Work visa Switzerland
Work permit for qualified workers from non-EU and non-EFTA states
Run by State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) and cantonal authorities
Managers, specialists and graduates with several years of experience whose Swiss employer can show no suitable Swiss or EU/EFTA candidate was found. Places are limited by yearly quotas.
- Job offer
- Required. The employer must prove it could not recruit from Switzerland or the EU/EFTA, and pay salary and conditions customary in the region and sector.
- Language
- Language skills are one of the integration criteria. No level stated on the official page.
- Education
- Mainly a degree from a university or university of applied sciences. In some fields, special training with several years of experience may be accepted.
- Work experience
- Several years of professional experience.
- Government fee
- Not stated on the official page
- Processing time
- Not stated on the official page
- Money you must show
- Not stated on the official page
- When and to whom you pay
- Not stated on the official page
Checked on 18 October 2026. What the page says
Read on sem.admin.ch on 2026-10-18: "Admissions are limited to managers, specialists and other qualified workers."; "Admissions of non-EU and non-EFTA state nationals are limited."