Quotas for experts from third countries remain unchanged in 2024
Published: Wednesday, Nov 29th 2023, 17:10
Updated At: Wednesday, Nov 29th 2023, 17:10
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Next year, the same number of workers from countries outside the EU and EFTA will be able to live and work in Switzerland as in 2023. The Federal Council has decided to leave the third-country quotas unchanged.
On Wednesday, the Federal Council amended the Ordinance on Admission, Residence and Employment and consulted the social partners and the cantons before making its decision. In 2024, up to 8,500 qualified specialists can once again be recruited from outside the EU and EFTA: 4,500 with a B residence permit and 4,000 with an L short-term residence permit.
Not fully utilized
Workers from third countries can only immigrate to Switzerland to a limited extent. Admission is based on the needs of the economy and the overall economic interests of the country, writes the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). Domestic workers and those from the EU and EFTA have priority.
According to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), the quotas have not been fully utilized in recent years. And at the end of October 2023, 68% of B residence permits for workers from third countries and 65% of L short-term residence permits had been used up.
The quotas for service providers from the EU and EFTA who come to Switzerland for more than 90 and 120 days respectively also remain unchanged. In 2024, 3,000 units will be available for short-term residents (L) and 500 units for residents with a B permit.
As before, these quotas are released to the cantons on a quarterly basis. In 2023, less than half of them were used, even less than last year.
Deep exposure to the British
The special quota for workers from the UK will also be continued - also unchanged. Swiss companies will be able to recruit up to 3,500 workers from the UK, namely 2,100 with residence permits (B) and 1,400 with short-term residence permits (L).
This separate quota exists because the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons has no longer applied since 2021 due to the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Until the end of October, the quotas for B permits were used comparatively little at 23% and those for L permits at 18%. In the medium term, this quota is to be integrated into the regular quota.
©Keystone/SDA
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