Asylum seekers are not permitted to pursue gainful employment during their stay at a Federal Asylum Centre (FAC).

Apart from that, permission to work may be granted. The respective employer must submit a request. The following conditions apply:

Precedence of domestic employees

On principle, asylum seekers may only be permitted to work if neither domestic employees nor employees from EU/EFTA countries can be recruited for the Swiss labour market. Domestic employees include persons who have a regulated stay in Switzerland and are admitted to the labour market. Relevant documents in this respect can be:

Advantages:

•  Job posting at the regional public employment agency (RAV) and on EURES;
• Job advertisements with date from print or online media;
• List of applicants with detailed information (nationality, education/qualifications,
  date of job application and reason for rejection).

Obligation to give notice of vacant positions 

Employers must notify the public employment agencies of vacant positions in professions with an unemployment rate of over 5%. More information on this is available here.
 
The purpose of this measure is to strengthen the employment market integration of the domestic workforce and to further reduce unemployment in Switzerland.
 
Therefore, anyone wishing to employ an asylum seeker in the aforementioned professions must, on all accounts, include proof in the application that notice of a vacant position was given.

Salary and employment conditions

The purpose of this regulation is to ensure equal treatment of foreign and domestic employees. The employer must inform the job market authorities about the length of employment, the employment conditions and the salary. The employment contract must be current and complete in content, and it must be in keeping with the conditions customary for the location and sector.

Relevant documents:

Advantages:

• Employment contract with date and signed by both parties (mandatory)

Asylum seekers are not permitted to take up self employment. 

An internship is a time-limited work relationship of an educational nature, the purpose of which is to acquire new knowledge and skills through practical application, or to deepen and expand knowledge previously acquired abroad.  

Internships for asylums seekers are subject to prior authorisation and only possible for a maximum period of six months. A training programme must be in place. Supervision and support at the place of work must be ensured and a supervisor must be designated to supervise.

 In all other respects, the provisions governing salaried employment apply.

The same conditions apply as for any other salaried employment. However, the Office for Economy will check in advance as to whether the young persons concerned are likely to stay in Switzerland long-term and will thus be able to complete the apprenticeship. 

 If there already is a negative asylum decision in the first instance with removal from Switzerland, but without an order for temporary admission, apprenticeships will generally not be approved.  

Exploring a profession or a trial apprenticeship for a maximum period of two weeks is possible without special permission for youths or young adults who are still in compulsory education or in their tenth schoolyear.

In all other cases, or for longer trial apprenticeships, permission is generally required.

Trial work serves to clarify the suitability of a person for a specific job and is part of the assessment procedure and contract negotiation.

Trial work for asylum seekers lasting half a day is possible without a permit.

Permission is required for longer trial work.  

These programmes are not intended for asylum seekers, as the primary goal of their stay is the asylum procedure, and not gainful employment nor professional integration. 

Occupational programmes are designed to convey basic information and knowledge to help navigate everyday life in Switzerland. These programmes are often of a charitable nature and offered by official bodies.

No permission is needed.

If in doubt as to whether something is an occupational programme, be sure to contact the Office for Economy at 
ab@vd.zh.ch.

Volunteer work must be for non-material, social, charitable purposes or serve to protect the environment, and may not exceed an annual average of six hours per week.

Volunteer work is conceivable in sports and cultural associations, social-charitable organisations, ecclesiastical institutions, interest groups or in a political party.

As a rule, volunteer work performed by asylum seekers is subject to approval. However, the Office for Economy (AWI) may, within the scope of a detailed enquiry, conclude that a specific case does not need to be approved.

A request or, at the very least, an enquiry to ab@vd.zh is thus always necessary.