Switzerland: Streamlined Processes Forthcoming for Workers in Skill Shortage Occupations

March 18, 2022

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Country / Territory

At a Glance

The Swiss Federal Council will implement the following measures to streamline third country nationals’ residence and work permit processes: 

  • Employers seeking to hire third country nationals in industries with a skills shortage will no longer need to conduct a labor market test; 
  • Third country nationals in skills shortage occupations be eligible for a residence permit even without academic education; and 
  • Residence permit holders will be able to switch from employment to self-employment status without obtaining a new permit. 

These measures are expected to be implemented by the end of the year. 

The situation

The Swiss Federal Council is planning to implement measures to streamline third country nationals’ residence and work permit processes. These measures are expected to be implemented by the end of the year. 

Change Impact

Improvements for those in skill shortage occupations.  

    • Employers seeking to hire third country nationals in industries with a skills shortage including engineering, information technology, education, technical and scientific fields, and the health sector will no longer need to conduct a labor market test.
    • Third country nationals in skills shortage occupations may be eligible for a residence permit even without academic education (this currently only applies to those with special professional knowledge). 
    • Employers seeking to hire third country nationals in skills shortage industries will face a less administratively burdensome and faster application process since the labor market test process involves multiple steps and can take up to three months. 
    • Employers will still need to follow minimum salary levels and hire skilled workers with proven experience for these areas, however a diploma in higher education will no longer be a requirement. This will open the pool of potential candidates in skills shortage positions. 
Switching to self-employment. Residence permit holders will be able to switch from employment to self-employment status.  
  • Currently, residence permit holders must obtain a new residence permit if they seek to switch to self-employment status.  
  • The authorities will set out new related rules by the end of December 2023.  

The government will be adopting these changes to encourage skilled foreign workers to enter the labour market, following the Federal Council’s report on changes in migration policy that will better meet Switzerland’s needs. 

All three measures are expected to be implemented by the end of 2022. There will be a revision of the Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration by the end of December 2023 that will include the publication of these changes. We will report on related developments. 

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].   

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