Another school dilemma! Move to Geneva now possible IN TWO WEEKS! What do I do now?

[MmeLindt]

Argh!

Following on from my last dilemma, where we decided to put DD to school until we heard exactly when we were going to be moving, DH now has the signature needed to approve the move to Geneva.

DD starts school tomorrow, we have just been to the school to see which class she is in and take her art materials in.

Now DH's company have just phoned to ask if I want to go ahead of DH, in time for the new Swiss school year on 25th August. IN TWO WEEKS!

God, now I am confused.

This would mean the DCs and I moving into temporary accomodation in 2 weeks time for a couple of weeks. DH would come afterwards with the furniture and rest of the stuff.

What do I do? Stay here and move mid Sept with the furniture. Or let DD start school with the rest of the Swiss DCs?

Just spoke to DH, there will be a delay getting the work permits and without a work permit for DH the DCs cannot go to school. So all the excitement was for nothing.

It looks like a move mid Sept and then as soon as the work permit comes through we can put the kids to school. Bloody paperwork.

Lisz
You could be right, it might not be too bad for DD to have a couple of weeks breathing space between one school and the next. Get her used to the area.

The school hols start on 29th Sept so we will be looking to move that week I guess.

Thanks again for your suggestions.

DH's company has a HQ in Geneva, and most expat (but not on a package) families actually live in France and send their children to local French schools.

That is interesting Squeakypop. The company is paying for the house and until now they have just offered us houses in CH.

I asked DH again, and he says that only a few of the families live in France. I think when his company first moved there there was not enough capacity in Geneva schools for the influx of children.

What he is telling me now is that a condition of the work permit is that you have to live in Switzerland.

Ah, that would explain why all the houses they are showing us are in Switzerland. I am flying on 27th for a few days, just have to find a hotel now.

Thanks for the info

DB lived in France and worked in Geneva - not sure how that worked since he presumably had a swiss work permit, as they came over from the US with the company? But I don't think the company were paying for the house, so their decision to live in France was based on cost. Most of his colleagues DCs went to private English-speaking schools.

I think there are lots of different visa classes, and the rules are different for EU and non-EU citizens. A non-EU citizen can get a cross border commuter permit.

It also seems that the laws have changed within the last couple of years, and to add further complexity, the individual cantons can set their own rules.

www.geneve.ch/permis/uk/autorisations_uk.asp

Stealthsquiggle,
I grew up like that, lived in France went to school in CH and Mum worked in Geneva.