back with my new registration to finish getting my account set up. And I also have to go back to the main train station to register my GA with my work permit so that I am the official holder of my GA.
And then I might be done. At least until my permit expires next January...
