Swiss employers
Recruit outside the EU and EFTA, we handle the procedure
We handle your company's work permit applications for employees recruited from outside the EU and EFTA: reducing the risk of refusal and managing a complex administrative procedure, from the first review of the file to the authorities' ruling.
The starting point
Recruiting outside the EU and EFTA runs into four obstacles
None of these obstacles is insurmountable. Each one calls for a specific document in the file and a correct reading of the law.
A federal quota
The priority of the domestic workforce
A heavy administrative file
Our role
You bring the position and the candidate, we take care of the rest
The firm becomes the point of contact with the authorities on your company's behalf, from the first review to the decision.
- Advising employers on the admission requirements for third-country nationals
- Preparing and filing applications with the cantonal authorities
- Representing your company throughout the administrative procedure
- Ongoing follow-up of permits, extensions, changes of employer and family reunification
Our services
Four services, depending on where you stand
Feasibility assessment
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Full procedure
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HR support
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Employer hotline
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The maximum numbers
A federal quota, allocated among the cantons
8500
permits for 2026
Federal ceiling for skilled workers who are third-country nationals.
4500
residence permits
B permits, for the whole of Switzerland, for the year 2026.
4000
short-term permits
L permits, for the whole of Switzerland, for the year 2026.
Sectors
Sectors with different constraints
Each branch has its own pressures. We know them, sector by sector.
- Engineering / innovation
- IT specialists
- Intra-group transfers / posted workers
- Graduates of a Swiss higher education institution
- Research / academic positions
- Healthcare
- Education
- Speciality chefs
The process
Five steps, from vacant position to first day at work
- 1
You
You identify the position and the candidate
The position to be filled, its requirements and the person you have in mind. - 2
The firm
Feasibility assessment
Review of the applicable legal requirements and a frank appraisal of the file's chances. - 3
You and the firm
Building the file
Gathering the documents, proof of the searches carried out on the Swiss and European markets, economic case. - 4
The authorities
Cantonal decision, then federal approval where required
The cantonal labour market authority issues its preliminary decision; the SEM approves certain files. - 5
You
The employee starts work
The cantonal residence permit authority issues the documents that allow employment to begin.
The scope
What we do not do
The honesty of an engagement begins with its limits.
- Recruitment and staff leasing: these activities are reserved for companies licensed under the Federal Act on Employment Services and the Hiring of Services
- Court representation: we are not a law firm and we do not litigate
- Promising a permit: the decision always rests with the authorities, never with the adviser
- Finding candidates: you choose the person, we make the admission procedure secure
The first step
Start by finding out where you stand
The feasibility assessment examines your position, your candidate and your canton, then tells you frankly what the file is worth.
The decision to grant a permit rests with the cantonal and federal authorities. We prepare the file and make its case, we do not guarantee its outcome.