Switzerland confirms increasing work permits to 11,500 immigrants in 2018

The Federal Council of Switzerland has announced and confirmed again that the total number of work permits earmarked for 2018 quotas will be increased to 11,500, up from 9,750 in 2017. The objective of the decision, which was taken after a political debate, is to allow the Swiss Confederation to recruit the adequate number of qualified workers and experts from both the non-EU and non-EFTA (European Free Trade Association) market, besides EU and EFTA nations.

The Federal Council has taken a decision to distribute 8,000 permits (3,500 B-permits and 4,500 L-permits) for other country nationals who are highly qualified in a bid to provide the Alpine country’s economy with the necessary amount of permits in 2018. The year 2017 saw 7,500 permits (3,000 B-permits and 4,500 L-permits) being made available for nationals not belonging to the EU and EFTA countries. Therefore in the year 2018, the number of permits available for nationals of non-EU and non-EFTA was hiked by 500 permits.

In 2018, the Federal Council will be reserving 500 B-permits and 3,000 L-permits for the enterprises of EU and EFTA member states. These quotas have been hiked by 1,250 permits. Given that the quotas were exhausted quickly and on a regular basis and taking into consideration the economic interests of Switzerland, the Federal Council was inclined to increase the maximum number of quotas to the level that was in existence in 2014. To be kept unchanged will be the quotas quarterly distribution.

To qualify for these special permits, an applicant must be ready to offer his/her services in Switzerland for more than three months or four months in a calendar year, according to an update of The International Law Office.