Curricular internship in Switzerland

You do not need any further document or permit.

With a "B" or "L" student permits issued in Ticino, it is possible for students with non-Swiss nationalities to do a curricular internship in Switzerland requesting, at least 15 days before starting the internship, a modification of their residence permit through the following procedure:

1. Contract: It is required to produce a contract, duly signed and dated by the employer and the student, in which the information concerning the start and end date, percentage and place of work and salary are specified.
2. USI Career Service declaration letter: Once the student registers the curricular internship on Mobility Online, it is possible to download the Career Service declaration letter, in which it is stated that the internship represents a mandatory experience to complement the students’ academic curricula. The letter is available only after the Academic Tutor approval (find here your Academic Tutor).
3. Online application for a change of permit: With Career Service declaration letter it is then possible to initiate the application procedure for a change of permit at the Immigration Office website of the Canton in which you intend to live (Notifica inizio impiego studenti permesso B o L).
   Here you can find the adresses of the Cantonal immigration and employment market authorities to which you have to refer when modyfing your permit.
4. Sending required documentation: After completing the online procedure, you must send the required documents by post to the Migration Office of the Canton in which you intend to live during the internship.

Procedures for requesting permission changes may be subject to change by the Migration Office for which the Careers Service is not responsible.

Please remember that:

• The permit won't be changed into a work permit, but it will be modified into a study permit with the authorization to work for a certain period of time.
• It is illegal to start the internship before receiving the approval from the Migration Office about the modification of the permit.
• If, during the internship, the annual income exceeds CHF 2,300 per calendar year and per employer, the employer is required to request the AVS (Swiss social security system) number for the student.
• Non-EU/EFTA foreign students can take on a part-time job at the earliest six months after obtaining their B/L permit (see the Canton Ticino page).
• It is responsibility of the student to inquire the Istituto delle assicurazioni sociali about health insurance exemption during the internship (curricular and extra-curricular) and the documents (if necessary) to be submitted to the aforementioned office (please refer to Obbligo assicurativo delle delle cure medico-sanitarie especially Article 11 & Federal Office of Public Health).
• Students insured through Swisscare, in the event of a change of Canton, are required to verify with the competent authority in the Canton of destination whether they still have the right to be exempted. If so, they will have to change the Swisscare policy, moving it from the collective to an individual contract for the entire duration of the stay. For more information please contact: [email protected]

Students who return home daily and thus do not hold a “B” or ”L” permit for study (frontalieri) must notify to the Immigration Office the start of any sort of employment (request "G" permit).
The request must be submitted at least 15 days before the start of the activity and must include:

1. Copy of the ID
2. Copy of the contract: It is required to produce a contract, duly signed and dated by the employer and the student, in which the information concerning the start and end date, percentage and place of work and salary are specified.
3. USI Career Service declaration letter: Once the student registers the curricular internship on Mobility Online, it is possible to download the Career Service declaration letter, in which it is stated that the internship represents a mandatory experience to complement the students’ academic curricula. The letter is available only after the Academic Tutor approval.

Procedures for requesting permission changes may be subject to change by the Migration Office for which the Careers Service is not responsible.

Please remember that:.

• It is illegal to start the internship before receiving the approval from the Migration Office about the modification of the permit.
• If, during the internship, the annual income exceeds CHF 2,300 per calendar year and per employer, the employer is required to request the AVS (Swiss social security system) number for the student.
• Non-EU/EFTA foreign students can take on a part-time job at the earliest six months after obtaining their B/L permit (see the Canton Ticino page).
• It is responsibility of the student to inquire the Istituto delle assicurazioni sociali about health insurance exemption during the internship (curricular and extra-curricular) and the documents (if necessary) to be submitted to the aforementioned office (please refer to Obbligo assicurativo delle delle cure medico-sanitarie especially Article 11 & Federal Office of Public Health)