The interview itself was smooth, and the recruiter was professional and pleasant to speak with. I left the conversation with a very positive impression of the team and the role. However, after a positive first round, I was rejected with the explanation that the company “only hires Swiss citizens due to very strict legal laws.” This is misleading: as an EU citizen (Italian) already residing in Switzerland, I have the legal right to live and work here under the Free Movement of Persons agreement. In reality, it appears that the limitation was an internal policy rather than a legal requirement. This was disappointing, as the rejection had nothing to do with skills or eligibility, but with an unnecessarily restrictive and inaccurately justified company rule. Future candidates should be aware that even if you’re fully entitled to work in Switzerland, you may be excluded for reasons unrelated to your qualifications.