Following the Swiss Federal Council’s release of 500 L-Permits for the second quarter of 2015, only 280 L-Permits remain available as of April 2 for EU nationals on assignments lasting more than four months.
Because some cantons allowed EU nationals to start their assignments prior to the release of the quota numbers, many L-Permits were claimed prior to the announcement. It is likely that cantons will address this issue soon.
Work permit quotas apply to first-time applicants and those converting an L-Permit into a B-Permit only. Applicants renewing their work permits are not subject to quotas.
What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals
Employers should start planning for foreign nationals' third and fourth quarter assignments to avoid rejections due to the quota. Employers assigning EU nationals to Switzerland should check with the canton where they will file their work permit application to determine whether it accepts applications before the next quota numbers are released.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
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