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3 programs for Switzerland. Explore the options and get an expert assessment.
Permit for people who work in Switzerland but live in a neighbouring country, returning home at least weekly. For employed EU/EFTA commuters the G permit matches the contract length (3–12 months) or is valid 5 years for longer/open-ended contracts.
Simplified residence and work rights for EU/EFTA citizens under the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons. No quota or labour-market test applies; an L permit matches a contract of 3–12 months, while a B permit (valid 5 years, renewable) covers contracts of 12 months or longer.
Switzerland's main route for third-country workers. Admission is capped by annual federal quotas (contingents), reserved for managers, specialists and other highly qualified professionals, and requires the employer to clear a labour-market test before a permit is granted.
This is Switzerland's main route for third-country workers: admission is capped by annual federal quotas, reserved for managers, specialists and highly qualified professionals, and requires the employer to clear a labour-market test before a permit is granted.
Usually after 10 years of residence, or 5 years for EU-15/EFTA nationals and some strong-integration cases.
The C permit is Switzerland's permanent settlement status, granting open-ended residence and the broadest rights short of citizenship; it is generally available after 10 years of residence for third-country nationals, or 5 years for EU-15/EFTA nationals and certain integration cases.
Yes, but only within annual quotas, mainly for highly qualified specialists, and only after the employer proves no suitable Swiss or EU/EFTA worker was available.
Switzerland runs a two-track system: a liberal, agreement-based route for EU/EFTA citizens with no quota or labour-market test, and a restrictive, quota-based route for non-EU/EFTA nationals reserved mainly for highly qualified workers.
L is short-term (tied to a contract of up to a year), B is the standard multi-year residence permit, and C is open-ended permanent settlement.
Family reunification lets close family join a person living in Switzerland, but the conditions depend heavily on the sponsor's permit type and nationality — EU/EFTA and settled (C) sponsors enjoy broader rights than holders of short-term or study permits.
Both. The canton handles the application and a preliminary decision; SEM gives federal approval. The visa itself is issued by the Swiss representation abroad.
Take the assessment or ask Acey, our immigration assistant.
Work abroad — Switzerland