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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.

The country's economic interest

Admission must serve Switzerland's economic interests and the candidate must have the required personal qualifications, with pay in line with customary standards.

A federal quota

The number of permits is capped each year for Switzerland as a whole and allocated among the cantons.

The priority of the domestic workforce

You must demonstrate that no worker matching the profile sought is available on the Swiss labour market or on the labour markets of the EU and EFTA.

A heavy administrative file

Cantonal form, economic case, proof of recruitment searches, compliant contract: every document counts.

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

A first review of the position, the candidate and the canton, concluded with a written summary note.

En savoir plus

Full procedure

We build the file and represent your company until the authorities' decision.

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HR support

Follow-up over time: extensions, changes of employer, family reunification.

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Employer hotline

A direct line for your everyday questions on immigration law.

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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.

Federal Council, decision of 19 November 2025

4500

residence permits

B permits, for the whole of Switzerland, for the year 2026.

Canton of Vaud, DGEM

4000

short-term permits

L permits, for the whole of Switzerland, for the year 2026.

Canton of Vaud, DGEM

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

See the detail by sector

The process

Five steps, from vacant position to first day at work

  1. 1

    You

    You identify the position and the candidate

    The position to be filled, its requirements and the person you have in mind.
  2. 2

    The firm

    Feasibility assessment

    Review of the applicable legal requirements and a frank appraisal of the file's chances.
  3. 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. 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. 5

    You

    The employee starts work

    The cantonal residence permit authority issues the documents that allow employment to begin.

See the process in detail

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.