Residence permit extension (L permit)
After graduation, you can extend your student residence permit for a period of six months according to the Neirynck law, in order to find a job in line with your degree. This period is non renewable and the work permit thereafter cannot be guaranteed.
During this six-month period, you will receive a permit L however you can only work for a maximum of 15 hours per week. These six months should give you time to find a job in line with your degree, but do not replace a work permit. To work beyond the 15-hour limit, your potential employer will need to request a working B permit. Please keep in mind that this request may be denied by the Swiss authorities depending on a variety of factors.
To extend your student residence permit, you must provide the following documents 3-4 weeks before your student residence permit expires:
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Form K if you already have a job when making a request OR fill in a Form E if you do not have a job
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Copy of your passport
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Copy of your current permit B
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Copy of your official transcripts (to be sent later upon receipt)
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Your CV
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A letter from the Career Services confirming you graduated from the Institute and requesting your student permit extension (send an email to career@graduateinstitute.ch with "student permit extension letter" in the subject line)
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Proof of financial means (there is no minimum required, but you should have enough in your account to cover the period)
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Proof of residence (housing contract or letter from landlord)*
There is a processing fee (CHF 65 for European citizens and CHF 102 for non-European citizens). The canton will send you the bill in the post after you submit your L permit extension. You do not pay it in advance.
Important information: if you already have an employer for a job for maximum 15 hours a week, you will need a work authorisation. You should add the following documents to your student permit extension request:
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Ask your employer to sign Form K (you can use the same form for both permit extension and work authorisation request)
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Work contract
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Letter signed by yourself explaining that you are applying for a permit extension in line with the Neirynck Law and that you are requesting the "autorisation pour l'exercice d'une activité accessoire" of 15 hours per week during this period
The student permit extension request should be sent by post to the OCPM:
Office cantonal de la population et des migrations (OCPM)
Service des étrangers
Case Postale 2652
1211 Genève 2
Other important information for the L permit extension:
Your address in Geneva:
For your L permit application, you must indicate an address in Geneva. If your housing situation in Geneva is not stable or not continuous after graduation (for example, your student housing contract is ending and you are looking for new accommodation), one common solution is to sublet or to be hosted on the address of a friend of family member in Geneva. This is allowed by the Canton of Geneva. If you choose this option, you need to include the following 2 documents in your L permit application:
- Copy of the housing contract of your friend or family member
- Letter from your friend or family member that attests they are hosting you OR you can ask for the friend/landlord to fill in this attestation AL
Don't forget to physically put your name on your friend's letterbox so that you can actually receive letters from the Canton.
If you change your address within the Geneva Canton, you must submit a changement d'addresse form, by mail or online, within 14 days of moving prior to requesting your L permit.
Proof of financial means (justificatifs des moyens financiers):
On the Form E it states that you must have "Proof of financial means or sponsorship certificate (Form O)" for the L permit application. This can be either bank statements in your name, or, if you are being supported by a family member, bank statements in their name plus a letter explaining that they are supporting you. (Alternatively, you and your sponsoring family member can fill out Form O, but usually it's easier to do the bank statements and letter.)