Understanding the procedure
From application to permit, with nothing left in the dark
Every work permit follows the same path: the employer files, the canton examines, the Confederation approves where required. Here is who acts, and when.
The seven steps
Who acts, and when
A hurried reader often remembers a single box, "the permit". In reality, three actors take turns: you, us and the authorities.
- 1
You
You identify the need and the candidate
The position is defined, the profile sought is clear and a candidate has emerged. This is the starting point of any procedure. - 2
The firm
Feasibility assessment
We examine the legal requirements applicable to the position and the candidate, and we tell you frankly the strengths and weak points of the file. - 3
You and the firm
Building the file
We gather the documents, in particular the proof of the searches carried out on the Swiss and EU/EFTA markets. Under article 21 FNIA, the employer must demonstrate that the staff sought cannot be recruited on the Swiss market or on that of the EU/EFTA member states.art. 21 FNIA
- 4
The firm
Filing with the cantonal authority
The complete file is submitted to the competent cantonal labour market authority of the canton where the position is located. - 5
The cantonal authority
The canton examines the file and decides
The canton rules on the application in the light of the legal requirements and the state of the local labour market. - 6
The SEM
Federal approval, where required
For certain categories of workers and certain types of applications, the cantonal preliminary decision is subject to the approval of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). Where this approval is required, the SEM carries out its own review of the admission requirements before issuing its decision.art. 99 FNIA and art. 85 ASEO
- 7
The cantonal residence permit authority
Issue of the residence document
Once the work permit has been obtained, the competent cantonal authority issues the residence document that allows the employee to begin work.
You
The firm
The cantonal authority
The SEM
- 1. You identify the need and the candidate
- 2. Feasibility assessment
- 3. Building the file
- 4. Filing with the cantonal authority
- 5. The canton examines the file and decides
- 6. Federal approval, where required
- 7. Issue of the residence document
Timescales
A duration that depends on the file, not on a schedule
No serious firm can announce a number of days or weeks valid for every canton and every file.
Timescales vary with the canton and the complexity of the file. The federal approval stage adds another, where it is required. We publish no figures on this subject, even as a rough guide: an announced timescale that does not hold harms your planning as much as our credibility.
The maximum numbers for 2026
The bottleneck is not the quota, it is the file
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.
Federal ceiling for skilled workers who are third-country nationals, 2026. 8500
Usage rate at the end of September 2025
Around 52% of the third-country quotas, L and B permits combined, source: Federal Council, press release of 19 November 2025.
By the end of September 2025, the cantons had used around 52% of the third-country quotas, L and B permits combined. Most of the time, then, the quota is not the factor that blocks an application: it is the admission requirements and the strength of the file submitted.
Source: Federal Council, press release of 19 November 2025.
A point often confused
The job registration requirement is not the priority of the domestic workforce
Two distinct mechanisms meet in the same recruitment, and many employers mix them up.
In occupation categories where the unemployment rate reaches at least 5%, the employer must register vacant positions with the public employment service before any other publication, during a restricted publication period of five working days. The employer then invites candidates whose profile matches and reports back on the outcome.
This requirement is distinct from the priority of the domestic workforce set out in art. 21 FNIA, which requires demonstrating that no worker in Switzerland and no national of a state covered by the free movement of persons matched the position. The two procedures overlap, but they rest on different legal bases and leave distinct traces in the file.
And if the application is refused
A refusal is not a dead end, but we do not litigate
The decision always rests with the authorities. Here is what we do when it is negative, and what falls outside our engagement.
What we do
- Analysis of the grounds for refusal given by the authority
- Assessment of a new application, if the circumstances of the file have changed
- Referral to a law firm if an appeal before the judicial authorities is being considered
What we do not do
- Filing an appeal before the judicial authorities: that step belongs to a law firm
- Promising a different result on a new application
The first step
Start with the feasibility assessment
Before engaging the full procedure, the feasibility assessment examines your position, your candidate and your canton, then tells you frankly where you stand.
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.